The Sun has set. The light at dusk turns red, as if it was filtered by the black earth. The twilight resonates with the deepest parts of our soul. “There is life beyond death”. This is what the Sun tells us, as it goes through the sign of Scorpio.
The golden leaves on the trees begin to fall and rot. Nature falls prey to a magical sleep, shrouded in a thick fog. Our animal part feels the call of lethargy, as our vital forces diminish. And in the mist we can feel the echo of an ancient time when the curtain of the senses had not blinded us yet.
Have we turned on an inner light? Does our lamp have enough oil to make it through the season? Did we rekindle the spiritual flame inside of us?
We all know the shadows are coming back. They are rising quickly from the memory of last spring. The specter of another lockdown hangs over us. And the fear of contagion has now returned. Thus, the questions above are anything but abstract or rhetorical.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Every year the cosmic iron enters Earth atmosphere. Meteor showers happen on a yearly basis, following the rhythms of the cosmos. With them they bring iron, and the forces harnessed in it. But why is that? What’s the reason behind this charming show that makes us make wishes? And what does all this have to do with iron?
According to the Catholic lore august meteor shower are the “lacrime di San Lorenzo”—St. Lowrence’s tears. These meteors are known as the Perseids because the point from which they appear to hail lies in the constellation Perseus.
This correspondence with the myth is very interesting. And as we are going to show later on, it finds a valid explanation in the results of a spiritual-scientific investigation.
Perseus and Medusa
Everybody knows Medusa, one of the three monstrous Gorgons, human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Perseus was the hero who confronted her terrible gaze which had the power to turn men into stone.
Actually, the story of Medusa is truly tragic. It is impossible not to empathize with her. Raped by Neptune in the temple of Athena, she was then cursed by the goddess who held her responsible. She turned her into a monster, her hair became snakes and her gaze capable of petrifying men with a single glance.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
What’s that thing in the sky? A ball of fire with a long tail streaming through the heavens, appeared at dawn without any notice whatsoever. An omen, for sure. But of what kind? As they say: no news, good news.
A comet appearing breaks the harmony of the cosmos. It is an alien light, coming from remote regions of the Universe. Unlike eclipses, that break the harmony predictably, they are completely random phenomena.
But those following a spiritual path know that chance does not exist. Everything in the Universe has a meaning, and it is constantly speaking to us. So what’s the message of the comets? And what is this comet in particular telling us?
C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) photographed from France on July 13, 2020
The Meaning of Comets
A ball of fire made of dust (earth) and ice (water), dissolving through the air. Comets bear with them all the four elements, even though primarily they were looked at as creatures of fire, bringing droughts.
Over time, the omens of doom associated with comets increased. Death, wars, riots, slaughter, the death of the King or important people. Apparently, perfectly in line with 2020 so far, isn’t it?
Astrologers began pretty soon to look at the color of the comet, the direction of the tail, as well as the astrological sign in which they appeared. All this to better understand what the comet could stand for.
Before trying this interpretation out, let’s take a look at this beautiful video captured by the International Space Station from its orbit on July 5, 2020. Let the beauty of this astronomical event inspire us all for a minute.
According to Anthroposophy, comets are generally speaking celestial bodies guided by the highest spiritual beings. They have the task of cleaning the atmosphere from an excess of astral junk released by human beings on earth. As you can imagine, the astral atmosphere around us is now filled with fear and worry, and it definitely needs to be purified.
This role of comets in the economy of the cosmos may also explain why they appear in times of difficulty. It’s not comets causing trouble, on the contrary they are ready to collect all the astral junk to throw it away, far in the cosmos. They are here to help.
Color, Tail and Sign of the Neowise Comet
Let’s first of all take a look at the name of the comet which—by itself—is a symbol that we can interpret. To be honest, the name comes from the name of the space telescope used to spot it, the Neowise. The complete technical name would be C/2020 F3 NEOWISE.
However, we are going to take the name Neowise anyway because simply put that’s how we refer to it. It’s like for the name “corona virus”: the real name is COVID-19, whereas corona is just the family name it belongs to. Regardless of their origin, names are important.
Neowise literally means New Wisdom, suggesting that this is what the current worldwide crisis would need. Going back to our old life as if nothing had ever happened isn’t a wise move for sure. So the being itself of wisdom is our first clue.
