Episode 15: The 12 Signs of the Zodiac

The Zodiac are the 12 signs in astrology and the second part of this four part framework. While each is named after constellations in the sky, over time the zodiac has shifted from the physical location of these stars. It has a much broader meaning and signifies more than just a month you were born.

Welcome to Exploring Esoterica, the podcast where I break down different esoteric practices and shed light on the history and truth behind them. So let's explore the history and underlying principles behind the Zodiac in ancient astrology.

Welcome to today's episode, and I wanna start off this one with one word, resilience. I was watching a YouTube video of a lady who identifies as a witch and she was reacting to a series of short videos, maybe tiktoks, of these young adults telling their story of why they no longer believe or practice witchcraft. Now on the surface, this is reasonable. Everyone has a right to leave your spirituality for something else that resonates with them. And these in particular were ladies who left Witchcraft for Christianity. Again, that's perfectly fine. I've said before, that spirituality is a very personal experience. But there was a major thing to highlight in these videos. These young people weren't just telling their stories. Instead, they were attacking witchcraft and pagan beliefs and framing Christianity as the only right and just spiritual practice.

This is something that we've seen time and time again. In my episode on Western Esotericism, I went through the long history or abridged history, honestly, of how Christianity tried and did stamp out any paganism and pagan beliefs and practices that were in contrast with the exoteric spirituality of Christianity This is something that we see time and time again, especially in today's political climate, and it was just sad to see. And in my last episode, I mentioned how Christianity became the national religion of the Roman Empire. Astrologers were not just ostracized and exiled, sometimes they were outright murdered. And again, we see this what the witch on YouTube called Christian Fascism.

It's all about power and control. It's not about community and trying to help those that are lost and feel very depressed and need some kind of spirituality to feel whole again. I've heard of people turning to Christianity in times of need, and in this experience, these young ladies were turning to witchcraft in those times of need. A lot of them were talking about how they were dealing with depression and other mental health issues. And once they started witchcraft, I don't know if they were part of some type of community that was helping them, or they just picked up a spell book and some tarot cards and decided that they were just gonna do everything on their own. But some of them were describing what looks like spiritual psychosis, and in that deep mental health issue and mental health crisis they were having, they turned to Christianity. And instead of understanding it that this was just their personal experience and instead of trying to fit in with the community around Christianity and maybe within a church, they got on TikTok and started attacking witchcraft and saying that all of people who were doing witchcraft and any kind of pagan beliefs, astrology, tarot. It was devil worship, idolatry, very dangerous. There was a spiritual warfare against the Pagans and the Christians. And the YouTuber, the witch, was saying no. That sense of peace that these ladies said that they felt in Christianity, that's the sense of peace that many people feel that are still within that practice of these more esoteric beliefs.

And so I just wanted to say that it's important to stay resilient, especially in today's times. One way you can do that is finding people in your community that will not judge you for what you believe in. And that will help you find a sense of strength and understanding in the world. There are people who are going to attack you because you don't follow what the majority view is supposed to be, quote unquote. And within this harsh political climate that we have, women are not allowed the same bodily autonomy as men are. Those who are LGBTQ+ are deemed as sexual deviants and any kind of slur. We are seeing ultra conservative leaders and celebrities shield their prejudice and bigotry behind the guise of religion, especially Christianity. And it's just sad to see these young people fall into the same line of thinking. Even within those videos, you can sense a type of desperation that hadn't been healed. And a lot of their personal issues I don't think have been healed simply because you go to church, you know? And so I just wanted to start off with that.

But let's move on to today's episode as I continue to talk about the pagan belief of astrology. Now in my last episode, we explored the planets and what they represent in ancient astrology. These were slightly different from modern astrology and as a former focuses on external circumstances, while modern astrology is based more on psychological interpretations. There is some overlap, but there's enough differences between the two that I'm just gonna dedicate a later episode to modern astrology.

But for now, as usual, with all of my episodes, we're gonna break this one down into three parts. Part one, we'll look at the brief history of the zodiac and the underlying philosophy. Part two, we'll delve into the meaning of each sign. In part three, we'll look at the planetary rulership scheme and the possible interpretations for each planet according to this scheme. So let's dive into part one.

