• The Sun, the central body in our Solar System, is a Star ~ a huge ball of fusing hydrogen & helium. Unimaginably great waves of energy are continually radiated outward. Scientists have estimated that the Sunshine that falls on the Earth in a small portion of a single day actually carries enough energy to power our world-wide civilization for an entire year, if we knew how to use it efficiently.
• Our Sun has an 11-year cycle of solar activity. At times dark sunspots appear as regions of relative coolness on the surface.
• The temperature at the surface of the Sun is about 5,600 ℃ (Celsius) / 10,000 ℉ (Fahrenheit). The temperature inside the Sun is estimated to be much hotter ~ about 15,000,000 ℃ / 27,000,000 ℉.
• The Sun spins. There are several distinct latitudinal regions that rotate at various speeds.
• On the Sun, there are vibrations that ring like a bell! He Sings! The Sun also flings out into space huge electro-magnetic flares that can even affect us here on Earth. He Dances! The beautiful aurorae at the North and South poles appear when the solar wind interacts with the Earth's upper atmosphere and magnetic field.
• A Question of Stellar Formation
  It is thought that, over billions of years, Stars like our Sun gradually create in their centers solid cores of fused elements. Do these cores become planets? Are stars the childhood form of planets? Are planets the adult form of stars? Do planets wander around in families and form new stars in their barycenters when they feed on hydrogen nebulae? Do families of planets give birth to new stars?

The Sun rules The Lion / The Dragon

• Identity  • Strength  • Integrity  • Warmth  • Pleasure  • Joys & Sorrows  • Creativity  • Arts  • Music & Dance  • Comedy & Drama  • Giving  • Instinctive Affection  • Happiness  • Focus of Love  •

☯ Yang The Sun is the Yang analogue to Earth/Moon which is Yin and Rules the Crab / Rabbit.

The Sun, The Heart is the Principle that Integrates our own parts together and also integrates our World into us and makes our Impression upon the World. The Sun Enlivens the System. He Sings! Our Hearts are our engines for Life.

With the dimension of Leo, we become aware that we are more than our individual ego, that indeed, we are animated by the Source of Life. Leo people (Sun, Moon) are naturally prepared to easily become aware of their Universal Spirit, "I AM".

Leo people really do have an understanding of the 'Heart of the Matter'. They know how to see what is Simple and True. From a very young age, they will be interested to know that those around them are happy.

When we are with our favorite people, with those we love, our hearts may grow excited and beat faster, stronger and more steadily, bringing our entire being into synchrony to be present for the relationships, complete with Tears and Laughter.

Out in the world, Leos simply know how to be themselves and to feel good. They therefore inspire others to be themselves and to feel good. Leos see the BIG PICTURE.
Although they are usually calm and collected, Leos are also naturally the central figures in any group, the ring-masters. People often gravitate around them looking for their attention. They are natural royalty! In a happy society you will see Leos who share their light and strength with everyone around them.

At work, Leo people know how to clearly identify everyone's best abilities. They can clearly see everyone else's talents. They can easily delegate tasks to those who are most suitable and most interested and most able to complete each task with the best results. The Leos help inspire the best contributions from everyone.

You may know sulky Leos. You may know mean or even cruel Leos. Their unhappy condition is an indicator of the failures of our narcissistic societies and civilization. This twisted characteristic of the human personality makes an unhappy mockery of the Leo sign-dimension. If the natural outpouring of love was somehow subverted, then the energy of the Leo may be expressed as harsh interactions with others.

If you wish to help, just remember that Leos respond to people who exemplify love and respect together with strength. They also respond very well to genuine appreciation.

• Mercury has a highly elliptical orbit. There is about 34% difference between the closest point and the furthest point in the orbit.
• In 1919 the orbit of the planet Mercury provided evidence to support Einstein's Theory of Relativity by illustrating that space was curved by the immense amount of mass and energy of the Sun.
  Mercury & Einstein's Gravity
  Mercury & Relativity
• Even though the planet revolves around the Sun very quickly (88 days), it rotates on its axis very slowly (58 days). On Mercury, a Day is ⅔ of a Mercurial Year!
• The average temperature on Mercury is about 167 ℃ / 333 ℉. However,, there is no real atmosphere to circulate the solar radiation and heat. This means that during Mercury's long day, the day side slowly bakes in the Sun's radiation while the night side is freezing.
• Surprisingly, Mercury is closest to all the planets, when measured over time!
• The Perihelion of Mercury precesses quicker than the other planets. Currently the perihelion happens on December 20th.

Mercury rules The Pair / The Tiger.

• Perception  • Movement  • Flexibility  • Adaptability  • Duality  • Speed  • Communication  • Messages  • Curiosity  • Exploration  • Research  • Learning  •

☯ Yang Mercury is the Yang analogue to Ceres which is Yin and Rules Virgo.

The Pair are present in perception. So many creatures have paired organs of perception - two or more symmetrically placed eyes and ears. These are the primary organs of perception and inside the ears, organs of perception of balance. Separated pairs of organs give us the ability to determine direction of the source of perceived information - left right, up down, forward or behind. These fundamental functions let us know where we are in relation to everything else in our environment.

Gemini people (Sun/Moon) clearly recognize inherent dualities in life. They have a strong ability to see into multiple sides of any situation. Relating events and telling captivating stories are talents shared by most Geminis. Gemini people (Sun, Moon) are usually highly perceptive, quick-witted and clever, whether they are teachers, inventors, mathematicians or engineers. Many Geminis become gifted and successful Authors, Doctors, Scientists, Actors, Musicians and even Lawyers! Geminis are also famous for skilled Detective work. They often have Heroic styles. In wartime, Geminis have been successful Spies. (Ian Fleming, Josephine Baker)

People who have a Gemini Dimension that is well connected to their previous path of Venus and Taurus will have a healthy respect for integrity and consistency even in the face of duality that they so easily perceive. They are often quite funny and playful.
When Gemini people (Sun, Moon) appreciate someone, they often make very charming, eloquent and memorable pronouncements. If you've done something to help a Gemini, they will let you know of their appreciation! Well said, Gemini!

One Challenge to the Pair is to cultivate a healthy balance between cooperation and competition in their relationships with others.
Cultivated cooperation with a little friendly competition can lead to mutual appreciation and great achievements and a peaceful society.
In contrast, unbridled competition without cooperation leads to arrogance, contempt, isolation and social disasters.

Another Challenge to the Pair is to discern and tell the Truth.
Sometimes people lie to escape. Sometimes people lie to gain something they could not acquire or achieve otherwise.
However, in real life, even liars don't like it when they discover that someone has lied to them. Lies engender antipathy, resentment, hatred and revenge. Likewise, Even thieves don't like it when others steal from them.
Some people say that if you believe something that you say, then it isn't a lie. They say that they believe that truth is negotiable and can be fabricated or elected by consensus.

An Old Indian Story of Four Blind Musicians and an Elephant ⬃

People with a well-developed Gemini dimension believe, understand and know that the Truth is revealed, perceived and discovered, not negotiated, fabricated or elected by consensus. They also know that there can be many valid and respectable perspectives on the way toward the Truth.
The Path of Gemini is the fundamental and essential gifts of Perception, Movement, Communication, Learning and Thought.
The principles represented by Gemini bring to us all the ability to discern Patterns and Reasoning that allows us to make sense of the world.

• To the Greeks, the planet of Aphrodite was also called both Phosphorus and Hesperus. The Romans recognized Venus as both Lucifer and Vesper. Today, we still recognize Venus in her two roles as both the Morning Star and the Evening Star, since she circles the Sun inside our own orbit. She therefore sometimes rises before dawn and other times sets after the Sun.
• Venus is almost as large as the Earth and her gravity is 90% of Earth G.
  She has a remarkably circular orbit! This 'close circle ratio' club includes Venus, Earth, Neptune, Quaoar then Uranus and Jupiter. These circular orbits hint at the need for a more sophisticated theory of gravity!
  Venus has no seasons, since the tilt of her axis is only 3° (like Jupiter).
  This world rotates very slowly, imperceptibly, in the reverse direction of her revolution around the Sun! A "Day" on Venus is longer than a Venusian Year!
• People speak of "Terraforming" some other worlds for us to inhabit. Terraforming Venus would be a major project for hundreds of years, but it could give us a true sister world, even though she would be a little warmer than our Earth!
  However, There are serious problems to solve ..
  
