Chart Rulers or Rising Planets

Q: I've always read that the ruler(s) of the ascendant and the chart ruler of the chart were two different things. The chart ruler is defined as the planet closest to the ascendant while the ruler of the ascendant is the actual ruler of the ascendant's sign. A.H.
A: Thank you for your question! What you don't mention is "where" you have always been reading about the differences between the Chart Ruler and Ascendant Ruler. I'm always curious where to find differences of interpretation because it does help me to better understand different ways of interpreting concepts. But, aside from that, I can tell you where to find similar definitions that I used on my site and also explain where I believe the confusions could be coming from.

Different astrologers put different meanings to astrology terms because of the various types of astrology being used in so many different languages. Also, I note that a lot of new Astrology terms are developing on the Internet. Over time, meanings change as do the terms being used. The definition I use for "Chart Ruler" on my site concurs with the definition found in "The only astrology book you'll ever need," by Woolfolk, and "The only way to learn astrology" by March & McEvers, as well as any number of other astrology books and websites across the Internet. The books I referenced are both basic and great resources for beginning astrologers. Sometimes I see "Chart Ruler" referenced as "the ruling planet of the chart." Some astrologers call the rising sign's ruling planet the "Significator." But I believe that this term comes more from the vedic. I believe that Paul Wade, "Be your own astrologer," simply calls the ruler of the ascendant as "the ruling planet." How confusing is that? But that's also an accurate way of describing it.

The term used for a planet that rules over a person's "sun sign" (or any sign) is called the **planetary ruler**, hence many astrologers logically conclude that the ruler of the rising sign of a chart must be the **chart ruler.** Yet, what is so different between the terms Ruling Planet and Planetary Ruler?

For example, (as explained by Dane Rudhyar, "The Astrology of Personality," page 496),

"The first way of singling out a planet, to make it serve as a center of significance, is to find what is called the 'ruling planet' or 'ruler of the chart.' This is usually determined by the sign of the Ascendant. The planet ruling this sign becomes the ruler of the whole chart. The rationale of this method is clear. The Ascendant represents the factor of individual self-hood, the monad, the fountainhead of the life and destiny which the chart as a whole symbolizes. Therefore the planet functionally dominating this Ascendant becomes naturally the dominant life-function of the personality. However, in the case of planets rising close to the Ascendant, or when a planet, wherever situated in the chart, 'disposes' of all or most other planets, then two or more planets may divide the honors of chart-rulership."

Mr. Rudhyar goes on to explain a second way of singling out a planet as a focal point but it is beyond the scope of our discussion here. Yet, I quickly picked up on Mr. Rudhyar's description, "planet ... of significance" sounding very much like "significator." Also, he explains that this is "usually" (as in "not always") the way to finding the chart ruler or ruler of the chart. So this does "open the door" to your interpretations.

Additionally, the term chart ruler being used as I have on my site would also be called the "ruler of the first house."

Other terms that are frequently confused and misused are Rising Planet, Ascending Planet, Scout Planet, Leading Planet and Oriental Planet. The term for the planet closest to the ascendant moving the opposite of the numbers on the houses (i.e. 2nd, 1st, 12th) is usually called the Rising Planet or the Ascending Planet. Many astrologers believe that the closeness of the planet to the Ascendant makes the planet more influential.

"Rising planet: A planet considered to be close to the ascendant. As with all else in astrology the deciding number of degrees will vary by astrologer, but within 5 degrees on either side of the Ascendant cusp being a widely accepted orb."

(http://www.skyviewzone.com/astrology/dictionary.htm)

On the other hand, I have read a few texts which claim that the "rising planet" can only be located in the first house, rising toward the Ascendant while others state that the planet must have already risen above and past the horizon. On the Matrix site in the Astro*Index section, they very clearly describe the Rising Planet as being:

"A planet above, and within 5°, of the eastern Horizon."

(http://www.thenewage.com/community/index.asp)

Other similar terms that are confused on a regular basis are the "Oriental & Occidental" planets. These are the planets on either side of the Sun that rose before (Oriental, Leading, or Scout) or after (Occidental) the Sun rose.