[05:58] Part 1: A Brief History

In the last episode, I went over a brief history of astrology and cosmology in different cultures. We looked at the prehistoric times until the fall of the Roman Empire. And each culture had its own interpretation of the stars and planets. But most of what we recognize as western astrology was derived from the Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures, as well as the Hellenistic era of ancient Greece.

Now let's take a closer history of the Zodiac. The planets seem to wander across the sky in a particular path, and this path is called the ecliptic. And it is believed that the Mesopotamians began dividing the ecliptic into 12 parts. Now by the Hellenistic era, these 12 parts became known as the Zodiac. Along this path of the Zodiac, there were 12 constellations for which the 12 signs are named after. And there are three types that we need to discuss before going any further.

The first one is the constellational zodiac, which are the 12 constellations across the ecliptic that the planet seemed to travel through. And each of these constellations are of unequal size and some overlap with others, but basically these are the actual stars that are in the sky that the signs are named after.

Next, we have the sidereal Zodiac, and this is believed to have been developed around the 5th century BCE in Mesopotamia as a way to standardize the Zodiac. And to do that, the ecliptic was divided into 12 equal parts and the constellations were just used as reference points. Therefore, this version of the Zodiac is only roughly aligned to the actual constellations. Again, the stars vary in sizes. However, the Mesopotamians divided it into 12 equal parts. Again, this is the sidereal Zodiac.

Then we get to the third one, which is the tropical Zodiac, which I'm sure I mentioned in past episodes. This was developed during the Hellenistic era and it aligns with the four seasons with the sidereal Zodiac. During ancient times, the beginning of the four Seasons in the Northern hemisphere coincided with the sun passing through certain zodiacs or the 12 equal parts of the sidereal Zodiac. Therefore, they call this one the tropical Zodiac.

[00:08:18] Precession of the Equinoxes

Now the meaning of each of the 12 signs are derived from all three of these zodiacs, especially the tropical and sidereal. However, there is a phenomenon known as the precession of the equinoxes. Over time, earth's axis of rotation, wobbles, and this shifts the start of each season. In other words, the tropical and sidereal zodiac began to slide apart from one another. For example, Aries in the tropical Zodiac is roughly between March 20th and April 20th, but the planets don't travel through Aries in the sidereal Zodiac until a bit later, from mid-April to May. So while the Spring Equinox aligns with Aries in the tropical Zodiac, the planets are in a different constellation in the sidereal zodiac.

As I mentioned in the last episode, this is caused a never ending philosophical debate among the astrologers, especially those new to the practice. But the question should never be which one is right. Instead, we should recognize it as two different versions of the same practice. I thought this was a new phenomenon. However, during my research, I realized that this was discovered during the Hellenistic era. And Claudius Ptolemy seemed to be the first astrologer to fully adopt the tropical Zodiac and almost dismiss the sidereal altogether, even though both versions were still being used during his time.

However, over time, the tropical zodiac began to be the dominant one, as it is in today's modern version of Western astrology. The sidereal is still used, but in other parts of the world, I believe mainly Indian or Vedic astrology. Now, personally, I refer to each Zodiac as a particular season because again, the tropical zodiac is what we practice. So for instance, I'm currently recording this during the end of the Aries season, which still is the beginning of springtime, but we are headed into the season of Taurus.

Now, if you would like to dig deeper into the history of astrology, I highly recommend checking out the resources I have listed in the show notes. I obviously am not going to talk about everything, but, so if you want those like fine details that I haven't mentioned, check out my show notes. And if you would like to follow along with me during this journey and get a deeper look at my process as well as what I'm studying, be sure to sign up for my email newsletter. Just go to merwin mccrady.com and click on the button, Learn More. You can also click in my show notes to easily sign up there. But let's go on to part two.

