On Solar Arc Directions

Greetings, and welcome back to Journeys and 2024!

This month I’m going to talk about a technique I do not use very much but have always found to be accurate when I do. Solar arc directions are a simpler alternative to secondary progressions, which I have described in my book “The 26 Keys” and in this journal. They offer some additional ways to work with the slower moving planets from Jupiter out as well as the ascendant and midheaven (which are quite difficult to progress by comparison) and from an interpretive standpoint they may be useful for those astrologers who are interested in being able to forecast external events or chapters which are literally plotted to occur in the course of a life in a certain sequence. In this journey I will introduce you to the technique and focus on what I think are the key elements of the method.

Development of Solar Arc Directions

Solar arc directions are a more recent development in astrology but the techniques from which they derive – progressions and directions – have been part of astrological techniques for a long time. One of the prominent figures associated with these concepts is Claudius Ptolemy, who lived in the 2nd century AD, but he is drawing from far earlier sources which we have partly lost. Ptolemy’s work, particularly his book “Tetrabiblos,” laid the foundation for many astrological concepts, and in it he discussed the idea of a day-for-a-year symbolic movement of celestial bodies. The development and usage of solar arc directions as a modern method derived from these ancient techniques. Alfred Witte, the founder of the Uranian astrology system, began developing his astrological theories in the early 20th century. Witte’s work on Uranian astrology, which included the concept of solar arcs, gained prominence in the 1920s and 1930s. Witte and his collaborator Friedrich Sieggrün played pivotal roles in formulating and promoting the technique. The first edition of Witte’s book “Regelwerk für Planetenbilder” (“Rulebook for Planetary Pictures”) was published in 1928. This work laid out the foundation of the Uranian system which included concepts like midpoints and solar arc directions.

Witte continued to refine and expand his system until his death in 1943. After his passing, astrologers like Reinhold Ebertin – a German astrologer and student of Alfred Witte – further developed and popularized Uranian astrology, incorporating solar arc directions into the broader context of astrological practice. While Witte introduced the concept of solar arc directions within Uranian astrology, Ebertin made additional contributions to the technique. He worked on refining and expanding the system, offering practitioners more insights into the use of solar arcs in predictive astrology. Ebertin’s work helped bridge the gap between Witte’s original ideas and the broader astrological community, making Uranian astrology, along with techniques like solar arc directions, more accessible and integrated into astrological practice. Astrologers such as Alan Leo, Charles Carter and Noel Tyl (among many others) made further contributions to the development and popularization of solar arc directions during the later parts of the 20th century, making it a truly collaborative (Uranian) effort among modern astrologers.

What are Solar Arc Directions?

The first thing to address here is the difference between solar arc directions and progressions. These terminologies are sometimes used interchangeably which results in no little confusion among astrologers, especially those beginning to learn the craft. A secondary progression moves the planets in your natal chart according to their positions in an ephemeris on the days following your birth, following the idea that each day is representative of one year. For example, a progression of your natal Moon for the 5th year of your life is calculated from the position of the Moon on the 5th day after your birth. The planets effectively progress themselves into new signs or houses as time goes by, altering their natal expression for a temporal period. There are other methods of progression (as the term secondary would imply) which use a different rate for progression – primary directions are based not on the one day equals one year formula but on a four minutes equals one year formula. Roughly every 4 minute period after birth – which is the time needed for the ascendant and midheaven to progress by 1 degree – is equivalent to one year in a person’s life. This method is used to progress the midheaven and ascendant and when they conjunct or otherwise aspect natal chart placements or move into new signs or houses/temples, they symbolize events related to those natal placements, signs and temples. Tertiary progressions work on the principle that one day after birth equals one lunar month of life. Other systems of progression exist. Most astrologers use secondary progressions in the modern era. This might be because it is more effective but it is more likely that it is just the one taught more frequently.

By contrast, a direction moves a planet a set number of degrees, an arc, this arc being determined from the progression of another object. For example, the most common form of direction, solar arc direction (sometimes called solar arc progression as per the confusion mentioned above), moves every object in the chart the same distance as the progressed Sun moves. If your Sun has moved 5° on by secondary progression then by solar arc direction every single object, including the angles, are moved on exactly 5°. Since the secondary progressed motion of the Sun is more or less approximately fixed at 1° of movement through the zodiac per day (it is actually slightly more) it’s a simple matter to make a rough calculation by just converting the age of the person concerned, or the age that you are forecasting for, into zodiac degrees and then adding that number of degrees to everything in the chart:

First year of life (0 to 1 years of age): move everything on 1°
Second year of life (1 to 2 years of age): move everything on 2°

Etc.

Note that the first year of life is from 0 to 1. This means if you are currently 36 years old you want to move everything on about 37° because this is your 37th year, or if you want to see the directions for when you were 16 years old you need to direct everything by 17°. This is about the only kink in the system that you need to remember. If you can add up and know how to work with the way that signs of the zodiac are divided (into 12 signs of 30° each in a specific order) then you can actually work solar arc directions out in your head while looking at a chart, something you can’t do with secondary progressions (or any kind of progression) with the same ease. This makes solar arc directions a more attractive system for teaching to newer students of astrology since secondary progressions can be very off-putting in their abstractions. However, the 1° measurement is an approximation which means there will be some variance and the years you arrive at may be off by one or two years.

Differences between Progressions and Solar Arc Directions

One of the major differences between these two methods is that solar arc direction allows us to work with the slower moving planets from Jupiter out as if they were progressing. These planets do not move very far via secondary progression – even 90 days after you are born, which is symbolic of your 91st year of life, Neptune will hardly have moved at all from its natal position. There is no scope for it to undergo any major progression in life. By contrast, solar arc directions will move that natal Neptune three entire signs forward in the zodiac, meaning it will have a scope that encompasses a quarter of the chart. This will not only give it access to other signs and temples by direction but also to a larger number of aspects since it will oppose everything and square everything as well as conjoin everything, trine everything and sextile everything that it can within that scope.

Secondly, it is easier to figure out the directions for the ascendant and the midheaven compared to figuring out the progressions for these angles. The method is exactly the same, just add the relevant arc, the number of degrees the progressed Sun has moved since birth, to the natal ascendant and midheaven. By contrast to figure out the secondary progressed ascendant and midheaven you have to proceed according to more complex calculations and there are multiple ways to do this with no accepted standard method.

Thirdly, using secondary progressions planets obey their own rules of motion but under solar arc directions they are literally under the direction of the solar principle and must behave accordingly. In practice one of the things that this means is that because solar arc directions are all based on the arc of the secondary progressed Sun being added to all other points in the chart there is no difference between the solar arc Sun and the secondary progressed Sun. They are the same thing. This is actually a telling and intriguing detail which helps with interpretation, see below – the implication is that the Sun is a creative manifestor, that the universal power of creation flows through it since the psychic, interior consciousness (secondary progressed Sun, our inner being) is the same thing as what is manifesting in our outer life experience (solar arc directed Sun, our outer being). Another practical effect of this tethering to the solar principle is that the planets lose their ability to go retrograde, something they retain under the system with secondary progression. For example, you might have a natal Mercury that is retrograde in the early degrees of Libra and a week after you are born it has retrograded back into the sign of Virgo. This means that by secondary progression it has managed to find itself in Virgo for your 8th year, but this is something that could never happen under solar arc directions. The Sun is never retrograde and only goes forwards and every object in the chart is moved forward similarly, even if it is natally in retrograde. So a week after you are born (seven days) Mercury by solar arc is 7° forward of where it is placed in your natal chart, deeper into Libra. We disregard the behavioral movement of Mercury entirely and just move it the same steady rate as the Sun. This also neutralizes its capacity to be either slow or fast in speed, much like Neptune’s capacity to be slow was neutralized through direction in the example above.