"Oriental - literally eastern; said of a planet that rises and sets before the Sun. "

(http://www.thenewage.com/community/index.asp)

"The oriental planet, called the leading planet, is the one that will rise immediately before the Sun; i.e., the planet that directly precedes the Sun clockwise (behind the Sun in the natural order of the zodiac)."

(http://astrology.aryabhatt.com/astrology_glossary.asp)

However, I have seen it the other way around with Oriental being described as following and Occidental as before the Sun rose.

Yet the whole chart thing can get confusing, let alone figuring out which direction is rising, which is setting, which is above, below, in front and behind.

I hope that this helps you to understand where I'm coming from when using the term "Chart Ruler" on my site as well as giving you a solid set of resources to confirm why I use the term in the manner that I do. I'm not saying I'm right, I'm simply saying I'm not alone in using the term in the way that I do. Sometimes it does not boil down to the use of terms I'm always reading, but simply based on what I have found to be the most common term being used to describe a concept. Fact is, that the interpretations get cobbled up by so many different experts in the field that we need to just do the best we can with what we can find on the topic to try to make sense of it all.

Happy Holidays to Everyone

Have a Great Halloween!

Pluto becomes Brutus in the Business World

November 28, 2008, Pluto will effectively move into Capricorn for the long haul. Pluto will be in Capricorn for 15 years until 2024. Forgive me as I bounce around a little between the past and the future. I like to look at the past to help me navigate the present into the future.

Looking back at where we have been, Pluto transited through Sagittarius beginning in 1995 and it was quite the run. Sagittarius (ruled by Jupiter) tends to function with big and expansive ideals. Religion and philosophies, higher education, diversity and culture, along with the ever well known category, Long Journeys. Long journeys in this day and age means "over the moon" with trips to Mars and beyond. Also, who could forget about diversity of perspectives that seemingly spurred on the arguments over whether Pluto is a planet, an asteroid or a mini planetoid. Religion has gone through cataclysmic redefinition; from Islamic beliefs to Catholic beliefs to Wicca beliefs to name a few religions that have felt the impacts of Pluto's transit through Sagittarius. Pluto's been busy redefining many of these areas in our lives. And these concept changes will be with us for a long time, but we are also starting to see the change that is coming our way as Pluto prepares to completely leave Sagittarius and move into Capricorn territory next month.

Pluto's 15 year transit through Capricorn could be more subtle and seemingly skim just below the surface of events. We have a whole lot to learn about authority (who really has it vs. who thinks they have it), status (again, who really has it), structure, business, industry and management. Saturn rules over Capricorn. It will be really interesting to see how the two planets play together while Pluto is in Capricorn and Saturn is in Scorpio beginning October 2012 during this mutual reception of transits. In the United States, we definitely need to be really careful about who gets elected this year, since this newly elected President will begin to set the trends that lead into 2012.

Pluto is renowned for death and rebirth. The proverbial Phoenix Rising tends to grab situations by the gonads and give a twist to the outcome that no one is expecting. The "Beginning of the End" is a fitting title for the changes that Pluto brings about. Interestingly enough, the last time Pluto transited through Sagittarius and Capricorn was in the mid-1700s. That was definitely a time of changing philosophies and long distance moves on the part of many people from European countries. New philosophies developed, new religions and a gamut of cultural conversions. Stories grew out of the "invasions" and colonization of foreign soil on distant continents. These were stories that seemed very romantic and gutsy at the time. When Pluto moved into Capricorn in 1762, a whole new picture began to emerge about "who was in control." That was a period of defining organization, structure and authorities. Of course, we all know that the 1770s was the period of the United States becoming a new "country" breaking free from England's attempts to claim ownership of the "new" territory. The American Revolution, and there were many other revolutions taking place during this time. It was a time of long established cultures becoming virtually extinguished as technology and brutal wit moved nations in a new direction. Businesses and governments were shaken to the core back then. I'm speculating that the entities will be shaken to the core once again over the next 15 years. One other factor to consider is that Pluto and Saturn did form a mutual reception during Pluto's last transit through Capricorn. If you choose to do the research yourself, check out the historical events for the years 1777 - 1779.