[10:57] Part 2: 12 Signs of the Zodiac

If the planets represent certain themes and circumstances in our lives, then the Zodiac represents how these events are expressed. This is true in both ancient and modern astrology with slight differences of course. There are two main classifications that will provide us with a base understanding of the signs. The first is the seasons of each sign and corresponding mode or quadruplicity. The second is the elements of each sign or its triplicity.

[11:30] Seasons

So let's start with the seasons. Each sign in the tropical Zodiac belongs to a certain season. These are also called quadruplicity because it groups the 12 signs into four groups. Again, it's representative of the four temperate seasons and each season has a certain interpretation and like the planets, it's best to think of these in terms of agriculture, so that's what I'll do. Springtime represents fertility and growth. Since this is the time plants are starting to grow. Summer represents maturity or things coming to completion, like fruits maturing due to the hotter days. Autumn represents enjoying the rewards from our endeavors, like produce being harvested. And then winter is a time when nature is static, the leaves are falling, animals are hibernating, and therefore winter represents the end, decline, a time of rest until the cycle starts over in the springtime.

Now, each season contains three signs and each sign belongs to a certain mode. This further explains the expression of each signs, and there are three classifications of the signs in each season. So first, you have the movable or cardinal signs, and this starts the season. In a chart, these represent a drive for action and movement, and its expression can be impulsive yet impatient. Fixed signs stabilize the seasons. These are the times when each season is firmly set. These signal, a drive for security and self-control, and can be expressed as cautious, consistent, and stubborn. And lastly, are the double bodied or mutable signs. These are during the transitions between one season to the next. The season of these signs can have a varied effect and a period of transition as the weather patterns change before the next season officially starts. They signal varied action and responses, but also adaptability. There's a curious expression, but also inconsistency.

Now, if you are familiar at all with astrology and this idea of the three modes, you probably would've heard of cardinal, fixed, and mutable signs. However, after reading Chris Brennan's book, Hellenistic Astrology, he uses the terms movable, fixed, and double bodied because these are the terms that are the closest in translation to the ancient Greek words that meant the same thing. So I will use these interchangeably during the rest of this episode.

Let's look at these signs by mode again. Again, you have the movable signs, which is Aries at the Spring Equinox, Cancer on the Summer Solstice, Libra during the Autumn Equinox, and Capricorn during the Winter Solstice. Again, these are the start of each season. Then you have your fixed signs, Taurus in the middle of spring, Leo in the summer, Scorpio in the autumn, and Aquarius in the middle of winter. And last, you have your double bodied signs or mutable. And these are Gemini at the end of spring before summer, Virgo at the end of summer, Sagittarius at the end of Autumn, and Pisces at the end of winter before we start the spring Equinox and Aries starts to cycle all over again. So that's the first classification, which are the seasons or the quadruplicities.

[14:53] Elements

The second classification are the elements. Just how the planets are associated with the four elements of water, earth, air, and fire, each sign is also associated with an element. These are called triplicities because the signs are groups into three groups for each element. They also follow a pattern. We start with the fire element for Aries, earth for Taurus, Gemini for air, and Cancer with the water element. The pattern starts over again in the next sign for Leo. It continues fire, earth, air, and then water, up until we get to the last sign, Pisces and the last element of water. Then the cycle starts all over again with Aries. I haven't found a rationale for why the element cycle like this, but it is important.

Now the fire signs relate to action and inspiration. They're radiant, daring, aggressive, and dominating. Air signs relate to communication and are sociable, relational, intellectual, and curious. Earth signs relate to practicality and are organized, pragmatic, and constructive. And water signs relate to emotion, are emotional, comforting, and security driven.

[16:04] The 12 Signs

Now, with all that said, let's look at each of the 12 signs per season in their mode and what the interpretation could be in their expression. So let's start with our spring signs. Again, spring is a season of growth when the plants begin to bloom. And we have Aries at the beginning of spring. It's a movable fire sign, so it relates to action and inspiration, and the expression is rapid, dynamic, and energetic. There's a passion to get something started. Taurus is in the middle of spring. It's a fixed earth sign, and it relates to practicality. The expression is conservative, tenacious, and stable, and the theme of this sign is steadiness. And then you have Gemini at the end of spring, transitioning into summer. It's a double bodied air sign, so it relates to communication. The expression is swift, but also unstable and scattered. Like many mutable or double body signs there's a theme of change and adaptability, but also inconsistency.