Like progressions it is best to use very tight, small orbs of influence for directions – 1° is best. This will not only give you more focused results, sieving each year of your life down to the most essential ingredients, it also resonates with the daily motion of the Sun which is directing things. It makes directions and progressions easier to work with than transits which can have quite varying orbs depending upon the aspect involved (sextiles tend to have smaller orbs than trines, for example) and the nature of the planets which are in aspect (the Sun and Moon tend to have the largest orbs, being luminaries whose light extends radiantly in a glow) but it also makes timing directions and progressions less precise because usually the closest you can get to timing a prediction is to say “it happens in this year or the year either side of this year”. In transits you can often be more precise in timing things but there is more work to do with the orbs of influence.

Guidelines for Initial Interpretation

The consensus in astrology for interpreting transits as opposed to progressions is that transits generally signify outer events that we must respond to while progressions signify psychological changes, but there is almost nothing said about the distinctions between transits and directions or progressions and solar arc directions as far as interpretation. I think the clue we have is that these are solar arc directions, meaning they are related to the solar principle, which is to say the development of conscious awareness. This makes directions strongly biographical, part of the life story. Metaphorically if you are a tree then transits are the weather and changing environment, progressions are the psychic growth or development of your interior landscape and directions are the events that happen to you, the birds that come to nest in your branches for a while. There is of course some overlap between these distinctions as we all know how the weather can impact our mood and psychological state and some of us also understand that psychological states and inner conditions, the interior landscape, causes a matching manifestation in the exterior world. It is not helpful to be too rigid with these distinctions but they do help students to comprehend the differences between the three techniques and to integrate them together if they wish. There is a lot of work to be done in this integrative astrology, a lot of territory for researchers to make their own.

The planet that is being directed (which we can call the promissor) has more power in the interpretation than the planet it is being directed to (called the significator). So, if your natal Sun is at 10° of Taurus and your natal Moon is at 20° Taurus, sometime around the age of 10 you will experience the solar arc direction of the Sun to the Moon, and the Sun will have some kind of power to affect your natal Moon through some kind of life event that you experience connected to Taurus (and whatever house is involved).

Moving everything on a large number of degrees as will happen in most cases and including all major aspects means that directions can generate a lot of data (which is why you need to vigorously sieve data with that 1° orb) so in the beginning I recommend that you restrict yourself to the following:

1) Direction of the Lights looking for conjunctions only.
2) Directions of the ascendant and midheaven looking for conjunctions only.
3) Directions of the chart ruler looking for conjunctions only.

In particular, note when these objects are directed to each other, i.e.

1) Look for when your Sun directs to your natal Moon, ascendant, midheaven or chart ruler.
2) Then when your Moon directs to the Sun, ascendant, midheaven or chart ruler
3) For when your ascendant is directed to the natal position of your Sun, Moon, midheaven or chart ruler
4) For when your midheaven is directed to the natal position of your ascendant, the Sun, Moon or chart ruler.
5) And finally, if your chart ruler is neither the Sun or the Moon (i.e. you are neither Leo or Cancer rising) then look for when the ruler of your chart (the ruler of the ascendant) is directed to the Sun, Moon, ascendant, or midheaven.

Again, only look for the conjunctions to begin with. This means it may not be possible for some of these conjunctions to happen in the course of your life. It all depends on the exact placement of the objects in your birth chart. Take note of the conjunctions that do occur for this reason because they are important ones. Look at the directions you have already experienced and begin your interpretations based on those, using the past events you know about to calibrate your interpretation.

After this, consider the movement of these directions through the 12 temples of your chart, paying particular attention to the 4th and 7th houses (the other angles), as the power of angular houses of the chart always produce stronger effects. When either of the Lights or the chart ruler directs into a new house there is an effect that causes us to focus on that house because things are going down in that part of our life and this will be ongoing for some years. For example if your Sun directs into the 2nd temple then money and resources and your income power become part of the themes of life events for that year, but those themes while being strong in that particular year or two will continue to develop while the Sun directs through your 2nd temple and the focus created will only shift once it is directed to about 1° away from your 3rd temple. So this delineates a longer phase of many years with an overall 2nd house theme highlighted by the Sun. If you have natal planets in your 2nd temple then the eventual direction of the Sun to those natal planets will cause major events related to those planets and the Sun as well as the 2nd house and the sign involved. Overall there will be a 2nd house ‘phase’, a chapter in your life that is ongoing for many years but which has important events, ‘happenings’ of 1-3 years, seeded into it for specific periods. For example, if you have Venus in Libra in that 2nd house you might enter into a new relationship that improves your finances when the Sun is directed to it.

With the ascendant and midheaven moving into different signs there is also the technique of including the house that is traditionally ruled by that sign in the interpretation, for example if your ascendant directs itself into Capricorn then you would consider the meanings of the 10th house in your interpretation because Capricorn is the traditional and natural sign of the 10th house (because it is the 10th sign of the zodiac). Some astrologers may also take into account the natal house placement, for example that your ascendant has directed itself into the 3rd house of your natal chart as well as Capricorn, and they would include the themes of both the 10th house and the 3rd house. However, the traditional approach, associating the directed angle with the house naturally ruled by its corresponding zodiac sign, is widely used in astrological practice (for reasons that will become clear later).

Generally we use the same rules here as we do when interpreting a natal chart (Mercury is the mind, etc.) but we must always remember that the natal position of a planet and the natal matrix is always dominant. It doesn’t go away because of directions, progressions or transits, it is only modified by them and importantly different individuals have a different capacity with different influences (if the person is very sober and Saturnine by nature then a big influence involving Jupiter will not affect them so strongly). Always use the birth chart or natal chart as the context around which you interpret these events. Do not expect strong effects from an object that is not strongly placed in the natal chart. If your midheaven directs itself to conjunct Jupiter it behaves very differently if your natal midheaven is conjunct Venus than if your natal midheaven is square Saturn.

Adding Other Planets

Next I would recommend that you add all of the other planets including the nodes, but still limiting your studies to conjunctions by these directions and in particular conjunctions to the objects you worked with above, the Lights, ascendant, midheaven and chart ruler. After that, look up the directions of these planets to the houses as described previously, for example note which houses Mercury directs through, when it enters and leaves them, and when it conjuncts any natal planets there by 1°. Unless you are only looking at a single year of your life and not trying to map out the entire thing at this point you may feel that you are really wading into the bushes as even only considering conjunctions you will have a massive amount of information to interpret. For this reason I recommend you use these basic interpretive guidelines for solar arc planets as activators of your natal objects, which will help you focus and narrow down your interpretation of what kinds of happening and events each brings:

Solar Arc Ascendant
These are often major influences but the birth time must be highly accurate as an error of just a minute or two can shift solar arcs of the ascendant off by an equivalent number of years. This makes the solar arc ascendant useful in rectifying birth times (if the majority of events you experience that match the solar arc ascendant are earlier or later then it means that your birth time is also earlier or later and if the discrepancy is consistent – for example the dates are always about 4 years too late – it means the ascendant is about 4° off from the one being used). Obviously the ascendant will direct through the temples in order, and after 90 days it will only have made it so far – depending on house systems and cusps it may reach into the 4th or 5th temples by solar arc by the time we are 90 years old. This is interesting because it means that we all experience the same order of solar arc directions of our ascendant through the temples – it moves through the 1st, then the 2nd, and so on, and that it only reaches so far (it never makes it to the 9th temple, for example).

The solar arc ascendant dodges this restriction and individualizes itself in two major ways – first by using the method described above where the sign that the ascendant is in is related to the house that sign naturally rules in the zodiac (the 11th for Aquarius, etc.). Second, by making aspects (especially conjunctions) with natal planets that have house rulerships assigned to them through the natal chart itself (for example if the Sun rules your 9th house because you have Leo on the 9th house and the solar arc ascendant aspects the natal Sun, it is then able to manifest 9th house themes as happenings regardless of where the directed ascendant itself is).

As it directs through the chart we can expect events and happenings that cause us to change the way we present ourselves to the world, encounters which impact our personal identity and self-image, new beginnings and self-presentation related to the new sign, changes in our bodily appearance or how others energetically perceive you and the initiating of new projects or relationships. As it reaches natal chart objects we will see events which cause us to incorporate that natal planets or signs meaning into our self projection and self-awareness more completely and directly.

