Category: astrology

Lunar Mansions Astrology and the Chinese Lunar Mansions Oracle

On By benebellIn astrology, cartomancy, deck review, oracle deck1 Comment

The Chinese Lunar Mansions Oracle by Zhong Ling and Wu Xue might be the first of its kind. And with its companion guidebook that details the classical attributions for the 28 lunar mansions, the deck is a great beginner step for learning about this system of Eastern astrology.

This will be both a review of Chengdu Arcana’s Lunar Mansions Oracle and an introductory overview of Chinese lunar mansions astrology.

The Oracle is a set of 28 cards in a standard finish, typical of mass market decks, though longer and wider than standard tarot card size. The card back design features the four directional animals that are the basis of lunar mansions astrology.

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Wu Xing: Five Movements 五行 · 오행

On By benebellIn astrology, divination, feng shui, Fu talismans, I Ching, I Ching The Oracle (book), Taoism, traditional witchcraft2 Comments

This is a crash course on the Wu Xing 五行, Five Dynamic Movements, though you’ll often see it called the Five Elements of East Asian metaphysics.

1/30/2023 Erratum Update: A few of the correspondence rows in the Metal and Earth columns got flip-flopped in the subsequent reference chart. If you downloaded the table before 1/30/2023, please delete it and re-download the rectified version. ❤

I say “East Asian” here because it’s not limited to any one culture, ethnic group, or nationality, not to mention the concept itself is much older than modern-day borders.

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Asian Wheel of the Year: Lunisolar Astrology

On By benebellIn astrology, feng shui, Fu talismans, grimoire, I Ching, numerology, Taoism3 Comments

Is there an Asian “Wheel of the Year”?

Maybe. Sorta.

Consider these eight solar terms, their dates based on solar longitude (the path of the sun) and how they compare to close equivalents in the pagan Wheel of the Year:

The Four Beginnings  四立
1. 立春 Start of Spring Feb. 3–5
2. 立夏 Start of Summer May 5–7
3. 立秋 Start of Autumn Aug. 7–9
4. 立冬 Start of Winter Nov. 7–8

Equinoxes & Solstices  分/至
5. 春分 Vernal Equinox Mar. 20–22
6. 秋分 Autumnal Equinox Sep. 22–24
7. 夏至 Summer Solstice Jun. 21–22
8. 冬至 Winter Solstice Dec. 21–23

I apologize in advance if my mode of presentation here is going to be a bit overwhelming. In retrospect, I should have taken more time thinking on pedagogy and how best to organize this material so it’s less everything-all-at-once. =)

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Star Child: Joyful Parenting Through Astrology by Briana Saussy

On By benebellIn astrology, book review1 Comment

Star Child is a fun, light read that introduces astrology to the lay, with a particular focus on reading birth stars for children. Based on your child’s sun sign, what are the key personality traits they are most likely to develop? How will they do in academics? How are they with friends, play, and social situations? Are they more creative? Are they more athletic? What will be the best extracurricular activities to introduce to your child based on sun signs?

Briana Saussy is the author of Making Magic: Weaving Together the Everyday and the Extraordinary, a storyteller, writer, teacher, spiritual counselor, and ritualist dedicated to the field of Sacred Arts. She leads community rituals and ceremonies, is a professional astrologer and tarot reader, and most notably, is a general practice spiritual counselor. Basically, you can go to her for pretty much anything and everything magic and spirituality related.

Saussy wrote this book with two objectives, as set out in its Introduction, and both objectives center around rectifying glaring problems in conventional astrological practice.

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The Tarot Courts and Your Birth Chart

On By benebellIn astrology, free download, personal spirituality, Spirit Keeper's Tarot, tarot10 Comments

Crowley’s Book of Thoth assigns zodiacal domains to the Kings (Thoth Knights), Queens, and Knights (Thoth Princes). Each rulership begins at 21° and ends at 20°.

So, for example, the Queen of Swords begins her reign at 21° Virgo and ends at 20° Libra. At 21° Libra, the Knight (Thoth Prince) rules until 20° Scorpio.

It’ll be fun to superimpose this over your birth chart to see which court cards rule over your natal planets and personal sensitive points.

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Learn About Your Moon Sign (pdf download for astrology beginners)

On By benebellIn astrology, free download10 Comments

This pdf was shared in my newsletter group last year and then I kinda forgot about it. If you missed it then, here’s the download now.