Concerning the color, there are two of them as we can read on wikipedia. The first tail’s color is magenta and made of gas and ions; the second twin tail is golden color and made of dust, like the tail of Comet Hale-Bopp. So not only the name refers to wisdom, but the colors as well.
In fact, magenta and gold are colors of harmony, balance, spiritual development and higher moral qualities. For this reason it is the color worn by bishops (or at least a variant of it). So far the Neowise Comet seems to be a warning, a call for developing higher spiritual qualities.
The comet was discovered on March, but it became visible only in July. You can spot it a few hours before sunrise (from the northern hemisphere), facing north-east. This means that the comet became visible in the zodiac sign of Cancer.
Traditionally, a comet in a water sign is a possible indicator for rainstorms and tsunamis. I’ve already talked about the possibility of having tsunamis this year in a previous article about the Eclipse of Summer Solstice. I really hope to be wrong at this point, but this is another signification strengthening my former interpretation.
Developing Wisdom
In a more positive sense, it seems that humanity is being asked to develop a new form of wisdom concerning cancerian forces. Those are forces of nurturing, of care, forces of the mother. They are also forces of materialism, the dominant spiritual current that is increasingly taking us away from a meaningful existence. I this regard, we should start a process to transform the forces of materialism and to move away from them.
Nature is the reflection of Wisdom itself, and only if mankind is going to develop a new form of wisdom we will be able to reconnect to this lost Eden, the archetype of the Garden, which is nothing but the mirror of the human soul.
Astrosophy is the name of the wisdom of the spiritual dimensions reflected in the world of the stars. We can read them to find guidance and strength through these difficult times.
If you enjoyed this article please subscribe to the Astronomicon Newsletter with the bar at the top of the website. Thanks for reading, have a good week.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” ―Edgar Allan Poe
As every year, Neptune in Pisces turns retrograde for about 6 months. The power of chaos and images fuels Midsummer dream state. Waves of shapeless colors, distant sounds, blurred encounters, expanding feelings, boundless horizons, mystical impulses. Nature whispers to let yourself go and give up control.
During its retrograde motion, Neptune is going to make two sextiles with Jupiter in Capricorn. As we know, Jupiter in Capricorn is in its fall, meaning that the planet of philosophers is dealing with hard lessons coming from the earthly realm of matter (Capricorn). And we all know what these lessons are, considering 2020 so far.
Still, these sextiles are going to loosen the grip. Many people are dreaming about a better future, looking at the worldwide chaos as an opportunity for change. The neptunian energy can be the amniotic fluid that provides a space for these ideas to grow, a gestation for a better world.
The importance of dreams unfolds itself clearly before our eyes. No human vision can be pursued if we lack the ability to imagine it. Imagining requires escaping from the world of senses, emerging in a place of pure thoughts where anything is possible. A place where we risk to get lost, abducted by the fairies. But also a place where we can develop a real bridge towards higher realities.
Anthroposophy and Imaginative Knowledge
How is it possible to gain more consciousness about this inner dimension? How can we process the chaotic world of images we bear inside, to give birth to something completely new? Our modern world is insanely saturated with images that pull us from every direction.
One possible answer comes from Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy that indicates a way through this chaotic world of inner images, to develop a new state of consciousness called Imaginative Knowledge. Developing a new state of consciousness, especially in regards to the life of images, is a neptunian challenge for modern times.
You can think of Imaginative Knowledge as the transformation of our normal dream state to a higher octave. A state of consciousness that would enable us to penetrate in the world of the living Archetypes, Plato’s world of Ideas that he called Hyperuranion—a place beyond the heavens.
In this state of consciousness we experience each component of the inner image as if it was “intelligent”, a symbol constantly and intuitively streaming meanings towards our mind. It’s not a mere vision, something we passively undergo. We feel our will, as well as our whole inner world, actively united with the experience.
For more information about Imaginative Knowledge, and higher states of consciousness as described by Rudolf Steiner you can find more information in his book “Knowledge of the Higher Worlds And Its Attainment”, freely available online.
In addition, if you are interested in Anthroposophy I highly suggest Giorgio Tarditi Spagnoli’s blog. Specifically you can find a recent article about the 7 Nights of Midsummer Dreams that relates this period of the year with the 13 Holy Nights following the winter solstice. Check it out!