Solar Arc Midheaven (MC)
Again these are major influences but the birth time must be highly accurate for timing to be precise. The midheaven has the same restrictions as far as the temples are concerned except that it begins from (usually) the cusp of the 10th house and moves to the 11th, 12th, and then the 1st and maybe the 2nd in a lifetime. It dodges this restriction in the same way as the solar arc ascendant does. It’s worth noting here as well that since the angles are an interconnected quartet it’s always possible for directions of the ascendant and midheaven to manifest 7th house and 4th house themes as well.

As the MC is solar arc directed through the chart we can expect events and happenings that cause us to change our career trajectory and public image, what we hold up as important and worth striving towards, in our public status (achievements and recognition) and overall shifts in life direction or purpose. As it reaches natal chart objects we will incorporate the meaning and significance of that natal chart object into our goals, we will encounter something from its themes that calls us to pursue it as an ambition of some kind.

Solar Arc Sun
As noted above there is no difference between the solar arc Sun and the secondary progressed Sun. This implies that the Sun is the conduit that manifests consciousness as external experience. It turns the light of consciousness into material manifestations. Here we are in the workshop of some of the core mechanisms of fate and character and we see how they are intertwined together.

Solar arc directions of the Sun through temples which are different to its natal temple signify a broadening of our awareness of life into the themes of the new temple. This can be quite a dramatic and colourful event, especially if it coincides with the solar arc Sun making some kind of aspect to the natal chart. For example, if your natal Sun moves by solar arc direction into the 9th temple and you have Jupiter conjunct the 9th temple cusp you may find a guru who teaches you something enlightening and brightly illuminating that completely changes your life for the better. Basically, when the Sun connects with the natal chart it has a powerful enlivening effect that can produce very commanding results. This isn’t always a pleasant experience – squares and oppositions from the solar arc directed Sun can for example be scorching and burning, figuratively and sometimes even literally. We have to remember that the Sun is a giant, blinding thermo-nuclear inferno. It also tends to dry things up, leading to experiences where emotions are less of a factor. In general, expect to see events that affect or involve your vitality and energy, life direction and purpose, leadership and recognition – things that put a huge and obvious glowing spotlight on or vividly animate whatever the Sun is directed to.

Solar Arc Moon
Solar arc directions of the Moon are related to experiences which help us find a way to more radiantly and brilliantly express our natal Moon qualities. They can be mysterious because they relate to our instincts of the invisible worlds (thus can also be very important for mystical and magical paths) and in early years can be related to happenings involving our home, mother or female guardian (the solar arc Sun can also signify this for our father figures). As it moves through the temples we start to look for sources of comfort in different areas of life and as it moves through signs we look for different kinds of comfort and experience different forms of nurturing. When it reaches a natal planet our instinct for that planets energy leads us to sense its presence in everyday life. Primarily though we expect events which bring about emotional development and changes, happenings in family and home life, the development of inner feelings and instincts and our nurturing and protective qualities.

Solar Arc Mercury
Solar arc directions of Mercury are learning experiences, significant books or messages, powerful experiences involving communication, important tests and paperwork, events which provide us with knowledge and information as well as instruction and training. They can also manifest as changes in the spaces and places we move through as well as journeys we make. Our first car, a major exam or application for a job, for example, can be connected to the solar arc direction of Mercury. As it moves through the temples we awaken a hunger to study or train new things, as it moves through signs we take different approaches to learning and communicating and as it reaches natal objects by aspect it brings about situations which cause us to think about the meaning of those planets more often and deeply. In general the solar arc directions of Mercury bring happenings involving more mental activity and communication, learning and education, information processing and decision-making, travel, business, contracts and networking.

Solar Arc Venus
These solar arc directions bring about emotive events that shift our own capacity to feel. They are new relationships, new things that we fall in love with, happenings that have strong emotional dimensions, sexual encounters and shifts in sexuality, important interactions with feminine energy and with muses, significant parties and social gatherings. As she moves through the temples the solar arc Venus arouses interest and brings pleasure from different areas of life, as she moves through the signs she finds new kinds of emotions to feel and as she makes contact with natal objects by aspect she activates and manifests as experience in the material world how we feel about those natal planets. In general look for events and life experiences which involve relationships and social interactions, love, romance, and aesthetics, personal contentment and satisfaction or creativity and artistic pursuits.

Solar Arc Mars
Solar arc Mars is about where we find challenge and something to prove ourselves over as well as experiences which awaken our need to follow our own desires and our own wishes. There is thrust, motivation and momentum to these influences which can feel encouraging or irritating depending upon how we handle it. Sometimes we will cross paths with a rival while in others we will be given a weapon or an empowerment with which to defend ourselves or to strike. As it moves through the temples the solar arc Mars produces something to fight for or against connected to the themes of the temple, new overarching desires to pursue, as it moves through signs it takes on different tactics and adds new tools to its arsenal and finds new ways to achieve its desires and as it aspects natal planets it lights fires which force them into action as events manifest around us which ignite their potential. It brings encounters which involve high energy, competition, struggle, assertiveness, drive, trials, action and initiative, conflict resolution or increased conflicts, physical activity and fitness/health.

Solar Arc Jupiter
Since we don’t see much movement from Jupiter by secondary progression this is how we can understand the more psychological and interior development of Jupiter as a principal. We can do this with transits or progressions of other planets to our natal Jupiter since these will always change our relationship to that natal Jupiter but with the solar arc direction of Jupiter itself we have more information to work with. The same is true of all the other objects considered below.

As Jupiter moves through the temples by solar arc direction it leads to experiences which lead to the formulation of belief systems about that area of experience and encounters with individuals who expand our awareness of that field of life. As it moves through the signs we encounter new ways to grow or more of those signs qualities show themselves to us in our experience. As it reaches or aspects a natal chart object it brings about happenings which make us more optimistic about that object or which lead us to be more wasteful of its potential. In general however we see expansion of opportunities, spiritual illumination, growth and abundance, higher learning and philosophical pursuits, luck and optimism as major themes in these events.

Solar Arc Saturn
The solar arc directions of Saturn are frequently hard going events but ultimately they are about experiences which help us to create healthy structures and boundaries in our life as well as an awareness of how things get done. This is somewhat different to the transits of Saturn – in my analogy earlier, transits of Saturn are the weather of Saturn (over which we have some control because we can alter our experience of it according to how well prepared we are for that weather) while the solar arc directed Saturn is more what we are fated to encounter at a locked in time as a mechanism which matures our relationship to Saturn. As it moves through the temples we find more effort is needed in certain areas of life, as it moves through the signs we experience different kinds of resistance or a lack of certain qualities around us and as it aspects natal objects it turns off the tap in that area for a temporary period – we experience a certain kind of necessity – so that we see how important it is to the structure of our lives and redesign it. In general Saturn by solar arc brings events which involve responsibilities and challenges, karmic events, extreme slowness, gradual improvement, boundary changes, structure and discipline, achievement and mastery, authority figures, career developments, sometimes illness or aging.

Solar Arc Chiron
These are healing experiences and sometimes result in events related to sickness and injury, either that of ourselves or other people. Sometimes they are also teaching experiences. As it moves through the temples we can experience the need to integrate that area of life more fully into our world, we see where our perception of life in that house is wounded and we start to look for ways to include it more, or we see ways to fix whatever we perceive to be broken there. Through the signs we find encounters with the healing potential of different zodiac signs and as it aspects natal objects we have experiences which enable us to integrate and heal those principles. The general themes in the happenings of these solar arc directions are healing and integration of past wounds, awareness of vulnerabilities and sensitivities, mentorship and guidance, transformation through acknowledging and addressing pain.

