Twelfth House Planets

Twelfth house planets are a bit of a mystery.  There are various theories about what this house really means.  The old astrology books talk about this - the 12th house - as the house of downfall.  When I was learning astrology my tutors sometimes described planets placed here as representing things or people lost to you - or lost to the person whose chart we were looking at.  The twelfth/12th house has also been labelled the house of dreams.   To an extent all of this rings true to me.  Perhaps most of all, though, this resonates for me as one of the houses of secrets in the birth chart. 

Everyone has a few secrets and if astrology can hint at them, it is usually thought to do so through three particular houses in the chart: the 4th, 8th and 12th houses.  The 4th house often relates to family secrets, the 8th house to financial and sexual secrets and the 12th house to secrets we even keep from ourselves.  You may want to think of it as the house of denial, because it is said to represent the unconscious mind and it is the contents of this part of the mind that we can often deny and ignore - those details only filtering through in dreams and passing thoughts, odd coincidences and so forth.

I think the 12th house is a bridge house - a house that really clearly sits at the edge of a doorway, the doorway to the Self, which arrives and shows itself more fully in the 1st house.  So, what happens when a planet is moving through the 12th house by transit - ie, when a planet currently in the sky is moving through the 12th house area in the birth chart?  I think that something so secret that it is virtually hidden from the self and the conscious mind may be trying to bubble through to the surface.  This may be especially appropriate if there was a planet already in the 12th house of the chart at the time of birth.  But it might be significant in the way I've described, even if that is not the case.

As an example, Venus transiting the 12th house might hint at a love affair or secret crush.  Maybe the person does not yet realise that they are very drawn to someone.  Or maybe they have a clue about an attraction but don't yet want to fully face it, because it would make their life very difficult (remember the theme of downfall!).  To some extent this may be a painful house, a battle ground area where the unconscious mind and conscious mind are trying to connect.  If you have a planet moving through this house over time, perhaps something that makes much more sense of feelings and intuitions will emerge when the planet enters into the 1st house.

It would be great to hear of your experiences of the twelfth house and planets therein, or planets transiting or progressing through this house!

Celestially yours....

Palmistry 4 Today Book Review & Interview with the Author: Frank C. Clifford of the London School of Astrology (LSA)

Palmistry involves a certain amount of astrological referencing, but you don't have to be an astrology expert to explore the world of palmistry.  You don't even have to be a palmistry expert if you've got a decent handbook around (no pun intended!).  That's what I have found in Frank Clifford's Palmistry 4 Today.  I don't use palmistry so much in my professional work, as astrology and tarot are my main tools and usually tell me what the client needs to know.  However, I was always intrigued by palmistry and was curious to understand the links with astrology, so it is a subject that I have looked into and studied.  I have had the good fortune to receive tuition directly from Frank Clifford and can thoroughly recommend his approach!

As for the book - which has to be the next best thing to tuition directly from a tutor - in Palmistry 4 Today the author lets us take up the position of a “palm detective” and takes us through how to gain a first impression of the palm and his special 4-step guide for fast assessment. The book also includes timing techniques and special focus areas, such as Love, Health and Career. There are copious samples of palm prints and finger details, clearly illustrating features that are only lightly touched on or discussed in other texts.

Frank Clifford, Palmistry4Today's author, first began studying palm reading after receiving a “doomed”, fated prediction from a lady who read hands. Fortunately her prediction that he would meet a partner who would then promptly die did not come true! Frank’s passion for the subject of palmistry nevertheless grew and he learnt intensively through running marathon charity palm-reading sessions and lecturing on the subject to university colleagues.

He was clearly on the right path as this round of early activity began a pattern that he built on securely over the next twelve years through reading, writing and speaking on astrology and palmistry. Frank has a strong, international practice and as well as a highly experienced teacher and speaker in esoteric subjects, runs the London School of Astrology (LSA) where Palmistry is just one of several available courses of tuition. Palmistry 4 Today is now a classic. The book, which was first published in 2002, immediately attracted much media interest including the Guardian Careers section and Channel 5’s Open House. Frank Clifford has an interest in empowering those he comes into contact with and his appearance on Gloria Hunniford’s show gave a glimpse of his warm teaching style and wisdom, helping others to rapidly grasp the significance of the hand’s shape and markings.