Next in the cycle are the summer signs, and again, these relate to maturity and completion. Cancer starts the season with the summer solstice. It's a movable water sign, so it relates to action and emotion, and the expression is sentimental, yet defensive. Like Aries, there's a theme of starting something, but in a hesitant and varied way. Again, relating to that sense of emotion because it's a water sign. Leo is in the middle of summer and is a fixed fire sign. It relates to action and inspiration just like Aries. But due to this focus on stability, the expression is dependable, faithful, and reliable, but in a way that can feel imposing sometimes. There's a theme of being grandiose and radiant. And then Virgo is at the end of summer and transitions to autumn. It's a double bodied earth sign relating to practicality, and its expression is efficient, but in a multifaceted and versatile way.

Next we have our autumn signs relating to harvest and those rewards. Libra starts the season at the Autumn Equinox. It's a movable air sign, so it relates to communication and social connections, and its expression is fluid and dynamic. Scorpio is in the middle of autumn. It's a fixed water sign, and it relates to emotions. The expression is emotional, defensive, and persevering. There's a protective quality here. And Sagittarius is at the end of autumn transitioning into winter. It's a double bodied fire sign and it relates to action and inspiration again. But the expression can be varied and multifaceted like Virgo, as well as expansive because it is a fire sign.

And last but not least, we have our winter signs, which relate to decay and a sense of planning for rebirth. Capricorn starts us off during the winter solstice. It's a movable earth sign, and it relates to practicality and its expression is pragmatic and constructive. Aquarius is in the middle of winter. It's a fixed air sign related to communication. The expression is faithful, dependent, and perseverance. And Pisces is at the end of winter, transitioning to springtime. It's a double bodied water sign and it relates to emotion, and it's expression is sensible, but with a various degrees of expression and sentimentality as well as idealism.

Now there are other ways of interpreting the signs and their base expressions, but this gives you a good idea. Some signs will probably sound very similar to other signs simply because of their mode or their element, and I believe that this is by design, and it'll make a lot more sense in part three when we see how this fits into the framework when we combine the Zodiac with the planets.

[20:10] Part 3: Planetary Rulership

Now for this final part, we look at how the Zodiac and the planets come together. Again, the planets represent themes and circumstances in our lives while the Zodiac represents how they are expressed. Now, I'll be making these comparison with the planets and the zodiac in relation to the elements that they each represent. And as a reminder, the fire signs relate to action and inspiration. The expression is radiant, daring, aggressive, and dominating. Air signs relate to communication and are sociable, relational, intellectual, and curious. Earth signs relate to practicality and are organized, pragmatic, and constructive. And water signs relate to emotion and are emotional, comforting, and security driven.

The planetary rulership scheme categorizes a planet and its expression based on the sign it's in. There are four of these: domicile, exaltation, detriment, and fall. And while the planets travel through all the signs in the zodiac, these four categories are like special ways in which the planets and their topics are expressed.

[21:26] Domicile

So let's start with the main one, called the domicile. This scheme is based on something called the Thema Mundi. I'm probably mispronouncing it, but it seems to be based on designations from Mesopotamia and Egypt, and during the Hellenistic era, this was more of a teaching tool. We quite don't know how this came about and the rationale behind it. There are several theories listed in Chris Brennan's book, Hellenistic Astrology.

But what's interesting about this is that if you imagine an astrological chart, so a circle sliced into 12 slices and each slice represents a zodiac, and if we were to place each planet within its domicile, you'll see a mirror image from one side to the next. A lot of astrology is based on symmetry. You see that especially anytime you look at a astrological chart, the signs, the places or houses, which we'll talk about next episode. There is a lot of symmetry going on. Even the configurations. If you know much about astrology, you'll know there's certain aspects called squares, trines. It is based on geometry. Again, there is a sense of symmetry and geometry here.