  • Venus has no moon. This is an important lack. If a moon could be assembled around Venus, this could help to establish and stabilize rotation and axial tilt. It could also help to awaken the magnetic field which would be helpful to amend the atmosphere. See the entry for Eros, the proposed moon of Venus, below.
  • Her extremely slow rotation is actually reversed. If Venus were rolling on a track which was turning around the Sun, she would slowly move in the direction opposite to that of the track and all the other planets.
  • Most likely due to the slooow daily rotation, there is practically no magnetic field. Venus does respond to solar wind, though.
  • Lastly, Venus is extremely hot, wrapped and collecting heat in a thick, very heavy hot-house atmosphere of 96% carbon dioxide, 3% nitrogen and some water vapor. The clouds are made of sulfuric acid and water. The atmospheric pressure is 92 bars, almost 100 times thicker than our atmosphere! This means that, at the surface, the air weighs a crushingly heavy 93.81 Kg/cm²! (1,334.34 psi - pounds/inch²) And finally, "extremely hot" means that the average temperature of Venus is about 465 ℃ / 900 ℉. (Aagh! Love can be Hell..)
  So in order to Terraform Venus, there would be an enormous amount to learn, and it would involve many years of work.
  But wouldn't a Sister World ⬃ be Amazing?!
  Videos of Terraforming Venus:         Venus 1    Venus 2    Venus 3

Venus rules The Bull / The Ox.

• Gravity  • Inertia  • Consistency  • Durability  • Stability  • Constancy  • Cadence  • Resources  • Posessions  • Productivity  • Trade  • Commerce  • Voice  • Song  • Attraction  • Feeling  • Beauty  • Desire  • Comfort  • Sweetness  • Values  • Worth  •

☯ Yin Venus is likely the Yin analogue to the Yang ruler of Libra

An Old Story of a Music Teacher ⬃

Venus is the simplest Feminine Symbol. With the principles of Venus we appreciate the Beauty of the World!

Venus is involved in both Contentment and Desire, Possession & Jealousy. While she can be quite self-contained, she is also very prominent in all our Relationships. The principles of Venus help us to decide whether to accept someone into our life. They help us decide when and how to attract others and make ourselves acceptable to them. These principles also help us to compromise and negotiate when we realize and decide that we wish to keep a relationship.

Venus also signifies our self-esteem, the sense of our own value. This touches on our health, longevity, effectiveness and prosperity. The level of our self-esteem can make a very big difference in our lives.

Venus can be immoveable. This characteristic can be seen in two ways depending on the quality of judgement and circumstances. When you are right this characteristic is heroic reliability, firmness and steadfastness. But when you are wrong then it is just stubborn, perverse and oppositional behaviour.

You might think that some people you know have very progressive values. You may believe some people to be rather flighty, but Venus, the planet with which they keep these values, holds onto them conservatively. She keeps all the good things from the past.

While Venus is always basically consistent, she will look outward to new ideas if they fit into her overall scheme. Taureans usually prize the truth.

Taureans (Sun, Moon) and Venusian people are often sweet, innocent, strong, well-grounded and very appealing. Their preference for affection draws people to them. The well developed Taureans very much enjoy perceiving and telling the Truth. They respect evidence and facts and they often excell in the sciences.

Venus also signifies the sense to manage our resources. Music, Sweet tasty treats and Money are items traditionally found in Venus' treasure house. They don't like to be rudely disturbed, so don't approach them without treats (a smile, a song or some other gesture of appreciation, an offer of a back-rub or a foot massage or some chocolate, marzipan, candied fruits, or music recordings or concert tickets, or a generously lucrative contract of some kind! etc... )

In short, your friendships with Taurus people (Sun, Moon) will always remind you that life can be good, pleasant and sweet, if you let it.

• A Moon would help to rotate the planet, activating the core, creating and strengthening magnetic fields. It could also set and stabilize an axial tilt to provide 4 seasons, like those on Earth. It would also help to periodically shade the planet from the Sun, reducing the amount of solar radiation and heat reaching the surface.
• Additionally, a Ring system would be most helpful to act as a parasol shading Venus from excessive solar radiation. Thousands of thin plates carved as polished slices of silicon glass rocks could float in orbit, reflecting excess sunshine away from the planet or even capturing the sunlight, converting and storing the energy. These Rings might seem like a perpetual rainbow or chandelier to the residents of Venus. Tiny moonlets could shepherd the rings with their gravity.
• Assembly of Venus' artificial moon and rings can incorporate rocks that cross the orbits of Earth and Venus, spare rocks orbiting Saturn, and other rocks from the Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud. The suggested diameter of Eros in relation to Venus echoes the proportion of Earth's Moon to the Earth ~ 27% of the planet's diameter. The suggested orbital period would give 13 moons in a year, like on Earth.
• While Venus spends an average period of about a month in a sign for us here on Earth, the Venusian moon would traverse each sign in a few days, while the Earth would spend about a month or so in each sign as it accompanies the Sun. This would greatly contrast with the movement of our moon which only spends a few days in each sign. Also while seen from Earth, Venus regularly moves retrograde, but when viewed from Venus, the Venusian moon would never go retrograde!

• The Earth, our homeworld, rotates at a tilt of 23° off perpendicular to the plane of our revolution around the Sun. This tilt creates the Four Seasons.
• We have one beautiful large Dancing Moon.
  See Luna below for more details..
• Our Earth has a strong magnetic field.
  When we see the Aurorae Borealis we are watching the magnetic field interacting with the solar wind.
  
• Our world is wrapped in an Atmosphere ⬃ of Nitrogen (79%) and Oxygen (18%) and a few other interesting and useful gases. The atmosphere spreads up from the surface of the Earth, weighing 14 lbs per square inch at Sea Level and gradually thinning out up to around 62 miles. Above that altitude is considered by the space programs to be 'Near Earth Space'. The atmosphere is constantly in motion with weather patterns driven largely by solar energy and moisture from the sea. Many animals fly and glide and jump around in this active atmosphere - insects, reptiles, birds, mammals and even a few fish!
• The average temperature of the Earth is about 15 ℃ / 59 ℉.
• 70% of Earth's surface is covered with Oceans ⬃ of liquid Water & Ice. The oceans are always shifting, pulled by the gravity of the Moon, warmed at the surface by sunshine and in the deep by hidden volcanic vents, whipped about by surface winds and powerfully moving in deep circulation currents. Many plants and animals live in the salty oceans and fresh water lakes! These include molluscs, arthropods, fish, insects, reptiles, birds and mammals.
• As far as we know at this time (2022), our Earth is the only world in our solar system with living creatures. The living creatures of Earth have gradually helped to modify and re-shape the surface of our planet in remarkable ways over millions of years. Two ancient and clear examples of this are the free atmospheric oxygen and the sandy beaches found in so many places. We humans are also the only creatures that we know of who have the potential ability to protect our world from dire threats such as the large asteroid strikes that destroyed most of the dinosaurs. (Birds survived and continued to evolve into the myriad species we see today.)
• Currently The Earth is at Perihelion on January 3rd with The Sun in Capricorn at 13°. Heliocentrically, at this time, The Earth is seen in her Rulership, The Crab at 13°. So from The Sun's perspective, The Earth draws closest to him while she is in her own Dimension in the course of her orbit.
• The Pale Blue Dot
  

  "That's here, That's Home, That's Us.." ⬃ "Consider that dot - that's here - that's home - that's us. On it, everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every 'superstar', every 'supreme leader', every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam. ...". Carl Sagan ( ☉ ♏︎ ) Pale Blue Dot essay videos Eric Stanley   CoSM   CarlSagancom

Mother Earth rules The Crab / The Rabbit ~ The Cat.

