Astrology and Mythology - Alchemical Tantric Astrology

JUPITER TRANSITS/THE KING VISITS

by Frederick Baker | Nov 2, 2022 | Astrology and Mythology

Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is appropriately associated in myth with the King of the Gods. Although less bright than Venus, from our perspective, Jupiter’s royal cycle of 12 years or about one sign per year – not too slow nor too fast – is especially easy and important to follow.

Astrologers acknowledge Jupiter’s grandeur by assigning him as ruling planet of the sign and constellation of Sagittarius, the Centaur Archer, home to the center of our own Milky Way Galaxy. Jupiter is therefore not only the largest planet in our solar system, but being located in the Archer, he is also galactic representative. When Jupiter transits another planet this makes his visit an occasion of royal import.

When the King visits everything gets exaggerated!

The Alchemical Tantric Arrangement (ATA) of the zodiac places Capricorn and Aquarius on the bottom of the chart and Cancer and Leo on the top so that the signs are aligned in order with the 7 chakras, 7 alchemical metals, and the 7 traditional planets. From Aquarius to Leo the symbolism is of raising the awareness from the 1^st Root chakra to the 7^th or Crown chakra and transforming the alchemical metals from lead to gold.

JUPITER TRANSIT

This particular 12 year cycle of Jupiter is unique because all the planets beyond Jupiter are contained within a small area of the zodiac stretching from Capricorn to Vacca/Taurus. These signs of the zodiac correspond in the Alchemical Tantric Arrangement to the first four chakras.

THE CHAKRAS and their associated SIGNS in the ALCHEMICAL TANTRIC ASTROLOGY ARRANGEMENT

12th Hermetic sign Capricorn & 1^st Hermetic sign Aquarius = 1^st Root Chakra

Pluto

By moving through the signs and transiting the outer planets, Jupiter is giving us a royal alchemical show. His first visit was with his underworld brother Pluto in April of 2020 in Capricorn followed by the dramatic conjunction at the winter solstice with Saturn in the 1^st degree of Aquarius. With these two transits Jupiter expanded, or might we say exaggerated, the focus on death while bringing his old 12 year cycle to completion in the sign of the Fishgoat.

Saturn

In addition to death, Jupiter’s conjunction with Saturn further expanded the ringed planet’s association with limitations by manifesting in the form of worldwide lockdowns!

2^nd Hermetic sign Pisces = 2^nd Sacral Chakra

Neptune

Jupiter’s next major conjunction was with nebulous Neptune, and it was a doozy, offering astrologers a world-class cruise-ship level opportunity for interpretation. Both Jupiter and Neptune are rulers of Pisces with Jupiter exponentially expanding Neptune’s many and diverse qualities. I like to say that Neptune is like the ocean with multiple characteristics from calm and deep to stormy and foggy. Just a few of the many attributes related to Neptune include: addiction, dreams, religion, emotions, intuition, illusion, confusion, faith, fantasy, psychic ability, etc. I also connect Neptune with Poseidon of ancient Crete, where he was the earth-shaker and bringer of the tsunami. Living on the west coast of the U.S. this image of the Bull from the Sea is both rich and daunting. Neptune’s vast range of oceanic possibilities is as numerous as fish in the sea, however, the deep bottom line is the opposite to the limits of Saturn . . . a lack of boundaries and far-reaching emotional freedom.

From the ATA or Hermetic perspective both signs, Sagittarius and Pisces, correlate with the watery 2^nd sacral chakra. Located at the level in the human body of the sacrum and genitals, the 2^nd chakra emphasizes both sacred and sexual. Both Jupiter and Neptune are powerfully sexual — reproductive brothers of vast expanses, sky and sea. The key word in ATA for Pisces is “fertilizing” and we can expect Jupiter’s royal presence to bring exaggeration in conjunction with Neptune to charged emotional extremes and mental, physical and psychic deep waters.

The transit of Jupiter and Neptune through Pisces has another meaningful dimension and that is in relation to the ending of the 2,160 year Age of Pisces. As Jupiter expands Neptune’s presence, we can learn more about what we might expect for the next 100 years or so while this very dramatic age of the fishes winds down.