Now, it's said that when the planets are in their domiciles, it's believed that the planet has a greater intensity in a chart. It is at home, so to speak. And these planets rule these particular signs. So let me go through the planets. I'll be going through in a particular order.

So we start with the moon that rules Cancer. Both the moon and the sign Cancer share the water element, which is related to the emotions. The moon represents the body, so there's a physical and emotional sensitivity when the moon is in this sign. If you are wondering what the planets represent, listen to my last episode where we went through all of that.

Now the sun rules, Leo. They are both fire elements, so there is a dynamic and radiant expression to what the sun represents. There's this radiance and theme of enlightenment. Mercury rules, Gemini and Virgo. Just FYI, the rest of the planet rule two signs. The sun and the moon only rule one. Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo. And while the planet is mostly ambiguous, I classify it under the earth element, and therefore the planet shares the earth element with Virgo, adding a sense of practicality and pragmatism to the themes of communication and knowledge. Whereas Gemini is an air element, so communication and social connections gets highlighted when Mercury is in this sign.

Venus rules Taurus and Libra. The planet shares the air sign with Libra, so their social aspects are highlighted and they're easily expressed here. Taurus is an earth element and there's a sense of practicality, so there's a more grounded expression to what we value and our relationships. Taurus focuses more on luxury and physical pleasures that Venus represents. Mars rules Aries and Scorpio. Mars and Aries share the fire element. So there's a focus on bravery and action. Scorpio is a water sign, so while there's still a focus on taking action, there's an emotionality to it. Mars themes of action and combat can be a bit more indirect when in Scorpio rather than Aries. Again, water signs have a sense of indirect motion to them.

Now, Jupiter rules Sagittarius and Pisces. And while Jupiter's an air element, Sagittarius is a fire and Pisces is a water sign. Jupiter's themes of morality, spirituality, and growth may be expressed in a more direct way in Sagittarius, whereas in Pisces, it's expressed in a more indirect and emotional way.

And last, Saturn rules Capricorn and Aquarius. Saturn and Capricorn share the earth element. So there's an expression of practicality, but also seriousness to the topics in this sign. Aquarius is an air sign. So while that hints at communication and sharing ideas, there's still a quality of taking our action seriously and conveying ideas about a certain topic in a pragmatic way.

[25:44] Detriment

So the next classification in this scheme are called detriment, and these are the signs opposite the domiciles. Here, the planets have a distorted expression and it's said that they are exiled from their homes. Later on in the next episode, I'll explain something called a guest house metaphor. I can explain it a little bit here now.

In the domicile scheme, it represents the signs that particular planets rule over when another planet is in that sign. So, for instance, the moon rules Cancer. If Mars is in the sign of Cancer, the sign that the moon is in has an influence because we can think of it as Mars being in the house of the moon. Or if Mars is in Leo like it is, as I'm recording this, Mars is in the house of the Sun. There's that guest house metaphor. Mars is a guest within the sign that a particular planet rules. In Leo that would be the Sun. So the expression slightly changes.

Now, something to remember is that benefic planets, Venus and Jupiter, are less beneficial in their signs of detriment. While the malefic planets are a bit more challenging. We can think of it in this way. Both planets have less support here because if they are exiled from their homes they're almost like unwanted guests in the sign of their detriment. So benefic planets have their beneficial expression diminished while the malefic planets sort of act out and their themes become more challenging.

When the moon is in Capricorn, it's opposite its home in Cancer. It's also the house of Saturn. So this sign can have a restrictive and heavy expression to the moon's topics. The moon's flowing water element is being contained and restricted by Saturn's earth elements. In a practical sense, this looks like the emotions a little bit closed off, cold and physical restrictions and ailments may be more prominent because the mood represents the body.

The Sun's home is in Leo. So opposite is Aquarius on a chart. So the sun in Aquarius, again, rules by Saturn. There's a restrictive and heavy expression to the sun's topics. That radiance is being contained and restricted by Saturn. And we may struggle a bit with expressing ourselves and our ideas or our autonomy may be restricted somehow. This is why Sun in Aquarius is normally compared to issues with authority and with a theme of rebelliousness. That's because authority figures may be a manifestation of that restriction on our personal power and autonomy.