Part of the appeal of Palmistry, Frank explains, is that “it is so instant - and there’s a lot of magic and mystery about the palm”. In the book he endeavours to make the subject clearly and quickly accessible, including practical ‘tips for budding palmists’. This includes details of materials used for palm prints, improvising from the kitchen as far as possible! One of the most important messages from palmistry, he says, is that “the palm shows what level you are operating on; how you are using or distorting your talents and needs”.

It is this kind of message that emphasises the book's relevance to modern life and marks it out as different from many of the older texts on the subject. All in all, Palmistry 4 Today is a must-have for the budding palm reader, with a chance to share the knowledge, wisdom and insights from an expert with a long-standing client practice.  Like many classics, it is a text that will keep on standing the test of time.  (Note: A revised version has also been published in 2010; this review article and accompanying image relates to the original text).

Palmistry 4 Today is available from a variety of outlets, including Holistic Shop

Details of courses at the LSA can be found at: London School of Astrology or telephone 0700 233 4455.

Astrology and Tarot Readings with Diana are available via Mindbliss Readings

For Freelance Writing and Editing Services visit Freelance Writer-Editor

Article Copyright Diana McMahon-Collis 2011 (acknowledgement to StarTemple).

What's the use of Astrology? - New Zealand Earthquake Chart Link

We are delighted to welcome guest blogger and fellow astrology colleague, Faye Cossar, who is based in the Netherlands.  Faye is originally from New Zealand, making the recent earthquake disaster very close to her heart.  Faye asks:


What's the use of Astrology?

A criticism often levelled at astrologers is "if you know so much, why didn't you predict this and warn people." This is a fair question and I wish this was possible. But it would mean having to study every minute of every day in every town, obviously an impossible task. And even if it was possible I'm not sure that having a warning would help in cases like this, unless we could say "at a particular time don't be anywhere near Christchurch". The huge amount of damage is inevitable - perhaps the earth has a mind of her own. In my view, astrology cannot predict an exact outcome, as the universe is very creative with its messages. It would be great if we could control things with our predictions, but we can't. Life is never 'under control' and we need to deal with that. I suspect that if it was, nothing would change. Pluto, who is often one of the culprits in disasters of this nature, wants transformation.


So what is the use of Astrology?

We astrologers are always being accused of predicting things after the event. But what any astrologer worth his salt is really doing by looking at charts after events like this, is two-fold. One is to try to find some meaning in the universe and the other is to add to our own knowledge of "how stuff works". Astrologers will give many reasons for events like this, based on their favourite techniques. For me, I am looking for something exact at that location. There are many heavy things with the planets in the air at present and these energies will be a backdrop.


This blog contribution consists of excerpts from a larger article on the astrology of New Zealand and the recent 22 February 2011 earthquake disaster; please follow the link below to Faye's Pisces 2011 newsletter newsletter, which features the New Zealand chart and an interesting astrological analysis.

http://www.juxtaposition.nl/newsletter/2011pisces_text.html
 
Faye's web site, where you can subscribe to the newsletter, is at:
 
http://www.juxtaposition.nl/ezine.html

She also has a blog at:

http://juxtaheartandsoul.blogspot.com/
 
With thanks to Faye for allowing Celestial Spot to feature her work.
 
Celestia
 
For individual, emailed readings from the UK visit : http://mindbliss.co.uk

The Hand of Fate & Destiny, Friendship & your True Self

When it comes to the hands of fate, destiny and friendship, which of these do we accept the most readily?

Friendship means a lot, but we have to work out if we trust people. There are also times when it seems impossible to discuss certain issues with friends or other people that we are close to. At such times people will often turn to an outside, trusted source of wisdom and someone who can hear about their situation, or reflect it to them in some way that is meaningful. I think this is often where ‘psychic’ readings and other divinations come in.

As for the ideas around fate and destiny, sometimes people use these words fate and destiny interchangeably. However, to me, the word destiny has tended to always carry the idea of something self-created, whilst the word fate seems to suggest the idea of a sealed fate that no amount of human intervention can alter.

In this model, destiny is in our own hands, whilst fate is something eked out upon us, something we have to endure or, at best, a set of results we have to discover – as though we have no option about where we go or what we do. Perhaps it doesn’t really matter how we view it. The question still hangs in the air – are we victims of circumstance in the situations we encounter or do we create our own lives through our choices?