Looking into the near future, the Saturn Pluto mutual reception during 2013 and 2014, will, most likely, bring upheaval in ways we can never imagine simply because technology is totally different today than it was. One more observation that I have is the fact that Pluto will still be in Capricorn when Saturn arrives there in 2018. Will they work as a team? The history behind this transit is a little more difficult to come by. I could be wrong here, but the last time I can find any records of Saturn and Pluto both transiting through Capricorn at the same time is 782 - 785 (AD).

Back to the present, and at this point in time, Saturn is currently in Virgo. We have one more year of Saturn in Virgo. Next, Saturn will start the transit Libra near the end of October, 2009. Partnerships (corporations) will need to be restructured, legal entities will be scrutinized, and financial institutions will need to clean up their squalor. Looking back, while Saturn transited Libra, 1980-1981, there was a period of global economic recession. Many businesses were reorganized and redefined. The first example I can think of comes from the automobile industry. There were several governmental bailouts of the American automobile industry during the early 1980s. Also, does anyone remember how many bank failures there were back then?

Saturn's transit through Scorpio has a tendency to force us to investigate the matters that we consider to be "taboo" or too hot to handle. For example, let's look back to the last time Saturn moved through Scorpio in 1983-1984. Geraldine Ferraro was the first female to run as vice president in the United States. Jesse Jackson was the first African-American presidential candidate. Sally Ride was the first woman astronaut in the US traveling into space. US prisons were crumbling under the huge influx of inmates. The whole world was struggling with a newly discovered illness called the "gay plague" which we now know more about but have yet to figure out how to cure; AIDS.

I can't help but feel like the trend of Pluto's move into Capricorn will continue to spur economic and governmental evaluations. As Saturn moves into Libra near the end of 2009, legal entities, corporations and financial institutions will be expected to clean up their mess while Pluto redefines the rules of the business game. Then the next real change will be seen while Saturn moves through Scorpio beginning in October 2012. There have already been scary predictions that December 2012 could be the "end of the world" based on the Mayan calendar ending that year as well as some other forecasts from other famous astrologers. Forecasts are merely "probabilities" and NEVER seem to turn out exactly as predicted.

So where does this knowledge leave us as we anticipate the shifts from the planetary transits that bring generational changes? Well, once again, there are no easy answers or prognostications that can fully prepare us for the future. We hopefully learn from history and find solutions that can help minimize the pain of transition. That is what astrology is all about. We can see the cycles and the patterns from the past which allow us to see the direction and focus that we need to take for the future. Whether we are smart enough to see this, and use this to our advantage is the whole other side of the astrology coin; free will vs. fate.

Is the END truly near? ummmm.... well, isn't it always the end of something?

Javascript - schmava_script

Okay -- so I was on a tirade a couple of weeks ago concerning rude people and internet thievery. I'm moving past that by writing new scripts that are more difficult to steal. If people want to use the javascript that I have written by plugging it into their websites and running it ON their websites, that's fine by me. However at this point, most of my unique scripts will be hidden behind the scenes and it will definitely involve way more work to get at the information beyond a click, copy and paste function. The Moon sign, lunar event and moon phase information is back up at my website's articles page www.lunarliving.org along with some new features. The Horoscope page will also show the current Sun Sign and Moon Sign at the moment the page was logged into. If you find that your cache is storing old information, you can update your cache by using your browser's refresh button or utilize your browser's reload page function.

Additionally, the current Moon Sign and Sun Sign can be found on various other pages. I may include a script that shows the current placements for Mercury through Pluto or even Chiron. However, for now, we'll stick with the Sun and Moon placements and see how that goes. It won't matter where you come from, whether it is China, Australia, London or British Columbia, the current Sun and Moon information will be fairly close to accurate for your region within a minute or two. The key is to make certain that you are not relying on an old cached page. So, don't hesitate to "refresh" the page to make certain you are getting the most up-to-date data.

The "current signs" information can be found on the Lunar Living home page, the articles page, the Moon Signs home page, the horoscopes page, and the planetary calculator page. Feel free to surf around the website to see if you can find all of the various locations of the new Moon Sign and Sun Sign calculator in use on my site. Thanks and be well.

Off the Topic of Astrology - lunar and otherwyze

So, why do so many people (on the Internet) decide to blatantly steal other people's material? For example, I work hard to write my javascripts. I offer up some of them as free for people to use and wish them well. Others, I specifically want to keep on my websites.