3^rd Hermetic sign Aries = 3^rd Navel Chakra

Since all the outer planets happen to be gathered in a handy bundle from Pluto at the end of Capricorn to Uranus in Vacca/Taurus, the Alchemical Tantric Arrangement becomes especially helpful in allowing us to appreciate the larger spiritual cycle. King Jupiter can be observed to continue climbing Jacob’s Ladder as he now reaches the 3^rd level with the cardinal fire sign, Aries, and the 3^rd Navel fire chakra. King Jupiter will visit maverick Chiron and intense Eris in March and April of 2023. We might expect exaggeration or expansion of wounding and healing related to the interaction with Chiron, especially since Chiron holds a pivotal role in the ATA arrangement. Likewise, energetic Eris could also be highly activated because her fiery nature is already strong in this sign associated with the 3^rd fire chakra. Jupiter together with Eris can be expected to accompany a major movement against injustice, especially by women.

In terms of the movement from Pisces and the ending of this dramatic 2,160 year Age of the Fishes, the meeting of King Jupiter with heavy-duty Chiron and Eris in fiery Aries could be viewed as actively clearing the way for transitioning from the old Age of Pisces, represented by Neptune, to the New Age of Aquarius, represented by Uranus in the next sign Vacca/Taurus.

4^th Hermetic Sign Vacca/Taurus = 4^th Heart Chakra

Uranus

King Jupiter moves into the 4^th Hermetic sign and 4^th Heart chakra on June 1^st, 2023, meeting soon thereafter with Rahu, the Head of the Dragon in Vacca/Taurus, exaggerating evolutionary drama, which can be both rewarding and dis-orienting. Then on April 20, 2024, Jupiter meets the final outer planet, surprising heavenly Uranus, for an exaggerated show of radical innovation in Gaia’s earthy sign of the Cow and Bull. Both Rahu and Uranus have special connotations in the ATA or Hermetic astrology for awakening serpent power kundalini energy, so besides the usual/unusual symbolism of Promethean Uranus we have the likelihood of even more evolutionary opportunities! Since we are dealing with the heart center chakra, there are hints that new levels and meanings of cosmic love might be involved in the conjunction of the king with his radical heavenly grandfather; plus we might expect some major fireworks in the sky from these Heavenly guys, shared with shakeups from Gaia in her sign of fixed but perhaps radically shifting Earth.

Completing the Cycle

However, it should be noted that the Alchemical Tantric Arrangement accents the total cycle, which means Jupiter will be extending the fullness of visiting all 7 outer planets (including Chiron and the North Node) on the way up the ATA zodiac and continuing on into the 5^th Throat chakra and Gemini, accenting Mercury the Messenger in May of 2024; the 6^th Brow chakra and Cancer (where Jupiter is exalted) in June of 2025; and finally, at the pinnacle of Leo, to be crowned King once again on June 29th, 2026. When Jupiter enters royal Leo, the ATA symbolism is both of the golden alchemical marriage at the crown chakra and thereafter the distribution of the golden insights downward starting with the harvest goddess in Virgo.

See the chart below with Jupiter in golden Leo at the mid-heaven and silvery Cancer also accented. At the end of Leo is lovely Venus followed by the Tail of the Dragon in Virgo, ready for the hand-off of the alchemical elixir. The Hindu myth of Rahu and Ketu tells of the demon stealing some of the God’s ambrosia and the “Crown” (or “Corona” now associated with a “virus”) suggests some mix-up during this transition. However, Love in the form of exalted Venus can be counted on to save the day and continue distributing the golden elixir downward.

A glowing metaphor for this highest realm is of Alchemical Gold, forming the radiant aura or halo of enlightenment – Yoga as total Oneness. Notice in the chart for Jupiter’s entry into Leo in 2026, (see above with whole signs in the ATA arrangement) how rather than the former emphasis on squares between the outer planets, now, largely in the air and fire signs, they are forming many harmonic sextiles. These more harmonious aspects and with the outer planets progressing into new signs by 2026, it looks to be a time of a new and hopefully more positive golden era. Jupiter as King of the Gods fits well with this 7^th crown chakra and its very large perspective. Jupiter as ruler of Sagittarius makes him an agent of the Galactic Center, representative to what I like to call the Great Central Gal, Goddess of the massive black hole at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. Jupiter will be poised at the Crown to communicate with Galaxy Central for new inspiration on how to manage the next 12 years.