Solar Arc Uranus
The solar arc directions of Uranus are often exciting but chaotic happenings which involve surprises and unexpected events which cause us to become more spontaneous in response. They allow us to connect with networks and groups of people, to find connection in the wider society, involve new technologies shaping our experience and sudden shifts which change everything. As it moves through the houses it awakens the significations of a new area of life, as if we suddenly realise how fascinating and complex it is. As it moves through the signs we encounter events which reflect that sign in new ways and in forms that cause us to open our minds. As it makes aspects to natal objects it shakes them vigorously until their foundations collapse leading to events and happenings which manifest that object in completely new ways. Its overall themes are individuality and uniqueness, sudden changes or breakthroughs, innovation and unconventional experiences, independence and group activity.

Solar Arc Neptune
These directions are about spiritual and psychic development, expansion of consciousness, seeing through illusions and contact with the transcendent. They bring about mysteries and visions, struggles with addiction and immersion, compassion, sacrifice and dissolution. As it passes through the temples this Neptune brings about the events which cause us to lose our grip somewhat on that area of life as we must move beyond concrete form into pure essence in some way. It slowly refines and sifts through our experience of that field of life, dissolving many parts and leaving only what is pure, and we encounter many veils of reality as we gradually lift them from the house. As it moves through the signs it does a similar thing, bringing about experiences which cause us to encounter more transcendent dimensions of the sign, it’s more spiritual aspects, we have experience which makes us more sensitive to the sign in general. Making aspects to natal objects this Neptune makes it harder for us to be concrete in that area but at the same time infuses the object with some kind of vision, imaginative direction or calling. In general these directions bring happenings related to our imagination and creativity, spiritual insights and experiences, confusion or idealization, intuition and sensitivity.

Solar Arc Pluto
Solar arc Pluto is regenerative and revelatory as well as subterranean, it pulls things up from the underworld in order to purge them. It can involve experiences which reveal hidden wells of power within the soul of every human being, life or death struggles, mortality, extreme survival, resurrection, obsessions and infatuations, power and control. As it moves through the houses we encounter experiences which ramp up the intensity and profundity that the corresponding area of life provides. As it moves through the signs our transformative experience shifts, we start to draw different things up from the deep well in terms of what we see as the meaning of our experience. As it makes contact with natal planets or objects this Pluto unearths whatever is buried deeply within them and manifests them as an external experience for us to deal with. Its general themes are transformation and rebirth, power dynamics and control issues, deep psychological changes, intense and transformative experiences.

Solar Arc Eris
Eris is in Aries in the natal chart for practically everyone alive today so it’s solar arc direction into a new sign is somewhat universal – we all have her going into Taurus, then Gemini, then Cancer, etc. It’s just the timing of when this occurs according to where Eris is placed in Aries that matters, as well of course as our age (if you are 10 years old she is only 10° or so on from where she is natally, but if you are 60 she has moved two whole signs on). It’s therefore her movement through the temples that has more significance and personal relevance. Her movement through temples is probably connected to finding ways to stand on our own two feet in that area of life while her movement through signs is likely more connected with how we as a people are dealing with the need to dismantle our current way of being as a collective society. Her aspects to natal objects act to shake up that object in a way that is similar to Uranus but probably more extreme and with far less emphasis on the resulting freedom from bondage – Eris just wants to see things demolished for the joy of seeing vain egoic structures undermined. Similarly her effect is like that of Pluto but without the regenerative, purging and transformative qualities – Eris is instead about things needing to stay destroyed because she represents the balance that pure destruction plays in bringing low things that need removing. Her solar arc probably relates to this. General themes to expect here are disruption and chaos, awakening to inner discord or conflict, asserting individuality and standing up for oneself, agitations, stirring necessary change or controversy.

Solar Arc Dragons Head
These are important karmic events, like those of solar arc Saturn. These events are about experiences we need to have in order to move on in our spiritual evolution. They are important in the development of our soul and relate to the intentions we had before incarnation in the physical. The Dragon by solar arc through the houses furnishes us with experiences in the form of events that map out an evolutionary pathway of development for our soul. Through the signs it triggers different impulses within the soul via encounters with different spiritual callings. As it makes aspects to natal objects it brings that object into alignment with our spiritual intentions for this life and incarnation. Its general themes are happenings related to our life path and purpose, opportunities for growth and development, meeting significant people or engaging in transformative experiences, moving toward fulfilling one’s potential.

Solar Arc Dragons Tail
Also important karmic events, the solar arc directions of the Dragons Tail are more similar to the solar arc Saturn than the Dragons Head is (which is actually a bit more like Jupiter by solar arc). These happenings are manifestations of past lives and express any patterns that we need to let go of from those times and experiences. They can be haunting for this reason, as if we have been there before countless times. As it moves through the temples the solar arc Tail presents us with happenings that reflect or reproduce in some way our past life experience with that house and as it moves through signs we can have experiences that are re-enactments of memories connected to past lives lived as that sign or in connection with it. In aspects to natal objects the karma and past life content of that natal object comes into play and shows itself in some kind of event. The general themes are past influences and habits, lessons from past experiences, releasing or moving away from certain patterns, navigating challenges related to past behaviors.

Adding the other aspects

Finally, adding the square, opposition, trine and sextile is the next step, but you might want to do this only for specific years or events that you want to research. In general you just use the same principles for interpreting these as you do in natal astrology, considering the square and opposition as more tense and challenging or difficult life events and the sextile and trine as happenings presenting with opportunity and an ease of acceptance.

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Thats all for this month, what do you find in your own solar arc directions and those of the people and places you know? Have fun finding out and let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or would like to share anything! If you would like to see the continuation of Journeys in the future please consider joining the private members club on Patreon at the 5 dollar or more tier, where you will also receive a monthly astrological forecast and newsletter. And if you would like to discuss any of the topics in this journal with me personally head over to astralvisions.org and request a meeting in one of the slots open in my calendar there.

The Magic Garden

Greetings, and welcome back to Journeys! This month I want to share with you some of the things I have learned recently and in my life in my work with plants.

For Dad

In the realm of plant cultivation there exists a lesser-known yet profoundly intriguing practice that delves into the celestial dance of the stars and planets. Astrology, with its ancient roots and mystical allure, has been intimately intertwined with humanity’s understanding of the cosmos for centuries. But what if this celestial wisdom could be harnessed to enhance the growth and vitality of plants? This journey aims to explore the fascinating relationship between astrology and plant cultivation, illuminating the insights of esteemed astrologers like Nicholas Culpeper and other authors who have embraced this captivating field.

Plants have always fascinated and attracted me. I have Saturn in Taurus and they have taught me many things as whenever I was alone (Saturn) except for plants (Taurus), things came to me, realizations, senses. One of my earliest memories is being around three years old and planting daffodil bulbs in the back garden with my father and sister. I remember being initially put off by the strange, somewhat ugly bulbs and puzzled as to why we were burying them until I actually put my hands in the soil to dig a hole at the direction of my father and felt instantly and instinctively the rightness to what I was doing, it felt completely natural and human. This must have been in the late winter around February because there was no frost and the soil was easy to scoop up. After this my father directed my sister and I to wait, and we waited not just a few minutes as we perhaps thought but what seemed to us an absolute eternity for anything at all to happen so that my sister (a Sagittarius) went on to focus on more exciting things while I (a Scorpio) stuck it out, watching every day for anything to happen. When the first verdant green shoots appeared like emerald spears I was shocked and excited (my sister immediately became enthused again) and also instantly filled with excitement about the mystery of what would happen next, because it was clear those emerald spears meant business. I was not disappointed of course – daffodils are spectacular in both colour and form and when they popped open it was more than a delight to me, it was a miracle. How did this incredible beauty emerge from something that looked like a potato when I put it in the ground? It just lay there! I remember most clearly having a question which I never put into words at the time because I couldn’t – what was inside the bulb when I put it in the ground that made this happen? Was the daffodil inside the bulb like a sleeping animal or like my neighbours tortoise which we fed lettuce to? Or was there some secret, some magic inside the bulb that made this happen and if so what was it?