If people ask me up front if they can use a script, I usually will let them use it if they will tell visitors that the script came from my site. But to flat out hotlink right into my website without asking for permission? Yump'n Yimmeny - that is frustrating!

And even more frustrating is when I write the website owners to ask that they stop. Many of the offenders will get all P!ssy. There are some people who will apologize and ask for permission, but more often than not, the thieves get upset and defensive as if I am the one being unrealistic for asking that my materials be removed from their site. Fur Chryst Sakes - if you don't want to get caught, don't be so blatant about it. Steal the whole script, plug it into your site using your own bandwidth, et. al.

Or better yet, Learn to write your own Javascript - Put some of your own Blood, Sweat and Tears into writing your own script to discover your own sense of satisfaction and reward for creating something. On the other hand, if you want to save time, use the script but give proper credit where it is due. Don't be afraid to fess up and say "I found this script at xyz.com."

But to Blatantly go onto someone else's site to hot wire (hotlink) the script into your own site without proper credit or permission is like plugging an extension cord into your neighbor's electrical outlet and running the cord back to your house so that you don't have to pay for the electricity that you use.

Com'n folks - give a work'n gal some peace here and stop jack'n around with my stuff! Get a bit more creative with your thievery!

The Next Level: Moon Astrology = Lunar Astrolicious

The Moon sign is that subtle second astrological layer that reveals the perfection of Astrology. It is the hidden facet to understanding the psyche, and provides a great story of how psychology truly became a mainstay within our society. Most people don't even realize that psychology is a fairly new science in comparison to Astrology.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, doctors (scientists) were becoming interested in understanding emotions, thought processes and behaviors. This was an area that had very little "scientific" research. Scientific research was coming into its own during this time. Concepts of research were being scrutinized and assessed for validity. The fear was that too many scam artists were using here say and myths to bamboozle or hustle unsuspecting individuals. The world of "science" was going to fix this problem (hahaha) and make the world a better place to live. The science community basically felt that Astrology had no "place" in this research world. That Astrology was a bunch of mumbo jumbo voo doo occult magic making ideas and that there simply could be no validity. Despite the history of Astrology, the analyticals were going to leave Astrology in the dusty past with scientific methods. Or so they thought.

There was the need for researchers to understand why people do the things that people do. Why do some people shriek when they see a spider while others could care less? Why do some people lie when the truth would not cause any harm? These types of mysteries needed some investigation. People who called themselves psychologists wanted to turn away from using Astrology to explain these behaviors. Interestingly enough, their research never quite did away with Astrology. As time passed, the concepts of Astrology have waxed and waned very much like the cycle of the Moon. With each new answer, more questions arose.

Psychological research did not leave Astrology in the dust. Instead, in many ways, psychology confirmed that each individual has his/her own unique traits and temperaments. Similar to the concepts of Astrology, we have learned that some of what people do is instinctive, some of it is survivalistic, and some if it is free choice or free will. Research basically confirmed that people seemingly fall into basic trait categories with "extra" characteristics on the side. What we may be discovering is that individuals are a combination of traits borne out of nature and nurture and that Astrology may not have been all that far away from contributing to each unique trait, temperament and instinct.

So where does the Moon fit in to Astrology. Where solar astrology (sun signs) "fails" is where lunar astrology picks up. There are only 12 solar signs (or zodiac signs). How can all of humanity fall into these 12 categories? The fact is that they can not. When we consider the number of Sun sign and Moon sign combinations, we discover that there are 144 categories. Is that enough? Well, it's better than 12 categories. It is better because it helps define a person's basic outlook and his/her emotions. Western-based Astrology can also add more layers (characteristics) by incorporating the Ascendant or Rising sign. Based on the time of day that a person is born, it is possible to have one of 12 zodiacal signs on the "horizon" or the Ascendant that helps define the person's personality or persona.