Notice how Jupiter at the beginning of Leo is now beginning the second half of his transits in the cycle with an opposition to Pluto in Aquarius at the full 180 degree point in their cycle while also at the crown pinnacle of the ATA chart and straddling the upper end of the central channel of the chakras. The Moon’s nodes will soon transit Leo/Aquarius with the South Node meeting Jupiter during this year, 2026, adding even more evolutionary potential.

Additional oppositions to the outer planets will be formed on the downward side of Jupiter’s ATA cycle. Indeed this could be a good test of the differences between the conjunctions and oppositions as Jupiter transits at 180 degrees to Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Eris, Chiron, and Uranus. Of course, differing signs will also be emphasized: art and relationship in Libra; intense transformation in Scorpio; Leela or divine play in Jupiter’s home sign of Sagittarius; and finally rounding out the 12 signs and 12 years, transiting once again the 12^th completing Hermetic sign, Capricorn. King Jupiter will enter Aquarius to begin a new cycle in November of 2032 and soon thereafter will visit his underworld brother Pluto again, this time in awakening Aquarius. If John Michael Greer, author of The Twilight of Pluto, is correct, Pluto could be losing a great deal of his power by then, due to his being demoted in 2006, 24 years before.

What an amazing 12 years these will be, stretching from 2020 destruction reaching upwards to 2026 Phoenix-like renewal, hopefully with brilliant golden insights to assimilate downward before Jupiter begins anew in Aquarius in 2032. The world will surely look radically different after this highly charged tour by the King throughout his entire kingdom!

Mars meets Venus at the Crown Chakra

by Frederick Baker | Jul 14, 2021 | Astrology and Mythology, Astrology and Yoga

MARS/VENUS KUNDALINI EVENT

Attached below you will see a chart cast for June 11^th, 2021. Besides being my son Quinn’s birthday and the day after a potent Gemini solar eclipse, it is when the activating planet Mars moves over the charged cusp between Cancer and Leo, the two signs related to the Brow and Crown chakras. It is especially wonder-full with lovely Venus and Lady Luna in alchemically balancing Cancer nearby creating the basis for the alchemical marriage of silver and gold.

I have set equal houses and 0 Scorpio rising which creates the ATA or Alchemical Tantric Arrangement of the houses, e.g., houses 3 and 4 containing Capricorn and Aquarius, both ruled traditionally by Saturn with Cancer and Leo on the cusps of houses 9 and 10, ruled by the Moon and Sun.

Appropriate planets can now be seen to stimulate all 7 chakras:

First Root Chakra – ruling Saturn retro in Aquarius

Second Sacral Chakra – ruling Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces

Third Navel Chakra – Chiron and Eris in Aries

Fourth Heart Chakra – Uranus and Ceres in Vacca/Taurus

Fifth Throat Chakra – ruling Mercury retro and Sun in Gemini

Sixth Brow Chakra – ruling Moon and Venus in Cancer

Seventh Crown Chakra – Mars in Leo

Venus catches up with Mars on 13 July 2021 in radiant Leo, then Venus runs off but returns as Venus retro meeting three times in February 2022 in completing Capricorn and eventually transiting apocalyptic Pluto, then on March 6, 2022 they meet again exactly on the kundalini portal at 0 degrees of Aquariusto start a new cycle together! Wow, what a romantic affair! The divine passionate couple begin dancing together at the top of the ATA chart, play together all the way down to the bottom, and start again at the charged Chiron portal.

ASTROYOGA CONTEMPLATION

The central tantric channel through the chakras creates two primary portals in the twelvefold cycle of the zodiac, the Chiron/Kundalini Portal (CKP) at the cusp between Capricorn and Aquarius and the Alchemical Marriage Portal (AMP) at the cusp between Cancer and Leo. Telluric forces move up at the CKP and celestial forces are brought down at the AMP.