• Environment  • Fear  • Safety  • Regression  • Hunger  • Satisfaction  • Protection  • Resilience  • Tenacity  • Evolution  • Expectation  • Receiving  • Taking  • Keeping  • Memory  • Attachment  • Nurturing  • Caring  • Sentiment  • Understanding  • Imagination  • Appreciation  • Society  • World  •

☯ Yin Earth•Moon is the Yin analogue to the Sun which rules Leo as Yang.

Scientists and philosophers have noted that we 'eat our way through our world'. Everyone does, every living thing on Earth eats their way through the world. What does everyone eat? Other living things of the Earth! The tiniest things eat minerals. Then the larger living things eat those smaller ones. It goes on from there in a world wide web of life and consumption.

The Earth is a very Emotional, Imaginative World. We are all constantly involved in her planet-wide Transformations. We would all do well to learn to deeply understand these natural changes and to learn to participate carefully and to wisely care for, tend and preserve our world.

People with Sun or Moon in the Crab have a high degree of tenacity. There is often a strong natural vitality. In the lives of Crab people (Sun, Moon), there is quick involvement and also quick retreats. The emotional life of Crab people is labile and fluid. There is a lot of imagination and so also a lot of fear. Fear that is unresolved can cause depression and isolation.

It's important for everyone to know that Fear is meant to keep us safe. If we can learn about the cause of the fear, it can be resolved to caring. If people do not learn enough to dispel fear properly, it may transform to hatred. Hatred that is sustained for a long time without resolution will morph into mental illness. This can ruin lives.

The Crab dimension adds convolution to the emotional mind. Every emotional thought bubbles, spouts and ripples. The imagination can flow quite far from reality. Memory can be twisted up with wishful thinking or fears and prejudices. Expectations can greatly interfere with clear thinking. Many Crab people (Sun, Moon) prefer to compartmentalize their minds.

This sign / dimension likes yesterday. It can engender the desire to go back, to revert to an earlier stage when we were not yet changed by events. So this sign can also initiate a desire for renewal. This sign likely plays an important role in the process of initiating regeneration.

Caring people with Sun or Moon in the Crab are often very nurturing and comforting. They very often have green thumbs and are excellent cooks. They are some of the ones who say they cook with love. Capricorns also do that! Cancerians also often have a wild, giddy sense of humor! Then they also get moody. If one of the Crab people in your life is experiencing a moody time, you just need to remain calm. Do something silly, let them nibble some food from your plate, and then you can both laugh a bit.

The Path of the Crab, the Rabbit ~ Cat, is to Weave Together a Life Image, a History of Experiences and Memories, a Livelihood and a Nurturing Web from all the choices that are available to us.

We all belong to the Family of the Earth. We ought to make all necessary efforts to become willing to heal our toxicity toward our Natural Family, our World Mother. She very much needs us to learn about the principles of the sharing signs of Libra and Scorpio and the principles of the collective signs: Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.

• Our Moon has always been a remarkable sight in the night sky. She Dances throughout the Year. You can see that it is a round body, first by the apparent circle and then by all the slow changes throughout the month and the year.
• Our Moon is a bit wider than ¼ of the width of our world, at 27% of the Earth's diameter. She is very large in relation to her parent planet - Most moons are a tiny fraction of the size of their parent planet. Pluto's moon Charon can also be considered a very large moon at about ½ the diameter of the parent planet. Eris' moon Dysnomia may also fit this configuration, since latest measures estimate that Dysnomia seems to be about ⅓ the diameter of the parent planet.
• Like most moons, Our Moon is tidally locked to the Earth, always showing only one side to us. We could only study the other side, the far side, when probes orbited the Moon in the 2nd half of the 20th Century. Our Earth does not show only one face to the Moon, as she turns on her axis every 24 hours. So every day, people all over the world can see the Moon whenever she is at least a few degrees away from the Sun. (Clouds permitting, of course)
• Even though the Moon has no atmosphere or biosphere of her own, many physicists and biologists have acknowledged and study the essential role and importance of the presence of our Moon in the emergence and development of life on our world.
• Our Moon circles the Earth on an angled orbit. This orbit crosses the Ecliptic plane. The Moon orbits the Earth every Month, moving through the entire Zodiac. Therefore, it crosses the Ecliptic twice a month, going North and going South. The points where the Moon crosses the Ecliptic are called the Lunar Nodes. The point where the Moon crosses the Ecliptic going North indicates the current position of the North Node. Conversely, the point where the Moon crosses the Ecliptic going South indicates the current position of the South Node. These points precess around the Zodiac over the course of 19 years. These calculated points always move Retrograde.
  ⮜ Mouse over the area below the moon's image to see a diagram of the Moon's orbit that describes the Nodes.
• Moon Phases 2018 - Northern Hemisphere
  Moon Phases 2022 – Northern Hemisphere

Wolves Discovered the Moon Long, Long Ago!

• Our Moon reflects all the attributes of Earth's Rulership. • For us, the Moon represents our world in the sky.

☯ Yin Earth/Moon is the Yin analogue to the Sun which rules Leo as Yang.

Evolution is driven by the principles of the Earth•Moon. Living things need to eat and protect themselves and change in response to their environment. They need to find or catch food and to escape or repel predators and dangers. The principles of nourishment and protection belong to the Moon.

We all consume the world in many ways. Physical food and drink is one kind of nourishment. There is also spiritual inspiration that brings us 'food for thought' and nourishing, caring emotional bonds.

The Moon represents Hunger and Acceptance of all kinds of nourishment. This includes receiving and giving, accepting and being accepted. The flow of Receiving and Giving runs all through life.

The principles of the Moon also include Fear. The simplest way to show willingness to go beyond fear and to engage caring is to share nourishment of any kind. Every person, dog and cat understands this. Mammals and Avians understand this very well.
The purpose of Fear is to keep us Safe. We are supposed to avoid things that make us afraid. We need to understand things that make us afraid so we can deal with them in sustainable ways. When we learn from fear, Learning dispels fear. As we deal with our fears and grow in understanding, we outgrow them. As we outgrow fear, we become more protective and caring and we can learn about healing and compassion. Therefore Natural Selection, Evolution, leads us from fear to caring. Caring is more sustainable than Fear.

Conservative attitudes can help to remind us to preserve the good things from the past while we move forward in Time. Good things from the past are those things that are sustainable. Sustainable customs, methods, things or ideas are those that will be easily integrated with new ideas. They remain relevant and helpful to society. If a custom, method, system, idea or belief is not sustainable, if it is no longer helpful or relevant, then it cannot be considered good or true and must be allowed to fade into memory and history.

The Moon's movement across the Ecliptic describes our social directions. As the Moon moves to the North side of the Ecliptic, the spot where it crosses is called the North Node. Likewise for the South Node. In Vedic Astrology the North Node ☊ is called Rahu and the South Node ☋ is called Ketu. They are known as the head and tail of the Dragon. With the Dragon's head we eat our way into new experiences and the future .. and the Dragon's tail produces soil and leaves it in the past. The Moon's Nodes hold much of the story of our social progress in life. ⮜ Mouse over the area below the moon's image to see another diagram of the Moon's orbit that describes the Nodes.

The Sign and House in which we find our Head of the Dragon (☊ North Node) is what, how and where we are drawn to "eat" on our way to the future in this life.

Natal Planets
When a natal planet is on the North Node, this strongly beckons us to try new experiences symbolized by that planet, to learn and do new things, to move towards our future.
People with natal planets on the North Node should seek guidance from others who have more experience to use the North Node wisely and not to be mislead.

Transiting Planets
When planets transit the North Node they can be viewed as necessary new lessons and opportunities that will be presented and offered for a certain time.

The Sign and House in which we find our Tail of the Dragon (☋ South Node) is how and where we expel our past and produce good soil.

Natal Planets
When a natal planet is on the South Node, this indicates easy access to past experience, knowledge and expertise, but it also presents a difficulty with progress, letting go of the past and moving forward. These people often have confidence as if they have 'done this before' and they know how to do it well. People with these positions are often socially demanding.