This is a question I remember first thinking about in depth as a teenager, studying English literature in college. We were looking at Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles and one of the exam questions centred precisely on this subject. Tess, the central character, appeared to be lucky in some ways and unlucky in others. Was her sorry situation all her own doing or were others to blame?

I did not have a strong opinion about it at the time, although now I think that Tess was sometimes too proud. But she tried to keep to her principles and some would admire her for that. Either way, whether we see ourselves as victims, whether we our own worst enemies and whether we choose the hard path in life are all worth considering. Because there are always choices; sometimes we just don’t see them. Not without some help, anyway.

Think about a situation in your life now, especially one you are not too happy with. Ask yourself: are we victims of circumstances or do we have a hand in our own fate? Maybe you will have some feelings coming up as you consider this.

Interestingly, this is also a question that often appears in the context of giving and receiving Astrology, Tarot and Angel card readings. These are basically private, person-to-person, soul focussed readings, designed to put a person in touch with their true, inner Self. My belief is that this inner Self is a part of us (or may even consist of several parts!) that can get overlooked or repressed in various situations. I find that the tools in these readings act like witnesses and advisors. Tarot and Astrology never lie and Angel energy adds a strong sense of protection.

There are times when the true Self gets closed down – when the mores of society or the limitations of our personal circumstances don’t allow us to say what we really think and feel. Indeed, sometimes we can’t even feel what we really do feel, we go numb for a while, which can lead to feeling depressed or disoriented, tired or heavy. When we have a chance to acknowledge feelings, then these symptoms of dis-ease lift. The relationship between a trusted reader and the person seeking the reading (the client or querent) is in my opinion sacred because it allows for a person to explore their truth and thereby to contact their true Self in a safe environment. This is one of the reasons why readings ‘work’ for people. So, when clients come asking me “what is going to happen in my future?” I often go into their reading with the question in my mind: ‘well, what do you want to happen in your future?’ – because I don’t see it as cast in stone and fated. I see the reading as an opportunity to explore the paths ahead and for the client to discover more about what he thinks and feels, as an individual person. For therein lies some freedom, power and a chance to choose and create more of his/her own destiny.

Tarot Reversals

Students of tarot often wonder how to handle reversed cards. Sometimes even advanced readers dance around reversals, trying to settle on a system that applies across the board. One of those includes the idea that a reversed card means a reversed meaning. Some readers go through their reading process without ever making more of reversed cards and that is also absolutely fine. The reversal can be ignored, or we can read meaning into it if we want to. I generally find, however, that, if I need to take notice of something within my divination practice, it finds a way to let me know. It might show itself in a repeated way or it might stand out in some sort of unusual way. And that is the reason for this particular piece of writing.


For quite some time now I have read reversed cards based on my frame of mind at the time of the reading. In other words I have read them intuitively. That seems to have worked ok and I see no particular reason to deviate from that general approach, since intuition in a reading seems to have served its purpose well over the years. However, I did notice a certain pattern in the cards just recently, which stood out and made me stop and think. It was in the context of being aware of changes in another divination system, which is astrology. I have always thought that these two systems held equal value and so I learnt about them hand in hand. This seems to have been helpful in unexpected ways because, for example, when I find it hard to find a reliable answer on timing through the tarot, I can turn to astrology instead. Similarly, when I cannot see an obvious answer to my current question in the birth chart, the tarot will often give me a clearer clue. Interestingly, the observation that I made seems to relate to something that ties astrology and tarot together, although I have not noticed it mentioned much elsewhere. This is that there is a way in which planets seem to “reverse” in the skies, at certain times, just as there are moments when tarot cards appear reversed. Notably, these two phenomena are based on appearances only, but as readers of symbols we can ascribe significance to those appearances.