Aspects of Neptune Retrograde (UTC)
Tue 23-06-2020 6:32:09 Neptune <20Pis57> S/R
Sun 12-07-2020 20:43:04 Sun (20Can51) Tri [20Pis51] NeptuneMon 27-07-2020 18:06:20 Jupiter [20Cap39] Sex [20Pis39] Neptune
Mon 27-07-2020 19:47:45 Venus (20Gem39) Squ [20Pis39] Neptune
Thu 30-07-2020 20:44:21 Mercury (20Can35) Tri [20Pis35] Neptune
Thu 27-08-2020 23:12:31 Venus (19Can57) Tri [19Pis57] Neptune
Sun 30-08-2020 20:43:56 Mercury (19Vir52) Opp [19Pis52] Neptune
Fri 11-09-2020 22:25:44 Sun (19Vir32) Opp [19Pis32] NeptuneMon 12-10-2020 9:06:44 Jupiter (18Cap45) Sex [18Pis45] Neptune
Sun 18-10-2020 16:48:45 Venus (18Vir37) Opp [18Pis37] Neptune
Tue 10-11-2020 7:11:31 Sun (18Sco15) Tri [18Pis15] Neptune
Tue 24-11-2020 6:39:41 Mercury (18Sco10) Tri [18Pis10] Neptune
Sun 29-11-2020 2:36:35 Neptune <18Pis09> S/D
As always if you enjoyed this article please subscribe to the Astronomical Newsletter using the bar at the top of the website. Thanks for reading, happy summer dreams everyone.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
In PART 1 of the series Anthroposophy and Astrology we have discussed about the Horoscope, whereas in PART 2 we deepened the different zodiacs from an anthroposophical perspective. In this article we are going to talk about a very controversial topic: the inversion of the names of planets Mercury and Venus. For those not familiar with this issue, let’s jump right into it through this quote by Rudolf Steiner:
“Here I would like to add one thing, because misunderstandings have crept into the naming of the planets. In all occult nomenclature, what the astronomers call Venus is called Mercury, and vice versa. Astronomers know nothing of the mysteries behind this, because in the past it was not desired that the esoteric names should be revealed. This happened in order to conceal certain things.”
Egyptian Myths and Mysteries – Lecture IV – September 5, 1908
This is not the only time Steiner talked about it. Actually, there are many quotes referring to the same naming issue. I’d like to credit this important article by R. S. W. Bobbette that reports a huge list of Rudolf Steiner’s quotes about this topic. For the sake of this post we are not going through all of them, but if you’re interested check it out.
As you can see here Steiner is talking about the names of planets Mercury and Venus that were, at some point in history, interchanged. In his words, this was purposely made because it was not desired for the real names to be revealed. So Venus was called Mercury, and Mercury Venus. But why was that?
To understand the whole picture, the first thing I’d like to point out is that Steiner made a distinction between the esoteric (inner) knowledge of the Mysteries and the so called exoteric, outer knowledge. This is a very important aspect of the whole issue if we want to understand it correctly.
Mercury and Venus in the Copernican System
Now, with this distinction in mind, let’s take a look to the quote below. The quote is taken from the cycle of lectures “Spiritual Hierarchies”, and what’s interesting about it is that it comes with a diagram of the planetary spheres:
“You may be astonished at the sequence in which I have placed the planets [see picture below]. When the earth is here, and the Sun there, you would have thought that I should draw Mercury in the vicinity of the Sun, and Venus here. But no! For these Planets have had their names interchanged, in later Astronomy. That which is called Mercury to-day was called Venus in all ancient teachings, and that which is called Venus was called Mercury.
Thus, note it well, one does not understand the ancient writings when one takes that which in them is called Venus or Mercury for the Venus or Mercury of the present day. That which is said about Venus has to be applied to the Mercury of to-day, and what is said about Mercury to Venus. For those two designations were later interchanged. On the occasion when man turned the world system topsy-turvy, when the earth was deprived of its central position, the perspective was not only changed, but the designations of Mercury and Venus were also changed.”
Spiritual Hierarchies —Lecture VI — 1909
A picture of the Copernican System described in Spiritual Hierarchies —Lecture VI
The planetary arrangement in this picture is very peculiar. Here Steiner uses both the heliocentric model (Copernicus) and the geocentric model (Ptolemy) for the inner planets. As you can see the Earth, the Moon, Mercury, Venus and the Sun are drawn with both the heliocentric and geocentric orbits.
What Steiner is doing is starting from the heliocentric model that we all know. And he is arranging the planets in a specific position that makes possible the overlapping between this model and the old geocentric model. In doing so, he is suggesting that this overlapping is plausible. Honestly I don’t know why he doesn’t introduce the Tychonic System at this point, because what he is doing is basically describing it.