The present grouping of planets creates a helpful arrangement for working with the energies of the ascending signs and their corresponding chakras:

Ruling Saturn retro in Aquarius gives a strong serious Earth base to the Root Chakra. (Saturn’s square to Uranus is a potent fixed side issue)
Ruling divine brothers Jupiter and Neptune are powerfully fertile in the sexual watery Sacral Chakra.
Both Chiron and Eris are strong in Aries and the fiery Navel Chakra. (an important side issue is the explosive Tee-square of Eris to Pluto and Mars.)
Uranus brings surprises to Vacca/Taurus. (the twisted square with Saturn paradoxically includes heavenly Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius, and Saturn who goes better with earthy Vacca/Taurus)
Sun and North Node contribute focus to the sign of the lover twins and ruling retro Mercury makes for dynamic Gemini synthesis at the Throat Chakra.
Both ruling Luna and lovely Venus in Cancer accent the feminine silver Queen at the Brow Chakra in preparation for the alchemical union.
Mighty Mars is fitting as masculine gold King at the AMP and tops off the cycle as spiritual warrior with power to draw down the celestial insights of the Crown Chakra.

In a rare symbolic completion of the ATA cycle, the golden insights of the alchemical marriage are appropriately handed off by transiting Mars and Venus to sacred Vesta in Virgo to distribute, thence enjoyed by Juno in Sagittarius, and then the divine passionate couple meet with Pluto and Vesta in Capricorn before joining a final time as they begin a new cycle at the beginning of Aquarius in 2022.

Other versions of this arrangement will occur for several years as the outer planets climb the chakra ladder until Jupiter meets Uranus in Leo. Yearly when the radiant Sun and his entourage enter royal Leo around the 22^ndof July form a similar arrangement of highly resonant planets throughout the signs and chakras. In particular this time period leading up to and through the transit of the inner planets across the top or Alchemical Marriage Portal (AMP), is an especially advantageous time for AstroYoga contemplation and/or meditation.

There are impactful changes occurring on many levels in the world today and it is important to be focusing on actions that help purify and uplift. There are many such activities and positive contemplations and/or meditations. (See the AstroYoga section of our book Alchemical Tantric Astrology) Those found in yoga are especially effective right now with the present arrangement of appropriate planets activating all seven chakras.

The Time Serpent

by Frederick Baker | Feb 25, 2021 | Astrology and Mythology, Astrology and Yoga

Kala Sarpa Yoga

There is another significant astrological event happening now and over the next few years that is related to the Moon’s Nodes, the points where eclipses occur. Since all the outer planets are in a close band of zodiac signs from Pluto in Capricorn to Uranus in Vacca/Taurus, they and all the traditional planets can often be found on one side of the alignment of the Nodes, as they have been off and on recently. The Moon, of course, transits the entire zodiac each month and the Sun and inner planets once a year, altering this configuration.

In Vedic astrology this phenomenon is called “Kala Sarpa Yoga” or literally translated, “Time Serpent Union.” The Time Serpent is a title for the Nodes of the Moon or Rahu and Ketu, who was a serpentine demon in myth, and was cut in two parts, a head and a tail, by Vishnu. Also called the Head and Tail of the Dragon, they are said to swallow the Sun and Moon during eclipses.

There is intriguing symbolism connected with the Moon’s Nodes as serpents and especially in this Time Serpent formation since it adds to the 2020 Portal phenomenon as described in Alchemical Tantric Astrology. As illustrated in the image above, this symbolism even extends to the association between the Cosmic Serpent and the DNA double helix, which has further suggestive links to yogic powers or siddhis.

Adding to all the amazing astrology associated with the year 2020, this Time Serpent formation emerged with all the planets on one side of the Nodes on February 25, 2020. After bringing major eclipses at the end of 2019, the South Node completed transiting the “Four Horseman of the Apocalypse”: Saturn, Pluto, Jupiter, and Pallas and was then joined by Mars and the Moon, bringing the stellium in Capricorn to seven celestial bodies or seven seals!