In astrology we call this apparent change of direction by the planets as “retrograde motion”, which simply means that some planets sometimes look to be moving in a backward path, compared with the direction of the other planets in the sky. There are specific meanings given to planets “in retrograde” and I have spoken about some of the ideas and events associated with them before in this blog (see under Mercury Retrograde, Mars Retrograde etc). Moving on to when we turn up cards from the tarot deck that appear to be reversed, we can also assign specific meanings to this phenomenon and tarotists who do see tarot reversals as significant may have all sorts of ideas about what those reversals can mean. One of my favourite sources on this subject is Mary Greer’s book aptly named The Complete Book of Tarot Reversals. As you might guess from the title, Mary looks at every single card in the deck, including the Court cards, so it is a really helpful source. But I want to look at this phenomenon of reversed tarot cards for a moment in another context, because I have noticed that a lot more cards have turned up in their reversed positions, whilst Mercury was last in retrograde motion earlier this year (from April 18 to May 11 2010, in the zodiac sign of Taurus). Mercury is the communications planet in astrology, so I suppose it makes sense that tarot cards, as “messengers” might appear upside down. The question here, I think, is, do they then especially carry reversed messages? I think the answer is that yes, they do – and possibly more.

A clue as to the “what and why” of this can be found through a comparison with retrograde planets in astrology. Frequently, when planets are retrograde, we end up going over things again, either at the time of the retrograde path or soon after it. We end up reviewing matters or revisiting ideas, places and people. Sometimes the world itself seems turned upside down, or at least our own little world may do. Nothing seems to work the way we expect it to. Other people don’t respond the way we think they will. Everything is confusing! In a specific sense this is like the normal appearance of card XII The Hanged Man, in the Major Arcana, which is an image of someone permanently upside down! But in broader terms, across the deck, I think that reversed tarot cards often show these various themes, too: confusion, things being the opposite of what we expect, feeling the need to look again at everything – and so on. It probably doesn’t matter if the cards happen to show up that way when planets are also apparently reversing (so you don’t actually need to know any astrology to make any sense of this, if you are a tarot reader!). What does matter is that there is some sort of linkage of ideas here. The clue, just as with understanding what retrograde planets are about, is really simple – it is to have a think about any words that begin with the prefix “Re”. Because those words will often tell you what the problem is. As a verb prefix in the English language, “Re” simply means “again” or “back”. So, to review is to look over again and to return is to turn back, to revisit is to visit again, to reinforce is to enforce something again – and so it goes on.


Here is a recent example of what I mean, when it comes to tarot reversals.

You may not be too surprised to hear that I have received a lot of questions about work and money, during the current recession (another “re” word!). The Two of Wands, from the Minor Arcana, turned up reversed in a reading for someone who was finding they could not move ahead in the same old way in their world of work. The main issue was that they had to realise that they no longer had the energy and passion for the work that they were doing. They were feeling burnt out and exhausted in that area. So the key here was a need to recharge and review the situation. Confusingly, they had ended up demoted into a role that they felt was beneath them. It was like they were forced to revert to something from the past. To me, this card was showing that the brakes were on, but for a good reason. This person could not just go on as they had done. They had to stop and reconsider everything achieved so far and look at what was now going to work for the future, too. Could it be that they would become resigned to this situation or that they could see some new way of moving forward? Surrounding cards, which were upright, gave clues as to a new approach that would help for the future. However, the one reversed card, the Two of Wands, spoke reams about the problem and the need for action of a certain kind.



It has taken me a long time to feel really comfortable working with reversed cards. Generally, I have done my best to interpret them. Sometimes I have noted them whilst feeling that I did not fully understand, in that moment, what they were trying to show. More recently I have increasingly felt that the reversals are truly there for a reason and have felt their message was clearer. Have you had any memorable experiences with reversed tarot cards in your readings, I wonder? If so why not share about them. If not, I wish you some meaningful – and hopefully useful and helpful – experiences in the future!

Celestially Yours...

http://nundbliss.co.uk/

Backward and Forward with Mercury Retrograde in Taurus

Yet again, I feel awestruck at the difficulties that seem to show up when Mercury, the planet of thought, decisions, communication and mobility moves in retrograde motion. This past spate has involved Mercury moving through the sign of Taurus and that means that anyone with planets in that sign may have had a particularly difficult time in the past few weeks. But I think this will have applied, also, to people with planets in the other “Fixed” signs of the zodiac – that is, Scorpio (Taurus’s direct opposite partner), Leo and Aquarius. We can picture these four planets as two sets of opposing pairs in a simple cross formation. So if you imagine Taurus at the top, then Scorpio is at the bottom, Leo is on the right hand side of the cross and Aquarius is on the left.