However, Natal planets on the South Node also indicate compulsions. These urges can interfere with the simple joys of life, contentment and the exercise of free will because compulsions must always be satisfied first.
After a compulsion event, there will be a refractory period, relatively free of urges.
Then you can proceed to ..
Wait! Then the compulsion can appear again and compulsions must be satisfied first!
OK, fine. Then you can go on ..
Wait! compulsions must be satisfied first!
OOF!

Extensive Remedial Study of social dynamics is strongly recommended for people who have natal planets on the Lunar South Node. They need to periodically review the reasons that move people to gather in societies. They need to periodically review what is necessary for societies to thrive and continue in a sustainable manner.

Transiting Planets
When planets transit the South Node they can be viewed as highlights to necessary obligations that will be presented and required for a certain time. They may become temporary obsessions, which may be amusing or distressing to one's friends.

An Old Cherokee Story of Two Wolves ⬃   Buy a print at Etsy   The story as read by a Yogin

• When Mars is closest to the Earth, it looks like a red ruby in the sky. Through telescopes we can periodically see atmospheric storms. Mars has no round moon, just two free-flying mountains, rocky satellites called "Phobos" and "Deimos".
• Many people believe that we could "Terraform" Mars - transform it to make another habitable world for us. However, there are many points to consider:
  • The length of a day on Mars is almost identical to the length of an Earth day. Mars also has a similar tilt of the axis, and therefore has similar seasonal changes. But Mars has a much more elliptical orbit, with almost 29% difference between the closest and furthest points. This will make the seasonal changes in temperature more extreme. Temperatures currently range from a mild Spring-like 10 ℃ / 50 ℉ down to a very cold deep Wintery -87 ℃ / -125 ℉.
  • Mars currently has an extremely thin atmosphere that would require amending. (1% of Earth's atmosphere at 0.006 bars or 0.095 psi) This thin atmosphere consists of ~95% Carbon Dioxide, ~2.8% Nitrogen, ~2% Argon and ~0.17% Oxygen. If we wished to modify Mars to be habitable, we would need to thicken and enrich the atmosphere. Recent research (in 2021) indicates that this might be difficult due to a deficit of carbon dioxide. But perhaps we might be able to ship to Mars some of the excess carbon dioxide and methane from Earth and Venus.
  • Furthermore, a proper moon could help to warm and move the core of Mars, and possibly reactivate and strengthen the planetary magnetic fields, which in turn could help to improve and preserve the atmosphere. See the entry for "Meretz" below.
  • But most important and completely unchangeable, Mars is only a bit more than half the size of Earth and therefore has much less gravity than Earth, only about 38% of 1 Earth G. So while vacations on Mars might be fun, people who lived there for long periods would become weakened in the low gravity. Thus, this planet might not be suitable as a permanent home for individual humans.
  But Mars certainly could be valuable for agriculture, scientific research, tourism, sports and adventures!
  Martian Jungle Safaris, anyone? ⬃
  A week-long vacation for Skiing on Mons Olympus? Wow!

Mars rules The Ram / The Rat.

• Energy  • Action  • Impetus  • Spark Of Identity  • Presence  • Focus  • Brave  • Bold  • Genuine  • Self  • Challenge  • Direction  • Application  •

☯ Yang Mars is the Yang analogue of Pluto which rules Scorpio as Yin.

Mars is the simplest Masculine Symbol, the male Hero, directing energy outward!

Aries people (Sun, Moon or Mars Rising) are often ready to try anything and very often they succeed and make progress! They often have an appealing innocence. They are eager for experience and interested to interact with others. When interacting with others, they often seem to have a background attitude of acceptance, an easy understanding that the world is naturally wide and full of variety, and they seem to easily accept others as they are. They like to challenge themselves and they appreciate people who also challenge them. Even though they don't handle frustration well, they don't seem to be control freaks.

Mars and Aries people have a remarkable ability to think directly and go straight to the point. This is an important leadership quality. It includes Honesty. It also engenders the fine trait of Sincerity. They actively and eagerly discover and develop their talents and skills.

"Every beginning is difficult."

They are naturally heroic in their protection of loved ones, and ready and willing to fix problems and rescue those in need ~ "Help is on the way!"

Many people who have Sun and Moon in Aries or who have prominent Mars also have an appreciation of, and affinity with, animals - pets, domesticates and creatures who live in the natural and wild world.

Mars and Aries are associated with Blood and the Life in the Body. The Path of Mars leads us to Focus, to Act to become Real, to live Genuine Honest lives in the Real World and to help create a Wholesome Reality for ourselves.

• A Moon would help to warm the planet's inner core by gravitational friction strengthening the magnetic fields which in turn would help to preserve the atmosphere. The suggested diameter of Meretz in relation to Mars echoes the proportion of Earth's Moon to the Earth ~ 27% of the planet's diameter.
• Assembly of Mars' artificial moon can incorporate the two small natural satellites Phobos and Deimos, Mars-orbit-crossing rocks, spare rocks orbiting Jupiter, and other rocks from the Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud.
• While Mars spends about two months in a sign for us here on Earth, the Martian moon would traverse each sign in a few days, while the Earth would spend about a month or so in each sign as it accompanies the Sun. This would greatly contrast with the movement of our moon which only spends a few days in each sign. Also while seen from Earth, Mars regularly moves retrograde, but when viewed from Mars, the Martian moon would never go retrograde!

• Although she is small, Ceres is the largest and the most clearly round representative world in the Asteroid Belt circling the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. She is a little smaller than ⅓ of the diameter of our Moon.
• Like Mercury, Ceres has no atmosphere to distribute heat. Unlike Mercury, Ceres does rotate, so the temperatures on Ceres range from a very cold -73 ℃ (daytime) to -143 ℃ (night-time) / -100 ℉ (daytime) to -225 ℉ (night-time).
• Ceres takes a little more than 4½ years to make her way around the Sun and the Zodiac. Because she is nicely round and circles the Sun, this classifies her as a Planet. However, she has not cleared her orbit of other objects. Indeed, she shares her orbit with very many other objects. Thus, Ceres is classified as a Minor Planet since her orbit is extremely cluttered.
• In the Asteroid Belt, there are three other roughly round planetoids less than half her size: These are the minor planets Vesta, Pallas and Hygiea. They also circle the Sun in their own orbits within the Asteroid Belt.
• In addition to these four round members of the Asteroid Belt, there are an estimated 400,000 smaller irregularly shaped asteroids circling the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. These asteroids range in size from huge free-flying mountains down to boulders, rocks and stones. Some astronomers have estimated that the if the entire mass of the Asteroid Belt were gathered together, it would make a small planet almost as large as our moon. The asteroids are not close to each other in our terms, though. You would need a small telescope to see other asteroids if you were standing on Ceres.
• Note in the illustration at left below Ceres that many Asteroids, the "Trojans" and "Greeks", appear to cluster around the sextile positions in relation to Jupiter, while the "Hildas" are clustered in opposition to Jupiter on the other side of the Sun! These Asteroids are present at Jupiter's LaGrange points! We can view this as an intimate relationship that the Asteroid Belt has with Jupiter.
• Some astronomers believe that Ceres and the other asteroids were originally a larger planet that was broken up by impacts from other objects and/or by gravitational pressures from Jupiter, while other astronomers believe that these objects were parts of a ring of dust, a potential planet that never completely formed.
• Now, Ceres is not really suitable for terraforming, but along those lines, this author would like to suggest that someday we send robots to work for years to gradually grind smooth the surfaces of Ceres, Vesta, Pallas and Hygiea. The robots could then also cover them in shiny stuff as decoration. Maybe they could use a layer of silicon flakes or small glass marbles? That might make Virgo people happier. Virgo likes jewelry... This would also make the four largest asteroids more visible in the night sky!
• Ceres was discovered in 1801 by Giuseppe Piazzi, a priest born July 16 1746 in Ponte Valtellina, Italy.
• Energy Efficiency: Ceres, the representative of the Asteroid Belt and the Virgo Dimension, seems to 'pretend' to be much larger than she is. How? There would seem to be a lot more surface area to the collection of all the objects of the Asteroid Belt than there is to a single round planet. This would mean that the Asteroid Belt collects a lot more sunshine than a single round planet! We may interpret this to mean that the Virgo dimension has this special strategy to collect solar energy, which may actually be more effective and efficient than the usual way of a single round rotating planet. However, the price that the Virgo Dimension pays for this superior ability to gather energy is a severely reduced level of integration.