My father had ignited my love of plants in this lifetime by revealing this mystery and he nurtured it by offering no explanation whatsoever. He let it be, the whole point for him had been introducing his children to the wonder and mystery of nature and so there was no point in trying to explain it. I have the feeling now that this was something his father did with his children, and so on back to an original gardening enthusiast, or possibly a magician, or even an astrologer. Both magic and astrology have been used in gardening since gardening, and gardening is as old as our relationship to nature. I imagine that what I felt as a child in witnessing the daffodil explode into colour is just a shadow of what our ancient ancestors must have felt at the whole of nature before we learned about agriculture. Our teachers then were not books and professors, of which there were none, they were instead our own inner being and the spirits of the plants themselves and so the whole of nature was a thing of wonder and magic. Now we take almost every tree we encounter for granted as if it doesn’t really exist but then we saw every tree every plant indeed every thing from the stars in the sky to the dust beneath feet as an individual being with its own story, personality and spirit. Ultimately our ancestors understood the truth, that the Earth is a living being with an intelligence. When someone got ill, tribal cultures did not consult libraries, experts or the Internet for a diagnosis and remedy – they consulted nature. They talked to the spirit guides of animals and ancestors, they listened to the whispers of trees and the wind, they followed the signs to the precise location where the remedy grew and they recognised it the moment they set eyes upon it, taking respectfully and only what they needed. Their shaman would then tell them how to prepare and apply it.

Although we have moved on and now interact with the world of plants through the technology of agriculture and most of us or many of us now only have contact with plants that arrive in plastic bags and are consumed without any first hand awareness of how they have come into being, my early experience revealed to me the fact that deep inside all of us this original and primal connection still exists. It may have atrophied through misuse and disuse so that we can no longer communicate with the world of plants the way we used to without relearning it, but the basic connection has been unaltered, the fundamental sense of wonder and mystery is still within us. It is actually intrinsic to who we are which is to say it is fundamental to being human and being born on this planet. Furthermore, the fact that we have drifted so far away from our intrinsic connection to plant intelligence and being only means that at this point they have a great deal of spiritual insight and guidance to offer us. One of the most significant and profound offerings that all plant beings extend towards all of us is their mastery of presence, stillness and acceptance, which is to say they are masters of being in magical equilibrium with all of nature. There is no resistance in plants, no judgment, which equates to an awareness aligned with cosmic consciousness. Even a single blade of grass knows exactly where the Sun is, when it rises and sets, and it aligns itself with that at all times. If we imagine this on a universal scale it’s quite beautiful – we can perceive the light of our star shining upon our living world and where she is lit by his warmth, all the plants down to every blade of grass take note, become animated, and stand to attention, reaching out to it as if to embrace it across the gulf of space, and as Earth turns, this wave of plant motion rolls around the globe, as if she is opening billions of colourful, pretty eyes to look at him. In a sense, our planet is very much like a giant plant or flower itself, a seed floating and nested in the dark soil of infinite space. Other worlds exist, of course, and plants are certainly growing there too, perhaps following two or even three suns, or something more exotic. The universal scale of plant life is a staggering, stupefying vision to contemplate. In worlds with low gravity and the appropriate environment, plants could grow into the atmosphere. They might float like giant gas balloons trailing their root system towards the ground without actually being embedded in it, and they might use it to ‘walk’ or touch each other, for instance. Such gigantic plants might have actually realised their dream of showing their flowers to the sun, and release spores into space to colonize other worlds. We could on, and on. When you really think about it, it is at least as interesting as the possibility of other kinds of alien life, but we rarely wonder about it. If the first alien life we found were a plant, I wouldn’t be disappointed, I’d be thrilled. Because to me, plants are, from a certain perspective, a more advanced awareness than ours – because they never lose that cosmic consciousness I mentioned. They are perfectly aligned with all that is, always. No lightning strike or storm can affect that, ever.

Plants are not only attuned to suns (really, stars) but also to moons and in our particular case they are even more attuned to the Moon than they are to our Sun. This is something that is well-known in gardening and is not at all controversial, but the claims of astrology, of course, are. In this article I will explain these claims and invite you to experiment in your own garden or balcony to verify whether these claims are valid or not for yourself.

SUN and MOON

The way the Sun affects plants is pretty obvious – it controls the seasons which govern their life cycles and provides sustenance in the form of light and warmth. The Moon is more subtle but even more powerful an influence than this. Essentially these are the plant gods who control, or rather profoundly influence, their lives. Actually this is true of us too, but only astrology believes that today. Plants have just never forgotten, and never will. Plants do not resist and allow the control, which means they have already achieved what we are trying to do – come into full alignment with our own inner Sun and Moon. Plants still have a will of their own, as any gardener can attest.

The Sun not only generates the seasons which govern the life cycle or phases of activity for plants but also serves as a source of the vital energy which plants require to be healthy. In fact there is a connection between the two, as the zodiac sign that the Sun is in not only acts as a seasonal marker but also as a marker for the quality of the vital energy it supplies – they are the same thing. Plants do not just respond to the degree of light and warmth but also to the tone of the vital energy contained in that light and warmth. The major points in the solar journey which govern the life activity of plants are the entry of the Sun into the Active or Cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, which are the two equinoxes and two solstices (the Cardinal signs which initiate things and so begin the seasons), and the halfway points between each of these major stations, which occur in the middle of each of the Fixed/Stable signs, one in Taurus, one in Leo, one in Scorpio and one in Aquarius. These are ancient festival times known as Beltane (May 1st, mid Taurus), Lammas (August 1st, mid Leo), Samhain (November 1st, mid Scorpio) and Imbolc (February 1st, mid Aquarius). These are midpoints or hearts for each of the seasons and thus represent their essence – Fixed signs sustain things. When plants react to these solar energies we see them display the essence of the season very directly – flowers bloom, leaves burn gold and fall, they are fully out of the earth or sleeping in their roots – but we also note them beginning to adapt to the arrival of the next season, which they fully engage in when the Sun enters a Reactive or Mutable sign, the signs which transfer things, since they act to regulate the seasons, changing one into another. These eight festivals form a solar wheel, eight pointed star or disc upon which the calendar of the ancient world was often firmly fixed and although cultures differed in the ceremonies that took place the essential meaning of the festival remained the same:

Samhain (October 31st – November 1st): The Scorpio festival, Samhain, also known as Halloween, is the beginning of the solar cycle. It represents the end of the harvest season and the start of the dark half of the year (in the northern hemisphere). It is a time to honor and remember the ancestors as well as reflect on mortality and the cycle of life and death. During this time, the veil between the world of the living and the world of spirits is thinnest. People would light bonfires, dress in costumes or masks to ward off evil spirits and leave offerings for their ancestors. Divination and rituals to honor and communicate with the dead were also common. At mealtime places would be set for beloved departed, ancestors or faeries, or plates of sustenance would be left on doorsteps. It marked the end of the harvest season when crops had been gathered and stored for the winter.

The Winter Solstice or Yule (December 21st – 22nd): The Capricorn festival, Yule, coincides with the shortest day and longest night of the year (in the northern hemisphere). It celebrates the return of the Sun and the rebirth of light. Yule is associated with themes of renewal, hope, and the promise of brighter days ahead. People would decorate their homes with evergreen branches, holly, and mistletoe to symbolize life and ward off evil spirits. Yule logs were burned in the hearth, and feasts were held to celebrate the return of the Sun and the promise of longer days. Gift-giving and sharing of food were important parts of the festivities. It coincided with the period when crops lay dormant in the fields, and people looked forward to the eventual renewal of growth.

Imbolc (February 1st – 2nd): The Aquarius festival, Imbolc heralds the arrival of spring and the awakening of the Earth. It is a time of purification, inspiration, and the anticipation of new growth. Imbolc is traditionally associated with the Celtic goddess Brigid and is celebrated through candlelight processions, divination, and the honoring of hearth and home. It was a time of purification and inspiration. People would light candles or bonfires to welcome the increasing light and ceremonies were held to bless seeds and agricultural tools. It was also a time for divination and crafting Brigid’s crosses or dolls – effigies and offerings for the Fae and the deities of spring.