How will things have panned out under this latest apparent backward path of Mercury? Well, the UK election tells the bigger story. It will be no surprise to any astrologer that we ended up with a hung parliament. An opposition in the skies at this time, also, between crusty old Saturn and zingy, liberating Uranus shows the match of the two parties in the coalition government – old school, traditional Conservatives with reforming, modernistic Liberals. As my astro pal Helen often says “you couldn’t make it up!”. In my own life it coincided with a number of difficult episodes, including an accident when crossing the road – fortunately I wasn’t hit by a vehicle, but I did end up with very bruised ribs and a swollen hand, after colliding with the pavement head on! It certain put paid to my ability for a while and about 5 people who heard about the accident told me, in no uncertain terms, it was a signal to “slow down” (how very Taurus-like!).

Thankfully the planet went forward again just over the past few days, so I do think that many people will be starting to feel some sense of relief or recovery and will be finding a way forward with recently difficult issues. If you are still struggling, then look forward to the end of this month because, around 28th May 2010, the planet once again reaches the degree it was at when it started to “retrograde”. So that should mark a real move forward with any sticky issues.

A note on the relevance of this particular Mercury retrograde period, when the sign involved was Taurus: this sign is traditionally ruled by Venus – a planet which emphasises harmony and co-operation. On the more personal level, maybe you’ve been experiencing this in your relationships? Or possibly when it comes to dealing with finances, property and other such Earthly matters, given that Taurus is an Earth sign. Which suggests I should end this post by quoting a George Harrison song title “Give me love (give me peace on earth)”. You can listen to it at the following Last.fm link if you like: http://www.last.fm/music/George+Harrison/_/Give+Me+Love+%28Give+Me+Peace+on+Earth%29

Celestial Blessings!

Celestia at Mindbliss
http://mindbliss.co.uk/

Peak of Eternal Light (and Other Moon Stories)

Just at the moment I find myself attracted to stories about the moon.  News and discoveries in the past 5 years emphasise solar light on the moon and water on the moon.  From a scientific and astronomical point of view, the significance of these finds relates primarily to the desire to find a moon base - a human outpost on the moon.  From an astrological point of view we are interested in the symbolism of celestial and cosmologial phenomena - in what these developments can signify for us in terms of human understanding.  On that basis, if we are looking for a moon base, maybe the human search is really about an emotional base.  If there is one area of human existence that we have to navigate every single day of our lives, it is the emotional area.  Nobody knows for certain how our moods appear and why feelings are triggered as they are.  A lot of this goes on unconsciously or subconsciously.  We do know quite a lot about specific ways that our feelings are affected.  But trying to keep them on an even keel, that is a huge human challenge!

The stories contained at the sites below, which relate to the Peak of Eternal Light (a permanent sun on a lunar mountain) and the discovery of water on the moon seem to speak of something deeper, something even more signfiicant - perhaps because those terms speak to us in a metaphorical way.  Their message may touch us in various individual ways, depending on what is happening at the personal level, right now.  For example, for anyone who has lost someone through bereavement, the idea of a permanent place of light could be quite appealing.  Could that place be where our loved ones reside, in spirit form?  Carrying this idea across, maybe the water on the moon could symbolise the residue of all the tears that show or don't show themselves, depending on how far we are able to contact our own feelings - because people are often afraid of feelings and try to submerge and avoid them in various ways.  For people who are swamped with feelings and for those who feel unable to cry, even if crying might seem the most appropriate action, maybe the moon can be a comfort.  Who knows where all those tears go?  Do the cried ones evaporate back into the atmosphere?  What happens to the uncried tears?

In astrological symbolism the moon relates to the mother and nurturing.  Perhaps a glance at the moon can remind us that we are cared about, deep within the heart of the cosmos.  Maybe, in some strange way, the moon helps to take care of our tears, even if only allowing the light and conditions under which we can make contact with them and thereby confirm the fullness of our humanity. There may be many other meanings that feel relevant here.  I hope you will enjoy reading the stories that the links below lead to and that you can decide what the light and water on the moon mean for you.

Lunar Mountain has Eternal Light
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3549667.stm

Permanent Sun on the Moon (scroll down to paragraph 14)
http://hufos.net/news_in_general_17.html

Discovery of Water on Moon Boosts Prospects for Permanent Lunar Base
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/sep/24/discovery-water-moon-lunar-base

Celestial blessings,
Celestia

http://mindbliss.co.uk/