We are going to talk about it later as the solution to this riddle. But for now, let’s go back to Mercury and Venus. In the quote, Steiner says that “these Planets have had their names interchanged, in later Astronomy”. But was it really so? Did Copernicus inverted the names of these two planets? That would be something extremely well known by common astronomers because it has to do with the history of astronomy itself.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
In PART 1 of this series of posts about Anthroposophy and Astrology, we have discussed about the Horoscope from an anthroposophical perspective. We have also talked about Steiner’s point of view on Astrology. We have pointed out the differences between spiritual science and symbolic interpretation, and explained why their approach is fundamentally different.
In this article we are going to tackle one of the main issues for astrologers interested in Anthroposophy. What is the “right zodiac” to use in astrological charts? This is an old debate in the astrological community. But what has Anthroposophy to say about it? Let’s jump right into it.
Signs and constellations are not the same thing. Explaining the differences between Tropical and Sidereal Zodiac is not the purpose of this post, so if you are new to the topic you can deepen it further here. Long story short, we can say that zodiacal signs are not strictly speaking a group of stars (constellation) but a uniform division of the ecliptic into twelve segments. They depend on seasons, not on the actual position of the stars.
This is a very well known topic for astrologers. Tropical Zodiac is the zodiac that refers to signs, whereas Sidereal Zodiac—sidus meaning star—to constellations. Every year the two zodiacs slowly separate, to the point that right now they are one sign distant from each other (see the picture below).
Both zodiacs are used by ancient and respectable traditions. It would be inconclusive trying to demonstrate which is the “right zodiac”, simply because they are the result of different types of investigations. But what does Anthroposophy say about it? What’s the zodiac used by Rudolf Steiner?
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
If you are reading this article most likely you are going to find what you’re looking for in this series of posts. Many people have the interest—sometimes the urge—to answer to many issues regarding Astrology in the light of Anthroposophy. Do know that you’re not alone.
In this first article I am going to touch the main issues that any anthroposopher interested in Astrology would stumble upon. The same applies to any astrologer concerned about what Anthroposophy has to say in regards to this hermetic art. There are indeed a few controversial topics that need to be clarified and this series of articles goes in that direction.
Please also note that this is part of a research: any valuable piece of information you might have to contribute—or deny—the content of this post is highly appreciated. We’re all seeking the truth.
The Horoscope
First of all we need to understand whether Astrology is plausible or not from an anthroposophical perspective. As any practitioner knows, Astrology holds its foundation in a very simple principle: the life of anything born on earth is described by the configuration of the sky at the moment of its birth.
Astrology is the art of interpreting this sky configuration (the astrological chart) to get a better understanding of the object of our investigation. Potentially, this could be literally anything: a person, a dog, a tree, a marriage, a company, etc. Their astrological chart describes both their life and potential.
From an anthroposophical standpoint, it does exist a strong connection between a person and the heavens at the moment of birth. This quote from Rudolf Steiner will dispel any doubt:
“Now it is the active forces of the stellar world that impel a man into physical incarnation; and when clairvoyant consciousness observes a person, it can perceive in his organization how this has resulted from the co-operation of cosmic forces. And if one were to photograph a person’s brain at the moment of birth and then photograph also the heavens lying exactly over the person’s birthplace, this latter picture would be of exactly the same appearance as that of the human brain. As certain centres were arranged in the latter, so would the stars be in the photograph of the heavens. Man has within himself a picture of the heavens, and every man has a different one, according to whether he was born in this place or that, and at this or that time. This is one indication that man is born from out of the whole cosmos.”
Spiritual Guidance of Mankind: Lecture III, 8 June 1911
In this passage Steiner clearly and undeniably confirms the validity of the aforementioned astrological principle, specifically in regard to human beings. In my research I’ve never found such a clear statement about something else—plants, animals, a marriage, or a company for example.
However all Steiner’s instructions regarding biodynamic agriculture point out the importance of the appropriate moment for sowing according to the position of the stars. This also applies to other operations such transplanting or cropping, but sowing better reflects this principle.
Regarding non physical beings (marriage, company and such), we will return on this later on discussing about the laying of the foundation stone of the first Goetheanum. For now we can all agree on the fact that Anthroposophy validates the foundational principle of the natal chart or horoscope.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