Ceres rules The Girl / The Snake.

• Inner Messages  • Application  • Organized  • Conformity  • Clean  • Healthy  • Self Control  • Diligence  • Improvement  • Skills  • Specialist  • Expert  • Modesty  • Recursion  • Participation  • Refinement  •

☯ Yin Ceres is the Yin analogue to Mercury which rules Gemini as Yang.

Wheat Fields and Rice Paddies are natural symbols of Virgo. The Sand on a Beach is also a good natural symbol of Virgo. The surprising beauty of the tiny things of the world is also seen through our Virgo dimension, such as sunflowers, snowflakes, sea shells, butterflies' wings, grasshoppers & beetles, birds' feathers, bees and their hexagonal wax hives, gem stones, et cetera!
Technologies all involve Virgo skills, from fishing nets & webs, growing agricultural grass grains such as rice, wheat, barley, oats & lupine and legumes & beans, ceramics & pottery, designing & printing computer chips and mathematics and engineering. All these work with fine, tiny bits from the Earth and many detailed functions that collectively have great effect on all our lives.

It's not simple or easy to disperse Earth, but amazingly ordered details have great beauty. Here are 2 mathematical sets that display recursive forms that seem to express the principles of Virgo. Here is a video by Ben Sparks that explains the Mandelbrot & Julia Sets. Here is a website about fractals. Keep in mind that in order to understand recursion, you must first understand .. recursion. If you recurse down to a certain point and then pop back up to the surface when you find what you seek, recursion will be productive. Otherwise, recursion without an end-point will descend into inner chaos. Boundaries are very important for Virgos. Without good boundaries, they may become self-involved and lose their sense of the real world. Good boundaries protect against uncontrolled inward recursion.

Virgo is the dimension that lets people work out the details of inventing, designing and producing the fine, useful, beautiful, exquisite, delicious things that everyone wants and enjoys. Many Virgo Sun people are gifted storytellers and musicians. They are usually very conscientious and diligent in their chosen field. Our Virgo dimension helps all of us understand and work with the details of the world. Virgo easily sees all the setails. (oops, sorry ~ details) A well developed Virgo dimension encourages us to do things well.

"If something is worth doing, it's worth doing well."

Virgos work with real world items. They can understand the physical world very well, and they can work effectively and with great skill. Many people with Virgo Suns and Moons find success in the health field. They make excellent medical professionals, including nurses, and they often have the gift of helping people to regain their health. We ought to make proper appreciation and financial support for nurses and other caretakers a priority in our societies.

Virgo is not a central figure. One important challenge to Virgo is to let go of their 'feeling memory' of the fiery focus of Leo and to allow their own actual ego to be subsumed into their service to the community and their remarkable work with the real world. Virgo, however, definitely does not know how to delegate tasks or rely on others' participation.

"If you want something done right, do it yourself!"

There is a difference between being a 'central figure' and being a 'center of attention'.
• Being a central figure comes from an inner quality within yourself. People notice and gravitate toward the creative character of the artist who creates within themselves.
• Being a center of attention comes from actions originating outside you. People who are around you will create your character if you cater to their requirements, expectations, wishes and whims in exchange for their attention.
Leo Suns natural actions draw people to them as the 'central figure'.
In contrast, Virgo Suns, often secretly, and sometimes openly, wish to be the 'center of attention'.
We all have both dimensions, in various degrees. We use our creativity to integrate ourselves and create our happiness, and we use our adaptability to refine ourselves and to fit well into our social environment.

Actually, Virgo Suns do very well in roles as the center of attention in various fields of culture and entertainment: literature, music, theatre, television, film. In these fields, there is a very long list of talented people born with Sun in Virgo. See a partial list in the Quotes section below.
Fantasy allows them to bring out their secret Leonish stories very well. Many Virgo Sun people have become perceptive, compelling storytellers and social activists. This kind of work brings them tremendous attention. This method of getting attention and adoration is immensely better than trying to insert and involve themselves into other people's lives uninvited as in politics or corporate management.

Energy Efficiency, as noted above in the Astronomy section on Ceres, is an important feature to Virgo people. Socially and Psychologically this would be expressed as the ability to function as part of a large group. Corporations, workers' unions and any large groups work on Virgo principles. Non Governmental Organizations that exist for the benefit of the public also work on Virgo principles. Many individuals can coordinate and work together to gain results that no one individual alone could produce. Many species of insects also work together with remarkable instinctive coordination. The most famous examples are ants with their fungus farms, termites with their air-conditioned tower cities and bees with their hives and honey dances. These types of organizations can work well if they operate without egoism. However, if there are dictatorial egos guiding the group, such as greedy corporations, everything becomes corrupt and poisonous.

In a safe, strongly cohesive, happy, healthy group, Leo central figures will shine lights on the Virgos and commend them for their contributions, encouraging everyone to then give appropriate attention, recognition, appreciation and rewards to the Virgos for their fine work. In this healthy group, the Virgos will be able to accept the praise as appreciation from their valued peers and encouragement to continue to do their best and to set a good example for others. Unfortunately, that kind of group of mature individuals is very rare.

For many people, their Virgo dimension seems to be drawn to two impossible values: perfection and purity. It would be good for all of us to learn from our Taurus and our Capricorn Dimensions that these two values are directions rather than actual qualities. If we keep in mind the words 'to perfect' and 'to purify' as verbs, we will be much more comfortable with our Virgo dimension.

"Don't let 'Perfect' become an enemy of the 'Good'!"

One Challenge of the Path of Virgo is to be Organized, Patient and Productive while retaining the virtues of her experiences with the previous sign of Leo. Virgo can help us all to become truly Modest and Graceful while allowing the ego and energy to diffuse and be disseminated into the many works that she provides to support and enhance her corner of the world, her community.

Virgo people (Sun, Moon) often feel overwhelmed by the huge number of details that they feel need their attention, their tending, their management.
The Inner Messages via hormones that keep our bodies healthy are Virgo functions. The Inner Communications of a community are also an aspect of expression of Virgo. Ceres has myriad Inner Messages and Influences from the other Asteroids.
Gossip, Rumours, Criticism, Control, Contempt and Arrogance are some of the negative versions of social messages. These are negative symptoms of an ego that is severely insufficiently or improperly engaged in the world.

Many Virgo Sun people sometimes feel their identity to be too diffuse and in danger of disintegrating. They may feel that everything is unstable, so they try to emphasize and exert control over everything and everyone around them. Other people describe normal levels of this Virgo characteristic as "bossy". However, this can reach disturbing levels. Then people will use terms such as 'Too Tightly Wrapped', 'Micro Manager', "Control Freak" and "Super Critical" to describe this characteristic. When a bad temper and flashes of anger are included in the mix, "Virago" is another term other people may use to describe the women.

When you see a Virgo Sun who is eager to be a leader, or meet a group whose central group of leaders include many Virgo Suns, you can be sure that there is something gone awry in their psychology. Sadly, this is not an unusual situation. We can all recognize micro-managers and control freaks who suffer from an unbalanced Virgo dimension. Another expression of this imbalance is superficiality, arrogance and contempt for others. Heart problems plague Virgo people who seek central roles. It is wildly inappropriate for them. For a Sun Virgo, it's best to not try to occupy the center position of any group.

Virgo Sun people who are insecure about their identity can also be drawn to the service of powerful figures. They may become sycophants. This is not good. If a Virgo Sun person gives in to this weakness, they will be seen by others as liars, untrustworthy and treacherous. This situation would lead to a manipulative, bitter, regretful, unfulfilled and self-destructive life.
Many Virgo people (Sun, Moon) also have an unusually strong fear of death. Some also have a fascination with the topic of suicide or even suicidal ideation. Again, this is another sign of an ego that is insufficiently or improperly engaged in the world.