The Spring Equinox or Ostara (March 20th – 21st): The Aries festival, Ostara, is observed during the spring equinox when day and night are of equal length. It symbolizes the arrival of spring and the renewal of life in nature. It is a time to celebrate fertility, balance, and new beginnings. Traditions often include the decorating of eggs, planting seeds, and honoring deities associated with growth and rebirth. It was a time to celebrate the onset of lambing season and the return of milk production, signaling the beginning of agricultural activities so it marked the start of spring and the agricultural season, with the emergence of new plant life, the birth of animals, and the beginning of planting and sowing. Despite the name there is no firmly established connection between Ostara and Easter (which is on a different day tied to the lunar calendar as the first Sunday following the first Full Moon after the Spring Equinox, but has borrowed some symbolism for Ostara, like the eggs and the bunnies). It seems certain to me this was appropriated by the Church in order to convert people from local customs.

Beltane (April 30th – May 1st): The Taurus festival Beltane marks the beginning of summer and is a joyous celebration of fertility, passion, and the vitality of life. It is associated with the union of the god and goddess, symbolizing the sacred marriage and the blossoming of the Earth. Traditions include dancing around maypoles, bonfires, and rituals to promote fertility and abundance. It corresponded with the time when livestock were traditionally moved to summer pastures, and it was associated with the fertility of the land and the desire for a bountiful harvest. On the eve of Beltane the faerie realm is especially accessible and people may leave offerings or perform rituals to invite the blessings and protection of the fae. Their sacred trees, the hawthorn, oak and ash, are often where you will find them, especially if these trees are positioned in a triangle (see the poem by Kipling, ‘Oak, Ash & Thorn’).

The Summer Solstice or Litha (June 21st – 22nd): The Cancer festival of Litha corresponds with the summer solstice, the longest day of the year (northern hemisphere). It represents the peak of the solar power and the abundance of nature. Litha is a time of celebration, gratitude, and honoring the energy of the Sun. It often involves outdoor rituals, feasting, and enjoying the beauty of nature. Some traditions light bonfires to honour and draw the fae, whose powers are at their height, and jumping over the flames or walking through the smoke could provide protection from malevolent spirits and invite the blessings of the Fae. It aligns with the period when crops are maturing and fields are filled with the abundance of nature. In many places it was also a time of flooding, such as at the Nile, fertilizing the land with both light and water.

Lammas/Lughnasadh (August 1st – 2nd): The Leo festival, Lammas, also known as Lughnasadh, marks the beginning of the harvest season. It is a time to give thanks for the first fruits of the harvest and to honor the god Lugh, associated with skill, craftsmanship, and abundance. Lammas celebrates the bounty of the Earth and encourages reflection on personal growth and achievements. People would gather in fields or at sacred sites to give thanks for the fruits of the land and leave offerings to the genius loci or local spirits, sometimes baked into shaped bread. The first sheaves of grain were cut and made into a corn dolly or wreath also for this purpose. Games, competitions, and communal feasts were held to celebrate the abundance of the harvest and foster community spirit. It marked the reaping of grains, such as wheat and barley, and the acknowledgment of the fruits of the land.

The Autumn Equinox or Mabon (September 21st – 22nd): This is the Libra festival. Mabon occurs during the autumnal equinox when day and night are once again of equal length. It signifies the second harvest and the beginning of the descent into winter. Mabon is a time of balance, gratitude, and reflection. It emphasizes the importance of harmony and acknowledging the cycles of life, both in nature and within ourselves. Mabon is a time to give thanks for the second harvest and reflect on the balance in our lives. People would gather fruits, nuts, and grains and create altars or displays to honor the harvest. Feasting, sharing of food, and communal rituals focused on gratitude and introspection were common.

As you probably noticed, the theme of each festival is reversed if we are in the southern hemisphere because there the solstice of Cancer in June represents the longest night not the longest day, and similarly the festival at Capricorn is the longest day, not the longest night. By adapting the symbolism and meanings of the festivals to align with the appropriate seasons in the southern hemisphere, practitioners can honor the natural rhythms of their environment and embrace the unique qualities of their local seasons. In this case, the dates for the festivals are changed, and this in turn changes the starting point of the solar cycle:

Samhain ( April 30th/May 1st)
Yule (June 20th/21st)
Imbolc (August 1st/2nd)
Ostara (September 21st/22nd)
Beltane (October 31st/November 1st)
Litha (December 21st/22nd)
Lammas/Lughnasadh ( February 1st/2nd)
Mabon (March 20th/21st)

However this is problematic astrologically because now the beginning of, for example, spring is not the Sun entering Aries, but Libra. This problem is a consequence of an intellectual astrology being mostly practiced in the northern hemisphere. This isn’t too problematic though, as the symbolism of the 12 signs is flexible and broad enough to embrace it. Libra is a sign of beauty and colour and perfume, which makes perfect sense for spring. It’s more difficult to adapt the symbolism of Capricorn to the heart of summer, though. However even signs like Capricorn are still adaptable – for example, during the summer solstice, which represents the persistent peak of warmth and vitality in the southern hemisphere, the symbolism of Capricorn can be incorporated to highlight the inner persistence, resilience, and determination (Capricorn traits) needed to make the most of the abundant energy and seize opportunities during the summer season, and Capricorn’s traditional association with work and responsibility can be re-imagined to encompass the idea of balancing work and play or the signs inclination towards long-term achievements and grounded aspirations can lead to a focus on nurturing personal development, setting goals, and channeling the vibrant energy of the season towards scaling personal mountains. Culture has always adapted and re-imagined these festivals according to the local experience of the environment and the times we live in and we should do the same. Creativity is part of the essence of magic.

The common theme in all these solar festivals, naturally, is light and flame, from torches to baking goods in hot ovens and spooky Halloween lanterns. They are celebrations of the wheel of light in the year, mirrored daily in the wheel of the Sun as it moves across the sky from east to west and back to the east. These eight festivals form a continuous cycle, representing the eternal cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth that is reflected in the natural world and in spiritual journeys. They offer opportunities to connect with nature, celebrate the seasons, and honor the life of the world, our life, in a meaningful, cyclical pattern. For many practitioners of magic, then, they are the most important dates in the year.

While the Suns influence comes from its brilliance, its radiant power, the Moon gains its influence over plants through its proximity, which has an effect on gravity, which in turn causes the water in plants to react, sometimes pulling it up, other times pushing it down. This is actually a gross oversimplification as the astral and physical effects of the Moon on the plant kingdom are truly beyond any kind of inventory. We can, however, make practical use of some general, universal principles. These principles are well known in traditional gardening lore. Gardeners, by nature, are not theoretical speculators – they are practical observers and this lore comes from hands on experience, not thinking.

Three primary factors to remember are the phase of the Moon, the zodiac sign of the Moon and the Element of that sign. The phases of the Moon are connected to the way it regulates gravity and therefore its influence over liquids. In general the waxing Moon is when the plants energy is increasing, making it suitable for harvesting plants that have tonifying and strengthening properties while the waning Moon is better for reducing and eliminating energies, making it suitable for harvesting plants used for purifying and detoxifying purposes.

New Moon: There is no light (vital energy) from the Sun and the Moon’s effect on gravity is strong, pulling water up, which aids in the germination of seeds, which swell. Thus, this is the Moon of the seed of the plant sleeping in the dark. It is the best time to plant aboveground plants that produce seeds outside of the fruit (for example lettuce, cabbage, grains). Planting of such seeds at the New Moon can be paired with the analogies of signs and Elements to certain plants (described below) for optimal planting (the same being true for the other phases too). This advice applies until the 1st Quarter Moon (so it includes the waxing crescent phase too).

1st Quarter Moon (waxing half Moon): Light is increasing upon the face of the Moon and there is less gravitational pull over water. This is good for leaf growth and is the the best time to plant aboveground plants that produce seeds inside of fruits (like beans, melons, peas, squash, tomatoes, etc.). This lasts until the Full Moon, and so includes the waxing Gibbous Moon as well (the Moon as a glowing brooch of light).

