Astrology & cycles
Planets, planetary hours, lunar phases and the great cycle of the year.
Astrology and Free Will: The Stars Incline, They Do Not Compel
Astrology and free will in tradition: from Ptolemy to Augustine, from Dante to Pico, and why the stars incline without compelling the observer.
The Birth Chart as a Symbolic Map: How to Approach a Reading
What a birth chart is, which data you need, why the time of birth is decisive and a seven-step path for reading it in tradition, free of fatalism.
Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable Signs: The Three Astrological Modes
The three astrological modes, cardinal, fixed and mutable: their link with the seasons, ancient names, the zodiac's crosses and their use in timing.
Eclipses in Astrological and Spiritual Tradition
Solar and lunar eclipses in tradition: how they occur, the Saros cycle, ancient omens, how astrology reads them and a calm approach to them.
Electional Astrology: Choosing the Moment to Begin
Electional astrology in tradition: from Dorotheus to the founding of Baghdad, rules for the Moon and ascendant, an example and the method's limits.
European Seasonal Festivals: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh
Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh: the festivals midway between solstices and equinoxes, their link with the fixed signs and their folklore.
The Four Elements in Astrology: Fire, Earth, Air and Water
Fire, earth, air and water in astrology: the philosophical origin of the elements, hot, cold, dry and moist, the triplicities and their balance.
The Full Moon in Tradition: Culmination, Light and Polarity
The full moon as an opposition of Sun and Moon: its symbolism, the axis of opposite signs, full moon festivals and how to live it as a review.
Horary Astrology: How the Sky Answers a Question
What horary astrology is: the chart of the question, significators, applying aspects, the considerations before judgement and a worked example.
The Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions in Arabic, Indian and Chinese Lore
The 28 lunar mansions: Arabic manazil, Indian nakshatras, Chinese xiu, their use in the Picatrix and how to follow them in the sky day by day.
The Lunar Nodes: Head and Tail of the Dragon in Tradition
The lunar nodes: what they are, their 18.6-year cycle, the head and tail of the Dragon, Rahu and Ketu in Indian myth, ancient and modern views.
The Moon and the Farming Calendar in Rural Tradition
The Moon in farm work: from Hesiod and Pliny to popular almanacs, rules on sowing, pruning, cutting timber and racking wine, and their meaning.
Moon Phases and Their Symbolic Meaning in Tradition
The eight phases of the Moon read symbolically: how to recognise them in the sky, what they mean in tradition and how to use them as a rhythm.
The New Moon in Tradition: Darkness, Sowing and Intentions
The new moon in astronomy, ancient calendars and astrology: the lunation, the Greek noumenia, the sign of the new moon and setting an intention.
Planetary Dignities: Domicile, Exaltation, Detriment and Fall
The essential dignities of the planets: domicile, exaltation, triplicity, terms and faces, detriment and fall, with the scheme of domiciles.
Planetary Hours: How to Calculate and Use Them
What planetary hours are, how to calculate them from sunrise to sunset using the Chaldean order, and how tradition used them to choose the right moment.
Retrograde Planets: Apparent Motion, Stations and Symbolism
Why planets seem to move backwards: retrograde motion explained, the stations, how often each planet turns retrograde and what tradition says.
The Saturn Return: The Thirty-Year Cycle and Maturity
The Saturn return in tradition: the cycle of about 29.5 years, its phases, the myth of Cronus and how to live this passage as a rite of maturity.
The Seven Planets of the Astrological Tradition and Their Symbols
The seven planets of astrological tradition, from the Moon to Saturn: their nature, their symbolic meanings and how the ancient sky was read.
Solstices and Equinoxes: The Four Hinges of the Yearly Cycle
Solstices and equinoxes in astronomy, astrology and tradition: why they happen, the cardinal points of the zodiac and the festivals they inspire.
Traditional Astrological Aspects: How the Planets See Each Other
Conjunction, sextile, square, trine and opposition: the Ptolemaic aspects, their logic between signs, orbs, applying aspects and signs in aversion.
The Twelve Astrological Houses: Meaning and Traditional Reading
The twelve astrological houses in tradition: how they arise from the ascendant, angular, succedent and cadent houses, topics and planetary joys.
The Twelve Zodiac Signs in a Symbolic and Traditional Light
The twelve zodiac signs read as symbolic stages of a cycle: the element, quality, ruling planet and image of each sign in astrological tradition.
Venus and Love in the Astrological Tradition
Venus in astrological tradition: morning and evening star, its eight-year cycle, domiciles and exaltation, and how to read it for bonds of love.
The Days of the Week and the Planets: Where the Names Come From
Why the days of the week bear planetary names: their astrological origin, names in Latin, English, Sanskrit and Japanese, and the heptagram.