Virgos need to search for, find and firmly grasp good healthy identity characteristics and self-esteem so they cannot be misused by self-serving persons. The cultivation of relationships with Pisces people can remediate these problems.

The Path of Virgo is to Touch the World in as many ways as she can. Anyone with a healthy Virgo dimension is very fine indeed. They are committed to healthy wholesome living. They are socially graceful and can have gratifying social ideals. They value caring and intelligence. They have an impressive range and variety of skills and great natural ability in the areas of health and the proper functioning of an organization. They are ingenious, productive and meticulous. They see the problems of the day and are willing to work towards the solutions. They are patient, gentle and strong and they like to provide care for all kinds of creatures.

• Jupiter, the largest planet in our system, is wildly arrayed in vividly colored swirling horizontal bands. The atmosphere is largely hydrogen and helium, with small amounts of other gases that color the skies of the planet. The planet has a huge long-lived storm that forms an "eye" called the Great Red Spot.
• Jupiter stands very upright with his axis of rotation only 3° off vertical, perpendicular to the plane of revolution around the Sun! So there are no seasonal differences on Jupiter. The temperature of Jupiter is about -110 ℃ / -166 ℉.
• There are four large round moons orbiting the planet, and many rocky satellites that are too small to be round. There is also a thin ring system like those around Uranus and Neptune.
• Jupiter has a powerful magnetic field that lights up aurorae at the North and South Poles. The magnetic field is 10 times more powerful than that of Earth. Jupiter has a strong radio presence, emitting more radiation than it reflects from the Sun.
  Jupiter's Polar Aurorae ⬃
  Is this an indicator that Jupiter is the youngest of the planets? Is Jupiter the most recently matured star in our system of planets? Perhaps Jupiter is the mature form of a star in our system that shed the coat of fusion perhaps 2 billion years ago and then took it's current place as a planet in the solar system?
  
• Jupiter's longitude of Perihelion is currently at Aries 14°.

Jupiter rules The Archer / The Monkey.

• Expansion  • Enthusiasm  • Enterprise  • Benefit  • Exploration  • Correction  • Rectification  • Perspective  • Laughter  • Growth  • Purpose  • Development  • Outer Connections  • Redemption  • Preservation  • Upright  • Justice  • Righteous  •

☯ Yang Jupiter is the Yang analogue of Neptune which is the Yin Ruler of Pisces.

The Path of Sagittarius impresses us with the sheer immensity and energy and functioning of everything around us. The principles of Sagittarius can stir in us a sense of awe regarding the visible Universe. This path opens the movement toward Spirituality, toward a sense of the Divine. Corrections and a "right path" comes from Jupiter's encounter with the real world, with the principles represented by Saturn.

People with a well developed Sagittarius dimension have learned from their Scorpio dimension that the ego can be eliminated and Life continues. They learn to keep Conscious and Mindful and to sincerely integrate the many aspects of their New Horizons into their life. They offer optimism and enthusiasm. They have strong potential to inspire others to grow and develop their own sense of purpose. (Sir Winston Churchill, Mark Twain)

The principles of Sagittarius together with those of Pisces bring us to our connection to everyone and everything in the universe. Sagittarius contributes to the perspective on the ouside with energy and scale and Pisces from the inside with emotion, empathy and compassion. Between these two Paths, everyone will have their own idea of religion, a seed of awareness of being part of the Whole of Life.

The Challenge of Sagittarius is to be clean and clear and not become Greedy, Superficial, Proud or Prejudiced, Narrow Minded, Self-Righteous, Bombastic, Contemptuous, Dogmatic or Hypocritical. The dangers of a poorly developed Jupiter shows in greed, gambling, drinking, drugs and wild behaviour. They can't get no satisfaction! Las Vegas, baby!

From the start, we can identify two classes of Archers:
The early class are those who blindly shoot volleys of arrows into the air in an arc, hoping to have an effect when the arrows hit, and who jump to conclusions with confidence and ignorance!
The other more mature class are those who have learned to aim for their targets with intention, direction, expertise and purpose and with much greater subsequent effect.
The differences are intention, direction, expertise, purpose and effect.

The difference and contrast is illustrated very well in the film "The Lord of the Rings". On the city parapet there is a large group of archers, the Men, who blindly shoot volleys of arrows into the air, hoping to see them hit enemy Orcs. There is also a smaller group of archers, the Elves, who nock their arrows, aim for captains of the Orcs and strike their targets true, depriving the enemy of their commanders.
The Elves are superb archers in the same class as the legendary inspirational marksmen Robin Hood of England, William Tell of Suisse and Arjuna the Supreme Archer of India.

After enthusiastically or angrily exploding with force and shooting into the air aimlessly many, many times, or simply jumping to ineffective and inaccurate conclusions, Archers strive to learn the lesson to determine and aim for a target. They get the concept of Course Correction from unsuccessful encounters with Saturn, from their failures to affect the real world. Paying closer attention to Saturn and Uranus helps to find the facts and methods that we all can use for more accurate, effective implementation. Pisces helps by loosening the ego to make our course corrections possible and acceptable. People who are heavily invested in their ego cannot accept corrections.

If our inner Archers accept the idea of Correction and integrate it into our directions and purposes, we can continue to make progress. This method of Explosion, Expansion, Behaviour Modification, Course Correction, Rectification, Desire for Redemption, Guided Growth and Development of Purpose leads toward the Path of Exploration, Gaining Benefits, Ethical Upright Living, Protection, Preservation and Justice leading to a Righteous Life. Jovian personalities who learn to succeed do indeed enjoy lifelong enthusiasm and provide optimism for their social circles.

The principles of Jupiter and Sagittarius enable us to reach out and get what we need and want. Sagittarius alone does not encourage us to give generously to others. Sagittarius is a Fire sign and does encourage us to display how large we are, to be the hero, but the urge for sharing comes from Neptune and Pisces, because that sign gives us the ability to feel the needs and desires of others. Saturn and Capricorn allow us to recognize the volume of our cup, and to accept the time to stop when filling it. They help us to allow others to fill their cups, to share with others. All these principles work together. It is SO important to coordinate with others when we are part of a group.

Jupiter and Sagittarius do NOT give us a sense of Responsibility. That comes largely from encounters with Capricorn and Saturn which make us aware of our Boundaries, our Limits, our Obligations and our Responsibilities.
As we become aware of the Benefits that we gain in life, we also need to understand and accept Corrections and the Responsibilities that are required to complete the cycle and maintain continuity and sustainability.

If we are not mislead by selfish greed, pride and hypocrisy, then we progress toward an opening, expanding, upright life and become more aware of the need to understand and engage the real world better and to participate in society, with all the practical complexities and interactions.
As we gain our Benefits, we need to accept and understand the great importance of Obligations and Responsibilities. These are the bookends to Rights and Benefits. Otherwise, the world we are currently shaping will not be sustainable.