There is a particularly striking version of the Time Serpent formation shown in the 2022 New Year Chart below. Notice that not only the outer planets but also the primary asteroids and dwarf planets will also be on the full side of the chart! We can see that since the movement of the Nodes is overall retrograde, every planet will eventually either transit over the North Node or the North Node will transit over the planets during the next few years. (a complete cycle of the Lunar Nodes is approximately 18 years, so half cycle is 9 years)

A Kala Sarpa Yoga formed in February, 2020 and is in a complete form on New Year 2022, ending soon after.

The question this brings to my mind is: Just what is it about eclipses that makes them so powerful that in Vedic astrology the Nodes are elevated to the status of planets? Is the power largely related to the awe experienced when the Sun or Moon disappears, and/or is there something more? Could it be that eclipses activate some Time-related programming in the DNA, suggested by the serpent symbolism?

At any rate, the North Lunar Node will transit every single planet and asteroid with eclipses that will occur near every outer planet between 2022, starting with Uranus, until the eclipses near Pluto in Aquarius at the end of 2027.

IT WOULD APPEAR THAT WE CAN EXPECT VERY FULL AND INTENSE EXPERIENCES WITH PLENTY OF CHANGE TO CONTINUE IN THE 2020 MODE FOR THE NEXT SIX OR SEVEN YEARS!

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THESE SEVEN YEARS CORRESPOND TO THE SEVEN SEALS OF THE APOCALYPSE?

*Time Serpent illustration by Jody Bare

Astroyoga Opportunities

by Frederick Baker | Feb 23, 2021 | Astrology and Mythology

I am sending you-all this note alerting you to important opportunities for practicing astroyoga.

First some background.

The year 2020 was notable astrologically because of the rare and impactful meeting of Saturn and Pluto in serious Capricorn, with giant Jupiter and his wise daughter Pallas Athena involved, expanding the possibilities. The symbolism suggests major intense completion of large cycles!

All the planets have departed Capricorn with the exception of slow-moving Pluto, divinity of the apocalypse (meaning to take off the masks!), who still has some more completing to do, apparently.

On another section of the grand celestial stage, the transition into awakening Aquarius became the scene of the action as formidable Jupiter and Saturn met in close alignment at the beginning of another monumental cycle we celebrated together on the winter solstice.

Now the focus has shifted into the charged square dialog between the planets in heavenly Aquarius and earthy Vacca/Taurus, with a special twist of earthy Saturn in Aquarius square heavenly Uranus in Vacca/Taurus. This is quite a tangle of metaphors, but the dualism of Heaven and Earth is clearly accented. Both Saturn and Uranus are accented actors at the Chiron or Kundalini Portal!

Limiting Saturn will eventually turn retro and exactly square radical Uranus for a second pass, then repeat once again in direct motion, so this divine generation gap (in myth, Uranus is Saturn’s father) will get plenty of attention this year 2021.

There is more to the story, and this is the part where the AstroYoga comes on stage.

From the perspective of Alchemical Tantric Astrology (ATA), the central channel of the tantric chakra system correlates with the cusps between Capricorn/Aquarius ruled by Saturn/Uranus and Cancer/Leo, ruled by Moon/Sun. This makes these four planets especially highlighted along with Chiron and the Lunar Nodes (Rahu and Ketu) because of their relationship to the Sun and Moon.

In terms of meditating in tune with the chakras, Saturn in Aquarius relates to the first or Root Chakra and Uranus, the new ruler of Aquarius, is presently in Vacca/Taurus, related to the fourth or Heart Chakra.

FOR AWHILE THE PLANETS WILL BE ALIGNED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO FACILITATE MOVING THE ENERGY FROM THE ROOT TO THE HEART.

This would be an excellent opportunity to visualize activating kundalini energy at the Root Chakra with the help of ruling Saturn; moving up to the second Sacral Chakra with the help of Neptune, ruler of Pisces; thence up to the third Navel Chakra with the help of healing Chiron in Aries; and into the central Heart Chakra with radical Uranus.

Root Sacral Navel Heart
Saturn Neptune Chiron Uranus