Full Moon: This is the peak of the lunar cycle where gravity is strong, water tables rise and vital energy is drawn down powerfully into a plants root systems. After the Full Moon and the light upon it starts to decrease, i.e. once it enters waning phase, root growth increases and so this is a good time to plant root crops like beets, carrots, onions and potatoes. It is also a good phase to transplant any kind of plant. This lasts until the 3rd Quarter Moon and so also includes the waning Disseminating Moon. The Full Moon is considered the peak of the plants energy and is often associated with harvesting plants for their essential oils or those with cooling and calming properties.

3rd Quarter Moon: As at the previous Quarter Moon, gravitational pull is less. This is a time of rest and readjustment for plants and is therefore a good time to weed, prune, fertilize or graft. This lasts until the New Moon and so includes the waning Balsamic Moon (a crescent again but this time darkening). However, at the Balsamic Moon (a few days before the New Moon) plants enter a dormant period wherein the death of the old takes place before the start of the new. This is a good time to leave them alone, but things like grass can be cut now if you want it to grow slowly. The same is true of hair (and the reverse, cut it a little at the 1st Quarter Moon to encourage its faster growth).

There is a direct correlation between the 8 phases of the monthly lunar cycle and the 8 solar festival days:

The New Moon is analogous to the Winter Solstice, Yule, the darkest, longest night of the year.
The waxing Crescent Moon is analogous to Imbolc, a time of growing light.
The 1st Quarter Moon is analogous to the Spring Equinox, Ostara, a time of equal light and dark, with lght ascendant.
The Gibbous Moon is analogous to Beltane, a time of momentum gathering as light peaks.
The Full Moon is analogous to the Summer Solstice, Litha, the brightest, longest day of the year.
The Disseminating Moon is analogous to Lammas, a time of decreasing light.
The 3rd Quarter Moon is analogous to the Autumn Equinox, Mabon, another time of equal dark and light, but with dark ascendant.
The Balsamic Moon is analogous to Samhain, a time of rest as darkness draws in.

This direct connection can become quite a powerful thing when the cycles actually align, such as when there is a New Moon on the Winter Solstice or a Crescent Moon around Imbolc, doubling the power of that particular influence. You can observe plants visibly responding to these alignments within a few days, sometimes less. The connection between the solar and lunar cycles is very useful for magical practices, especially those seeking to commune with plant spirits, working in spagyrics or plant medicine, or working with the Fae. They can form the basis of ritual interactions with sacred trees, groves or the flowers on your balcony as well as serving to guide you in the growing of foods like fruits, nuts and vegetables or the production of herbal medicines. The easiest way to do this is to follow the solar cycle and celebrate its festivals as special days and in between you follow the lunar cycle and perform mini versions of the solar festivals at the appropriate phase of the Moon on a monthly basis. You can also adapt this to what you are growing, for example since the 1st Quarter Moon is the best time to plant aboveground plants that produce seeds inside of fruits and Ostara is associated with honoring deities of growth and rebirth and painting eggs, you could combine these elements into your own ritual at the time of the 1st Quarter Moon. Don’t feel confined to what has already been practiced in traditions – make up your own in the same spirit! That is the heart of real magic because then it means something to you.

SIGNS & ELEMENTS

Both the solar and lunar cycles can be further delineated by the Zodiac signs and their Elements, providing the opportunity to add even more detail to your interaction with plants. Simply observe what sign the Moon is in and consider the following alongside the above:

1) First of all, if the Moon sign is Cardinal or Fixed, relate it to the matching solar festival (so, if it is Taurus match it to the meaning of Beltane in the northern hemisphere and Samhain in the southern) and combine this with the significance of the phase the Moon is in. For example, if the Taurus Moon is a Full Moon, and we are in the northern hemisphere, you might reach out to the faerie realm (a Beltane practice, which is analogous to the Full Moon) petitioning for assistance in planting a good crop of onions (a Full Moon planting activity). In the southern, you might do so while reflecting on the cycle of life and death, feeding something into the soil that will decompose and enrich the onions as you plant (Samhain themes). There are really many possibilities for your creativity here.
2) If the Moon is in a Fire sign, which is barren and dry, consider using it for fruit and crops grown for their seeds. You can also prune fruit trees and weed. Fire signs pair well with the 3rd Quarter Moon for harvesting to preserve fruit and vegetables for storage.
3) If the Moon is in an Earth sign, focus on roots. The Earth Element is fertile and good for planting in general but Earth signs are associated in plants with their roots and so are especially good for any underground crops and for transplanting to encourage root development. This pairs well with the Full Moon.
4) If the Moon is in an Air sign, focus on blooms and flowers. Libra is especially good for blooming flowers and herbs, vines and roots, Gemini for melons and Aquarius for onions. Air signs are generally a good time to harvest and cultivate the soil.
5) If the Moon is in a Water sign, focus on leaves. The Water Element provides the best days for planting all plants but is especially good for aboveground bearing, leafy annuals such as lettuce, spinach and chard. It pairs well with the New, 1st Quarter and Full Moon and is a good time to water plants.
6) If the Moon is void of course (meaning it will not make any more major aspects – conjunction, sextile, square, trine or opposition – to any other planets until it leaves the sign it is currently in), do nothing and wait for the Moon to enter a new sign. This is equivalent to a short period of rest for plants, like the Balsamic Moon. The void of course occurs every time the Moon leaves a sign (so every 2-3 days) and it will tend to be long when there are many planets in early degrees of their signs and short to non-existent when there are many planets in late degrees of their sign. A long void can go on for a day or more, while a short one can be only a few seconds. The issue with a void is that the Moon itself is resting.
7) Consider the traditional associations of each of the signs with specific plant properties and match accordingly:

Plants associated with Aries possess qualities like stimulation, heat, and invigoration. Examples are thorny plants, nettle, thistle, hops, red belted conk mushroom, rosemary and hellebore. Plants of Mars (see below) are also appropriate.
Plants associated with Taurus have properties related to fertility, nourishment, and earthiness. Examples include violet, primrose, shiitake mushroom, lady’s mantle, Solomon’s seal, and mint. Plants of Venus are also appropriate.
Plants associated with Gemini have properties related to the nervous system, respiratory health, and versatility. Examples here include caraway, lions mane mushroom, dill, parsley, lavender, and fennel. Plants of Mercury are also appropriate.
Plants associated with Cancer possess properties related to emotional support, nurturing qualities, and digestive health. Examples are white lily, watercress, turkey tail mushroom, moonwort, clary sage, and cabbage. Plants of the Moon are also appropriate.
Plants associated with Leo have properties related to heart health, vitality, and creative expression. Examples are bay, marigold, reishi mushroom, rosemary, sunflower, and saffron. Plants of the Sun are also appropriate.
Plants associated with Virgo possess properties related to digestion, purification, and healing. Examples are chaga mushrooms, maidenhair fern, valerian, chamomile, elecampane, and caraway. Plants of Mercury are also appropriate.
Plants associated with Libra have properties related to beauty, aesthetics, and hormonal balance. Examples are maitake mushroom, vervain, periwinkle, mugwort, olive, and golden rod. Plants of Venus are also appropriate.
Plants associated with Scorpio possess properties related to healing, rejuvenation, and reproductive health. Examples include basil, wormwood, horehound, cordyceps mushroom (just don’t eat “The Last of Us” kind!), rhubarb, and blackthorn. Plants of Mars are also appropriate.
Plants associated with Sagittarius have properties related to the immune system, mobility, and optimism. Examples include centaury, sage, betony, witch hazel, enokitake mushroom and borage. Plants of Jupiter are also appropriate.
Plants associated with Capricorn possess properties related to bone health, longevity, and grounding. Examples include comfrey, hemlock, tremella mushroom, Solomon’s Seal, hemp, and horsetail. Plants of Saturn are also appropriate.
Plants associated with Aquarius have properties related to circulation, nervous system support, and unconventional healing. Examples are southernwood, mugwort, agarikon mushroom, frankincense, bistort, and borage. Plants of Saturn are also appropriate.
Plants associated with Pisces possess properties related to relaxation, emotional healing, and connection to the spiritual realm. Examples are water lily, white poppy, psilocybe mushroom, seaweed, euphorbia, and almond. Plants of Jupiter are also appropriate.