• Saturn, the second largest planet, is elegantly clad in a gentle cascade of bands colored in earthy tones that change subtly with her seasons.
• Saturn possesses spectacular Rings which were first discovered in 1610 when Galileo used a telescope to view Saturn and wrote that he saw two "ears" on the planet. Eventually these "ears" were viewed more clearly and finally astronomers understood them to be rings around the planet. The Rings of Saturn consist of 99% water ice particles. These range in size from blocks the size of small houses to little handfuls of clumps of snow. There are also huge dimmer outer rings of icy water vapor that glow in the sunlight. (See more information in Saturn's Rings below)
• This giant world has seven sizable round moons and many more large mountain-sized rocks flying in orbit around the planet.
• The angle of the axis of her rotation is 27° from perpendicular to the plane of her orbit around the Sun, not far from that of our Earth (23°), and thus Saturn also has four distinct seasons of about 7 Earth-years each. The temperature of Saturn is about -140 ℃ / -220 ℉.
• Saturn's magnetic fields are almost as strong as those of the Earth, so she also has Aurorae around the North & South Magnetic Poles, but these are visible only in UV light.
  View Saturn's Aurora ⬃
• At Saturn's South Pole, there is a mega-storm forming a giant funnel that opens inwards. At Saturn's North pole there are a group of giant perpetual storms that form a tremendous stable hexagon that looks like a cap made of brocaded fabric.
  View Saturn's North Pole Hexagon ⬃
• Saturn's gravity is surprisingly close to that of the Earth, and it's density is so light that it would float in a giant bathtub of water! (with or without soap bubbles)
• Saturn's longitude of Perihelion is currently in Cancer at 2°

• The Rings of Saturn are a distinct feature in the solar system, as is the the perpendicular rotation of Uranus which is the Yang correlate to Saturn.
• The Rings of Saturn were first discovered in 1610 when Galileo pointed a telescope toward Saturn and wrote that he saw two "ears" on the planet. Eventually these "ears" were viewed more clearly and finally understood to be rings around the planet.
• The Cassini mission reached Saturn in 2017 providing wonderfully clear views and extensive data of the entire Saturn system - planet, rings & moons.
  NASA Cassini mission Photos
  View Saturn's Rings Close-up ⬃
  
• Now we know that these rings consist of 99% water ice ranging in size from small growler icebergs, igloos, snowmen and ice blocks down to ice cubes, marbles and clumps of snow. Some rings have small "shepherd moons", moonlets, large irregular rocks that seem to modify or preserve the shape of the rings with their gravity.
• The rings revolve around Saturn at varying speeds. The inner rings circle the planet in 6 hours while the outer rings circle in 14 hours. The rings also have moving waves.
• Astronomers have identified 7 main rings which are actually collections of many more thin rings. Saturn's ring system is an amazingly complex structure. Five rings (ABCDF) are vivid to the naked eye and close to the planet. They all have striations with distinct colors and empty gaps between them. The inner edge of the ring closest to the planet is at a distance of 7,000 km, while the outer edge of the furthest vivid ring is at a distance of 80,000 km from the planet. After a gap, there is another, fainter 6th ring (The G ring).
  Saturn's round moons all orbit outside the Six inner rings.
  Further out, much thinner and much less visible to the naked eye, there is another vague, wide, tenuous 7th ring of icy water vapor (The E ring). This very faint 7th ring (E) stretches from the orbit of Mimas to the orbit of Titan.
  ⮜ Mouse over the image of Saturn backlit by the Sun to see a diagram of Saturn's system of Rings and Moons.

• Uranus, enrobed in Turquoise, Calm, Quiet, Peaceful and Serene, rotates 'on his side', 97° from the plane of revolution around the Sun. As on our world, on Uranus there are also 4 seasons. However, the reason for these seasons is very different! Each of these last for 21 years, but due to the extreme axial orientation these seasons are exaggerations of ours. On our world, there are no temperature changes around the Equator. In contrast, you could describe any spot on Uranus as having four seasons: Super Summer, Dayly Sunshine, Super Winter and Dayly Sunshine again. During Super Summer, the pole and the entire Northern or Southern hemisphere points toward the Sun, while the other pole and entire hemisphere remains in a Wintry Starry Darkness for years! So Super Summer is as if our entire Northern or Southern Hemisphere were beyond the Arctic or Antarctic circles! Then both poles and hemispheres gradually move to many years of daytime and nighttime for a long season, then they are gradually reversed. The average temperature on Uranus is about -195 ℃ / -320 ℉.
• The thick dense atmosphere is mostly Hydrogen, Helium and a small percentage of Methane that absorbs red light and reflects the distinctive Sky Blue color, like the inside of a Quail's egg or the shell of a Robin's egg.
• There are 5 round moons and a thin ring system like those at Jupiter and Neptune. The moons and rings revolve around Uranus at the equator in the plane of rotation, almost perpendicular to Uranus' plane of revolution round the Sun.
  View Uranus Rings in Infra-Red light ⬃
• Uranus has a complex system of magnetic fields. Curiously, the magnetic field strength varies by region. In some areas in the South, it is is ⅓ of Earth's field while in some areas in the North it is about 4 times that of the Earth. While Earth's field is tilted by 11° away from the poles, Uranus' main magnetic axis is widely tilted at a 59° angle to the rotational axis. The main magnetic axis does not even go through the geometric centre of the planet! How does that happen? Scientists entertain a hypothesis of an inner ocean that creates the variations in the fields with electrical currents.
  For more information:
  The Strange Magnetic Poles of Uranus
  The Unusual Magnetosphere of Uranus
• Uranus' longitude of Perihelion is currently at Virgo 20°.
• Uranus was discovered in 1787 by British astronomer William Herschel, born November 15, 1738 in Hanover, Germany.

Uranus rules The Ewer, The WaterBearer / The Dog.

• Network  • Invention  • Groups  • Individuality  • Knowledge  • Clarity  • Intuition  • Trust  • Loyalty  • Friendship  • Seeking Truth  • Hope  • Ideals  • Dreams  • Illumination  • Enlightenment  • Freedom  • Cosmic Consciousness

☯ Yang Uranus is the Yang analogue to Saturn which rules Capricorn as Yin.

Uranus represents Aquarius, The Steady Air, the Ewer, the Water Bearer. Aquarius is traditionally the sign of the Magician. Aquarius is the Path of Knowledge, Clarity, Illumination, Enlightenment, Freedom and awareness of our alignment with the Universal Consciousness. Aquarius is the dimension that complements the sign of Leo, the Heart. Aquarius distributes and illuminates and allows us to sense instinctive affections and affinities. This dimension helps us to see clearly who and what we are and to see our place in our groups and our world. The Ewer represents the principles of flow found in all pervasive networks. In the natural physical world, clouds carry water from the sea up over the land to the mountains and then let the moisture condense into rain and snow. In living bodies, circulatory systems distribute life-blood, sap and other juices throughout the system. The streams of the Water Bearer illuminate our connections to everything that Saturnian principles have helped us to design and build. They show us as much as we can see of the ever-present knowledge of ourselves, everyone else and everything around us.

"Before Enlightenment, Chop Wood and Carry Water.
After Enlightenment, Chop Wood and Carry Water."
Wu Li.


A Zen Story of Enlightenment ⬃

An important Challenge of this Path is to gradually and safely open our own Inner Screens that hide our connections and to make them translucent and permeable and to accept the newly visible Truths and Meanings of ourselves and everyone and everything in our lives.

If this isn't done carefully, gently, calmly, it may be shocking to us when Truths and Meanings become apparent! With this in mind, many Aquarians prefer to learn about others gradually and thoroughly .. and so some people will say that they find Aquarians to be too unemotional. In fact, it's just a matter of timing and pacing and placing high importance on one's knowledge of another's mind. Most Aquarian people (Sun, Moon) prefer stable relationships.

If all of us do not gently and carefully present our truths to others, they may also find it shocking if they were not prepared for what they see, hear and learn.

As we all successfully navigate these requirements, we come to see more clearly and to understand the Path of Illumination, Enlightenment and Freedom.

Unfortunately, there are many people who are unprepared for Uranus. There are people who ignore, misuse or pervert the lessons of Jupiter, who always want more for themselves without any regard for correction or guidance, who act with explosive anger, wildness, extremism and who have contempt and hatred for others and seek to usurp or even destroy their achievements.

There are also people who ignore, misuse or pervert the lessons of Saturn, who deny, disregard and disrespect boundaries, responsibility & limits or who exert indecent control, unnecessary & unreasonable restrictions or coldness toward others and who prevent other people from working towards their own realization and fulfillment.
To such misguided people, when Uranus approaches, it will seem like Unwelcome, Frightening, Shocking, Dangerous Lightning! Some of these people may even believe that Uranus represents Unwelcome, Frightening, Shocking, Dangerous Lightning and that they can misuse this for their compulsive, deformed, distorted purposes!