Oh my goodness, now this really is getting complicated. When factoring in the Sun Sign and Moon Sign along with the Rising Sign, there is the possibility of 1728 categories. There are too many levels and the complexity is difficult to break out into isolated characteristics. When it comes to scientific research, it is hard enough to get a quality representation of population to do the research for 144 distinct categories, let alone almost 2000 categories. Well, any good psychologist is going to throw up his/her hands at this point and say "This is out of control!" Yet, to the astrologist, this is just the beginning! After the Sun, Moon and Rising, other facets to be looked at are communication style and relationship style. Yes, there are more layers to think about. These are what seemingly leaves psychological research in the cold. We are not a mere 6, 8 or 12 basic characteristics. Humans are way more complex than that. And Psychology has a long ways to go before catching up with Astrology.

To move on past the Moon sign and Rising sign, basic astrology uses at least five planets to help describe a person's "make up." The planets that can be factored in are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Yes, there are more planets, but those are considered "generational" because they move so slowly around the solar system.

When a person is born, the Sun, the Moon and the Ascendant can be in any of the 12 zodiac signs giving us the possibility of over 1700 combinations. However, that is not the case for the planets of Mercury and Venus. Mercury is never more than one sign away from the Sun's transit and Venus is never more than two signs away. So we can't do the standard 12 * 12 type of math to compute the number of variations possible. And this is where my math skills fail me. I can't even begin to comprehend whether to multiply or add or what? Regardless, it becomes obvious that psychology can not even begin to really touch all the facets of a person's personality in the same way that Astrology can. And, as any individual who has any understanding of Astrology knows; the more planets, the more layers.

Astrology may not be the perfect resource for helping to explain all human behaviors, attitudes and thought processes, but it stretches well beyond the single layer (Solar Signs) that gets routinely criticized by the "Scientific Community." Even if we only add in the Moon's placement within the individual's chart, we begin to see the complexity and the possibilities that are lost on Solar Astrology. Hence, Moon Astrology plays a significant role in Astrology (and possibly in psychology) in explaining human nature and "where" it comes from.

Horoscopes or Horrorscopes?

Sometimes I get asked questions about my monthly horoscopes. Since the majority of my website focuses on the Moon, people want to know if the horoscopes are written for the Moon sign or the Sun sign. Nutshell answer: Sun signs.

I write the scopes with the Sun sign in mind since most people know for sure what their Sun sign is. Only about five percent of the population actually knows their Moon sign. The scopes can also be used for an individual's Rising (Ascendant) sign for the sectors and zones that I bring attention to in the forecasts.

However, not all portions of my forecasts can be quickly converted for the Rising sign. The intervals of the month when I describe the dates that a person is more likely to feel flustered are designed specifically for the Sun sign. These "fluster" dates are the periods within the month when the transiting Moon is in a difficult aspect to that particular sign.

Some people ask why I don't give the "lucky days" of the month for the signs. I guess I don't do that because virtually any day can be a lucky day! Why single them out? I point out the frustrating days simply because they give a person a heads up before heading into that day that it could be a frustrating day. It does not mean that those dates will definitely be "bad," but if they are difficult, at least you will know ahead of time that the Moon is simply not going to help you cope with the frustrations of the day. We can usually deal with almost any challenge that comes our way UNLESS our emotions are on edge. And the Moon forming a difficult aspect to our sign can be a good indicator that we will be emotionally challenged on that day. So that's why I list those days for each sign.

I also list the dates of the New Moon and Full Moon with the probable themes. These Moon days can be used both for the Sun sign and the Rising sign forecasts. These themes give you a good sense of the issues that you are likely to need to focus on for the day leading into the Moon event and possibly the day after the event.

The Lunar Living Astrology horoscopes can be found at http://www.lunarliving.org/horoscopes.shtml

Since the Lunar Eclipse on August 16, 2008, there was a wash of emotions that came flooding out and they have now been purged. I have been able to let go of that which I can not change, and am moving forward with things that I can. I am reactivating this Lunar Living Blog as an added resource to the site. I formed the blog over 5 years ago, but I let it set dormant as I moved through a variety of other facets in my life. Thankfully, lunarliving.org has been my refuge for a long time now, and I have always enjoyed writing the articles and astrological resources that I have posted on the site. Calendars, daily activities, moon match relationship, scopes, more calendars along with the bi-monthly major moon events. It's all there and I'm always open for suggestions on ways to improve the material.

Thank you everyone!

Be well,