Learning About Your Moon Sign

(click above to download pdf)

If you ordered a 2021 Metaphysician’s Day Planner from me, then you already have your natal chart. You can use this manual to figure out the house and sign placement of your natal moon, what that means, the decan ruler over your moon and what that might mean, a few key angular aspects, and more.

My moon sign Leo and its decan ruler Mars (in Leo)

The introductory pages offers a quick written tutorial for the total beginner to help you figure out your own moon’s house and sign placement. (And we’ll practice on the birth charts of Albert Einstein, Frida Kahlo, Sigmund Freud, and Simone de Beauvoir.)

There’s also a formula given for calculating your moon phase at birth, and what your moon phase at birth says about your personality.

The pdf has been formatted with all headings bookmarked, so if you work from a PDF viewer, like what you see above, you can open up a navigation pane and click directly to the section you want to read.

Your Inner Darkness and Inner Light

On By benebellIn astrology, divination, personal spirituality, promotional10 Comments

chiron-lilith-selena-square-1

$38 USD

What is your soul’s purpose?

What challenges and trials do you face along your life path that might be sourced from karma, however you define karma?

What facets of your shadow self can be revealed by your birth chart?

How might we express that part of your inner self that is divine? What facet of Divinity do you inherit so that you might carry out missions that the Divine has set for you?

We begin the search for answers by studying your birth chart, a map of your life path designed by the heavens.

These are the astrological features we’ll be covering:

  • Chiron: Your Soul’s Purpose
  • Your Social Responsibility (House 11 & Ascendant)
  • Black Moon Lilith: The Inner Darkness
  • White Moon Selena: The Inner Light
  • Hermetic Lot of Spirit: Your Guardians
  • North Lunar Node: Karmic Traits
  • South Lunar Node: The Shadow Self
  • Planetary Hour of Birth

Several years ago I started offering this astrological reading and since then have prepared thousands of these reports. If you are interested in getting one, please read through the service description carefully so you have a clear sense of what you’re getting.

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Lunar Year of the Metal Rat & Navigating Natal Years

On By benebellIn astrology, Fu talismans, Magical in the Mundane, personal spirituality, Taoism9 Comments

The Rat is the start of the zodiac cycle, much like Aries in the Western zodiac. Thus, any year of the Rat is going to be prognosticated as a year of beginnings, of starting over, and new opportunities that come your way.

The Rat is considered to be business-savvy and entrepreneurial, so sole proprietorships are going to be more prosperous than usual. It’s a lucky year for small businesses or new startup ventures.

With 2020 being the year of the Metal Rat, we’re going to see a global focus on technology.

Metal years, no matter what the animal sign, are also more prone to social conflicts, so we may see more of that across the world stage. This is a year of nations and leaders trying to show off their power.

On the other hand, in terms of culture and humanities, it should be a great year for music.

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The Star of Bethlehem in 2020

On By benebellIn astrology, Magical in the Mundane, personal spirituality2 Comments

March – April, 2020

The “Star of Bethlehem” is when Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars are in conjunction under the same sign. It is based on the mythology that around 2 B.C., there was a conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars and three sage astrologers, or the “three wise men,” predicted the birth of a child to be a savior to the people, located at the point where the terrestrial latitude and longitude of the triple conjunction is the same as the celestial latitude and longitude (and in the midheaven) of that geographic location. Such a child would become the initiator of a new epoch in world history.

The last incidence of a Star of Bethlehem was in the year 2000. This coming year in 2020, there will be a Star of Bethlehem. Then the next Star of Bethlehem won’t be until 2040. So basically, they occur about once every 20 years, give or take.

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Saturn-Pluto Conjunction & the Great Conjunction 2020

On By benebellIn astrology, Magical in the Mundane, personal spirituality7 Comments

From January 5 – 14, 2020, and then again from January 19-22, Saturn and Pluto will be within 5° of each other. This event is called the Saturn-Pluto Conjunction. Note that some astrologers expand the definition of a conjunction to planets within 10° of each other.

Another significant conjunction, one between Jupiter and Saturn, comes at the end of 2020, called the Great Conjunction, which will take place between November 18 and December 16, 2020. From December 14 – 16, the two planets will be side by side at 29°, or the Anaretic Degree.

Let’s talk about all this.

Continue reading “Saturn-Pluto Conjunction & the Great Conjunction 2020” →