In a different vein, you may know people who are seriously disturbed by the state of the world. Of course! We all do! Have you heard activists who rant constantly about injustices? Of course! We all have! This is how an unprepared Aquarius dimension responds badly to a society that accepts lies and neglects the truth. Lies make people crazy and confused.

To people who learn well the lessons of Jupiter and Saturn, to those who are Open-minded, Honest and Upright and who Work to Fulfill their Own Destiny and have Respect for Others' Meanings, Uranus will be Illumination, a Network of Ideas and Good, True, Faithful Friends sharing amazing perspectives and their knowledge, dreams, epiphanies and visions. They will reveal their discoveries, share their inventions and offer interesting relationships, adventures and meanings beyond the usual pathways of life.

To these sincere truthful people, when Uranus appears, he will seem like windows opened to the Sky, to sunny days and clear starry nights. Uranus will show us gentle rains, peaceful silent snowy hills and surprisingly beautiful lightning storms and polar aurorae. Listening through Aquarius we can hear Poetry inspired by the Moon and the Stars. We can hear the Music of Nature. Looking through Aquarius we can see Visions of clarity, insight and Universal Truths.

"In the beginning of all things, wisdom and knowledge were with the animals, for Tirawa, the One Above, did not speak directly to man. He sent certain animals to tell men that he showed himself through the beasts, and that from them, and from the stars and the sun and the moon should man learn .... all things tell of Tirawa."
Eagle Chief ( Letakots-Lesa ~ Pawnee, late 19th century, Western North America )

With the Dimension of Aquarius our perceptions and ideas flow into our connection to the Ever-Present Universal Mind and Body of Knowledge. We can constantly strengthen our link and renew it, recompiling and reintegrating it into ourselves. This constant activity develops our access to the universal body of knowledge that can reach and illuminate everything within us and all around us.

This activity opens us to hear the Voices of Nature and beckons us to listen to the Universal Mind.

In the every-day world, we can perceive Uranus in collective endeavours for the benefit and advancement of our societies, such as scientific, educational or social organizations that rescue nature or educate people or just strong, healthy, wholesome sustainable communities such as Ashrams and Kibbutzim.

There are communities, businesses and institutions that are committed to keeping a place for everyone to shine with their own light, and dedicated to being trustworthy ethical societies with tolerance and acceptance. The principles of Uranus become visible in loyal, trusting, knowledgeable, stable, strong alliances, friendships and loves.

Progressing, we become more aware that we are truly connected in all the dimensions of Life and that the Saturnian separations that seem to divide and distinguish us are actually meaningful illusions that hold lessons for us to learn.

This Path encourages all of us to develop the ability to calm and quiet the ego and the mind when necessary or desirable. The principles of Uranus become available to us when we engage in deep thought or quiet mind meditation. This activity leads to strong Individuality and Loyalty, Intuition, Clarity, Illumination, Epiphany, Originality and Genius. A person with a well-developed Aquarius dimension is naturally friendly and openly loving. Knowledge is complementary to Love. This Path leads to the search for Truth and a desire to strengthen our spiritual connections, our personal alignment and communion with the Universal Mind or "Cosmic Consciousness". When we prepare ourselves well and commit to progress, this Path will lead us towards Enlightenment and Freedom.

Those who progress on the outer Path of Aquarius toward Enlightenment and Freedom will understand that this is not the end of the story. As we actively seek Illumination, Enlightenment and Freedom, our inner gates will open and the Piscean waters of Empathy and Compassion will start to flow within us. People who become Free can express Compassion. Indeed, the level of our Compassion is a good indicator of the degree of our Freedom. As people progress on the Path of Aquarius, they recognize that there is one more Planet and Sign ~ The inner Path of Neptune & Pisces the Fish, The Path of Empathy, Compassion and Joyful Surrender of the Self to the Wholeness of Life.

• Neptune, Deeply Indigo, very Windy and Stormy, has a very closely circular orbit like Venus. This 'close circle ratio' club includes Venus, Earth, Neptune, Quaoar then Uranus and Jupiter. These circular orbits hint at the need for a more sophisticated theory of gravity!
• If we look at intervals (like Bode's law), we can see that Jupiter's orbit is about 5 AU from the Sun, Saturn is about 10 AU, Uranus is about 20 AU and Quaoar is about 43 AU, occupying the next orbit in that doubling series. Neptune seems to have slipped towards the Sun into an orbit of 30 AU, halfway between Uranus and Quaoar. Is this significant? Read the entry for Quaoar below for a little more on this..
• Neptune's axis of rotation is 28° from vertical (perpendicular to the plane of revolution), similar to those of Earth, Mars and Saturn.
• Neptune's main magnetic axis is way off (47°) from it's axis of rotation. The magnetic field is about 27 times stronger than that of the Earth.
• The atmosphere is mostly Hydrogen and Helium. Neptune's equator seems to rotate once every 18 hours while its polar regions spin once every 12 hours. This difference in rotational speed between those regions is the largest of any planet and surprisingly causes the strongest winds in the solar system, as fast as 2,100 km/hr! There is a long-standing Great Blue Spot storm near the Equator similar to the Great Red Spot storm on Jupiter. The average temperature on Neptune is about -200 ℃ / -330 ℉.
• Neptune also has a thin ring system like those of Jupiter and Uranus.
• There is one large moon that revolves around the planet in the opposite direction to the planet's rotation and revolution around the Sun. Astronomers believe that this contrary situation will eventually, in the far future, result in the disintegration of the moon. (See Triton below)
• Neptune's longitude of Perihelion is currently at Taurus 14°.
• Neptune was discovered in 1846 by three astronomers ~
  • Urbain Le Verrier, who calculated the predicted position of Neptune.
  • John Couch Adams, another who independently calculated the position of Neptune.
  • Johann Gottfried Galle, the first to visually identify Neptune as the eighth planet.

Neptune rules The Fish / The Boar.

• Storms  • Community Health  • Inner Connections  • Acceptance  • Forgetting  • Forgiveness  • Redemption  • Completion  • Paradox  • Sublimation  • Transformation  • Evolution  • Insight  • Belief  • Faith  • Release  • Resonance  • Generosity  • Altruism  • Empathy  • Compassion  • Transcendance  • Grace  • Joyful Surrender  • Wholeness  •

☯ Yin Neptune is the Yin analogue to Jupiter which is the Yang Ruler of Sagittarius.

Pisces people (Sun or Moon) love Dreams. They may have high ideals. This can also put them in the position of being bitterly disappointed when the world doesn't even come near to their ideals.
If you're not one of them, you can let one of the Pisces people in your life be a guide for your behavior. Try to live up to their best dreams. Your life will be better for this.

Pisces people (Sun or Moon) sometimes feel that they become Others. They worry that they might lose themselves in relationships. This is simply an effect of their keener awareness of the Empathy that lets us all feel and reflect the emotions of others, and it intimates at a potentially Wonderful ability to emotionally connect and merge with the Universal All of Life.

A Recommendation for Compassion by Albert Einstein ( ☉ ♓︎ ☽ ♐︎ ) ⬃

The Collective Emotions always greatly affect Pisces people (Sun or Moon), and the condition of Pisces individuals tells a great deal about the society in which they live. Personally, they may appear to be healthy or ill, strong or weak, giving or selfish, but they are always keenly responsive to, and often aware of, the emotional condition of their society.

Emotions provide fuel, motivation and power. They set the conditions for subsequent cycles of actions. Emotions respond to Intentions and Actions, Desires, Needs and Physical Conditions, Perceptions and Knowledge. Emotions affect our legacy to the future, five minutes ahead or five years... Negativity, abuse, cruelty, selfish greedy intentions and lies distort our emotions horribly. This can affect entire groups.

If people don't properly navigate or understand the previous Paths, especially the preceding Collective Paths (Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus) they will experience anger and resentment, frustration and isolation and shock and rebelliousness.

They may then misunderstand the ethereal character of Neptune and may turn to lies, theft, toxic adaptability & deception, escape, alcohol, drugs & careless relationships, charismatic cults, crimes, deep depression or even to mental illness and self-abandonment. They may have the depressing distressing belief that "nothing matters".