You can also consider the ascendant in the same way when choosing a suitable time of day to plant or work on a particular plant. You want the rising sign to match the sign or planet of your plant and optimally plant it when the Moon is in that sign and on the ascendant (giving it a birth chart with the Moon (or the planet ruling the plant) rising in the sign that governs it, which you can treat as any natal chart). Avoid days when the Moon or planet is in hard aspect with Mars, Saturn or Pluto and favour days when it is conjunct, sextile or trine Venus or Jupiter. One final consideration you can apply is the difference in the Fluids between the morning and evening. In the morning as the Electric Fluid rises the Earth exhales, which permits the sap and water to rise making it the best time of day to harvest plants with aboveground edible parts. This is also the best time of day to apply plant food. In the evening as the Magnetic Fluid rises the Earth inhales, which pulls sap and water down into the roots and soil. This is the optimal time to sow seeds, spread compost, dig soil and harvest root crops.

PLANETS

Planets have long had associations with specific plants and you can also draw upon these connections in any work you do with them. You could cultivate a plant which ‘houses’ the spirit of a particular planetary energy. Often this is done by planting the seed when the relevant planet is well aspected and rising, or just whenever the Moon is in a good, strong condition, and working with it ritually over time. Plants sacred to the Faerie realm can be created this way, but in this case you should only harvest from it for ritual purposes, not for mundane meals, as this might count as eating faerie food, something warned against almost everywhere in the world. Many authors have written about these associations and some sources differ, so you will have to experiment to find what works for you. Here are some examples of plants connected to the Lights and planets:

Plants ruled by the Sun have warming and tonifying properties. Examples: chamomile, St. John’s Wort, marigold, rosemary, and bay laurel tree.
Plants influenced by the Moon have cooling and moistening properties. Examples: aloe, cabbage, cucumber, lettuce, jasmine, pumpkin and silver birch tree.
Mercury-ruled plants have stimulating and purifying effects. Examples: caraway, dill, fennel, lavender, parsley and hazel tree.
Plants under Venus’ influence have soothing and balancing properties. Examples: almond, apple, myrtle tree, rose, violet.
Mars-ruled plants have warming and stimulating effects. Examples: garlic, nettle, tobacco, wormwood, holly tree and radish.
Jupiter-ruled plants have nourishing and protective qualities. Examples: borage, fig, sage, mugwort, oak tree and agrimony.
Saturn ruled plants are often toxic to humans and include many poisons. They have astringent and grounding properties. Examples: henbane, patchouli, cypress tree, hemlock, mandrake, and comfrey.
Chiron: Very little known, but try echinacea.
Uranus: Associations are less well established but try the wild orchid and cedar tree.
Neptune: Associations are less well established but try seaweed, anything that grows underwater and water hemlock.
Pluto: Associations are less well established but try belladonna (very dangerous like hemlock) and the yew tree.

A NOTE ABOUT CONSUMPTION

Plants have been mindlessly devoured by humans for a long time. There is almost no thought given to the notion that this is a living being, just as an animal is a living being. This practice is not only disrespectful it also diminishes the power of plants to assist and uplift us. The occult and many spiritual traditions have long held that plants are aware and know what it happening to them and indeed that they have a vast intelligence largely hidden from humans. This is true. In the field of plant biology, researchers have uncovered fascinating aspects of plant behavior and communication. They have discovered signaling mechanisms, such as chemical and electrical signaling, that allow plants to respond to various stimuli and interact with their surroundings. Additionally, plants can exhibit adaptive behaviors, such as adjusting growth patterns in response to environmental cues. Yet this is just the view of traditional biology – quantum biology is an emerging field that explores the intersection of quantum physics and biology, aiming to understand how quantum phenomena may play a role in biological processes. In the study of plants, quantum biology has provided intriguing insights into various aspects of plant life. Plants use quantum coherence (the state of being in multiple places or states at the same time) in photosynthesis (it is part of how they know the optimal places to grow and enables them to ‘see’ where light falls), quantum tunneling (the ability of a particle to move through a barrier it does not have the energy to penetrate, due to its ability to function as a wave as well as a particle) in enzymatic reactions, quantum entanglement to communicate with one another and within their own internal structure (meaning they can be any distance apart physically, even on opposite sides of the universe, and still be in communication, and within the plant itself quantum entanglement enables rapid signaling between different parts of a plant, coordinating responses to stimuli and aiding in defense mechanisms), and quantum sensing and navigation to gather information from their surroundings. And this is just the very beginning of what we are learning.

Many plants are ruthlessly and brutally treated by human activity. Barley, grapes, tobacco, cocoa, coffee, cannabis, hops, wheat – the list is draining and staggering, including everything we consume in great quantities that has some origin in the plant realm. Their spirits and energies are chemically altered to benefit us as foods, pharmaceuticals, make-up, dyes for our clothing, perfumes, cleaning agents, beverages and books – a truly uncountable range and quantity of things. Often, they do this year after year, trillions of them. And we hardly notice. The time to notice again is now. We notice, at least in the beginning, by being mindful and grateful again, especially when we consume, but really at all times and not just with a special plant we grow in our garden or balcony, but with all of them, all year around. If we want to partake of their magic, we have only to ask and be receptive to it. Plants just give and give, and not just to us. It is, in essence, what they do, who they are. We live alongside these incredibly beautiful people in near blindness to all that they offer and provide, looking for strange new life out there when it is right under our feet.

Plants want to help us – in general – but nothing enjoys or benefits from abuse. We cannot blame them for the problems our own relationship to and use of them leads to. That’s all us. Tobacco and alcohol do not kill. Tobacco calms and focuses the mind, that is its spirit or what it offers to us, and alcohol wants to help us loosen up and enjoy social interaction. Neither of them seek to do harm. It is the human abuse of these things that does harm, along with all the actually toxic chemicals we add to plant products for things like colour. aroma and preservation. That abuse all begins with taking them for granted. This is what my father knew and gave me – an early respect for these living things that was intended to counter the complacency he knew was to come. It worked, and I suggest we do the same with children everywhere – beginning with ourselves, for we are, after all, children of the same magic garden – the wonderful, bountiful, fruitful and ever nourishing plan(e)t Earth.

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Conjunctions of the Moon: I

Greetings, and welcome back to Journeys! To round off the year I am presenting you with a two-part article exploring the deeply mysterious conjunctions of the Moon. The first half, presented this month, examines conjunctions of the Moon within the inner system described last month (the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars) along with the ascendant and midheaven.

20,000 Leagues: Diving into Conduction

Greetings and welcome back to Journeys! This month, to celebrate the publication of the 2nd edition of The 26 Keys, we will be welcoming new readers and exploring it with an example of conduction work and a dive into the astrology of Jules Verne.

On Solar Conjunctions

Greetings and welcome back to Journeys! This solstice I am sharing some thoughts about the conjunctions of the Sun.

The Adventure of Life

Greetings, and welcome back to Journeys for a Full Moon Halloween! This month I want to talk to you about the adventure that is life as a human being on Earth and how simply knowing the day you were born can help you map out the course it will take.

Child of the Inner Light: On Leo

Greetings and welcome back to Journeys for another in depth post. This month I am sharing with you some thoughts on the sign of Leo.

On Conduction

Greetings, and welcome back to Journeys! This month I’m sharing with you a re-written and edited selection of some of the sections on conduction which I had to remove from The 26 Keys for space reasons and a discussion on involving astrological aspects in conduction which was completely removed for clarity reasons. See “Between the Lights” for more on this topic.

Between the Lights

Hello, and welcome back to journeys for another month 🙂 This month I’ve been asked to talk about something I briefly mentioned last month in my article on Magical Timing – the interaction between the Sun and the Moon in ElectroMagnetic conduction.

Interview with Falcon Books

A short post to share an interview I gave to Falcon Books, published today, in which I talk about my life and my approach to astrology and its relationship with magic.