Journal

December 14, 2020

The last month has been very busy. Much effort went into launching my YouTube channel and preparing the announcement of my astrology business. Now that the seed is planted, I hope it will sprout and grow into a plant of hope and inspiration for many. 🌱

A week ago, I uploaded my second video to my YouTube channel. It’s a brief introduction to the Thema Mundi, an astrological teaching tool used in Hellenistic astrology. It originated in Egypt during the Hellenistic era and is thought to represent the nativity of the world.

I asked the cards for additional insights about the Thema Mundi and got the Ten of Cups. The suit of Cups is associated with the water element. In the Ten of Cups card, you see a rainbow, which is, according to Genesis 9, the sign of a new beginning and covenant between God and men made after the great flood that had destroyed almost all life on Earth. Only eight people were saved.

This is interesting because the Thema Mundi has Cancer rising, and one reason for this is thought to be a Mesopotamian belief about the continuous destruction and creation of the world through either fire or water. Cancer is the sign of the Summer solstice, representing the brightest and hottest time of the year. Therefore this time is associated with fire. Capricorn (the sign opposite of Cancer) is the sign of the Winter solstice, representing the darkest and coldest time of the year. Hence this period of the year is associated with water.

The Ten of Cups, in general, represents ultimate happiness and bliss, especially pertaining to family life. The figures depicted in this card rejoice. In a broader sense and the light of my question about the Thema Mundi, the children in the card might be seen as a symbol for the promise of the continuation of humankind, as well as life unfolding itself in recurring cycles. The colors of the children’s clothes are the same as the ones of their parents’ clothes, which confirms the symbolism of life’s cyclical nature. This is what astrology, as the study of the heavenly bodies and their symbolism, is all about–reading the cycles of life for individuals and humanity.

The Ten of Cups card feels like everything is in its place. All is as it is supposed to be. Nothing is missing. I’m thinking here primarily of the modern assignment of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto to Aquarius, Pisces, and Scorpio and, therefore, the bereavement of these signs from their actual rulers as depicted in the rulership scheme based on the Thema Mundi. In the light of the Thema Mundi, it looks like this modern invention is a misconception that confuses the symbolism through which we may understand the world.

This is because the modern assignment destroys the symmetry in the rulership scheme derived from the Thema Mundi, which is built on the planets’ speed and distance from the Sun. Furthermore, it depicts the relationship between the planets and the lights through certain aspects and the occurrence of polarities. I feel that especially the understanding of polarities is the key to understanding life.

I have been thinking about some sources that state the world is made out of chaos, and that the creation is in the first place the establishment of order. I’ve been wondering if there is a lesser amount of order (if that is possible) the farther we reach out into the cosmos. At least, from our point of view, big planetary cycles (like the one’s of the outer planets) feel more extreme and “chaotic”. They may shake up our orderly life in a much different, unexpected, and almost otherworldly way.

This may be the reason why the trans-Saturnian planets Uranus, Neptunus, and Pluto feel like agents of chaos, for good or for worse. These planets are IMHO too big in their cycles to get assigned to only 30° of the Zodiac. And the classical five planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn definitely need to have their two signs, of which one is masculine and the other feminine.

Too little time to write all of my thoughts right now…….