Next we have Mercury. Mercury is in detriment when it is in the signs Sagittarius and Pisces, because it is opposite its domicile in Gemini and Virgo. Both of these signs are ruled by Jupiter, so in the house of Jupiter. It gives a broad and expansive quality to Mercury's topics. The dry and earth element of Mercury is being muddied by Jupiter's humid and wet qualities because again, it is an air planet, while being spread apart and unstable by this air element. Mercury's topics include concrete details instead of the broad and philosophical ideals that Jupiter represents. And therefore, the communication and knowledge that Mercury represents may be too abstract to easily understand. Fiery Sagittarius may result in actions taken without enough preparation or detailed consideration. And Pisces, a water sign, may result in intuitive dreams and emotional desires that may be difficult to explain or express.

Now, Venus is in detriment in the signs Scorpio and Aries, that's opposite its home in Taurus and Libra. This is the House of Mars, giving a combative quality to Venus's topics. Mars is a fire element and may be too hot for Venus's humid quality. Think of an active volcano instead of a lush garden. Scorpio, a water sign may result in challenges with forming deep emotional connections with others while Aries, a fire sign can result in being too harsh in relationships and even dismissive of other people's suggestions, concerns, or boundaries. Venus has less support for her normally agreeable nature. The themes of companionship and friendship become a bit challenging.

Mars is in detriment in the signs of Taurus and Libra. This is the House of Venus, which again, can give a more aggressive quality to the normally agreeable expression of these signs. Mars has less constraint to keep those malefic topics in check. So I think of it as Venus' humid air quality may not be enough to temper Mars' fire. Just like when Venus is in any of the signs ruled by Mars. There's a incompatibility there. Taurus may result in less stability in keeping and obtaining resources 'cause it's an Earth sign. While Libra may result in arguments without any fair or just reasoning.

Jupiter is in detriment in the signs of Gemini and Virgo. Both of these are ruled by Mercury. The focus on details may be a bit scattered. Jupiter is being contained and dried by the dry earth element of Mercury. What this looks like is Jupiter and Gemini are both air signs. There's a struggle of focusing on concrete details. While Virgo may look like not being able to complete task and focusing on too many things at one time, weakening that expression of being pragmatic and practical. Now like Venus, Jupiter is a benefic planet, meaning it has less support for that themes of idealism and a fair nature.

And last we have Saturn is in detriment when in the signs Cancer and Leo. Cancer is ruled by the moon while Leo is ruled by the sun, and both of these are luminaries. So there's two ways that you can perceive this. The luminaries are shining too much light on Saturn, which is normally cold, dark, and distant. Or the water of the moon washes out Saturn's dry earth quality, while the sun is too hot for the cold nature of Saturn. Now, like Mars, Saturn doesn't have enough support to keep his malefic topics in check. So the sensitivity in Cancer may result in being too depressing, heavy, and even restricting. While the radiance of Leo may be too overbearing, overcompensating, and restricting as well. There's sense of nervous tension and struggle with Saturn's topics in either of these signs.

[32:21] Exaltations

The next classification in this scheme is something called the exaltations. Now we have no idea, again, who came up with this layout, but it's mostly agreed upon by the evidence that we have. Planets in these particular signs have an elevated expression to their topics. Benefic planets are much more beneficial while malefic planets are much more constructive instead of dangerous.

The moon is exalted in Taurus. This is the House of Venus. So there's an agreeable and sympathetic quality to the moon's topics. This may look like having a lot of support and resources for our emotional and physical needs. Think of it like water nurturing plants and the earth.

The sun is exalted in Aries, which is ruled by Mars. That fire element is reinforced, so there's a daring and bold quality to the sun's topics. This may look like us taking bold action to reinforce our personal power and autonomy, establishing our own sense of authority, and even thriving in leadership positions.

Mercury is exalted in the sign of Virgo. Now this is the only planet whose exalted sign is also one of its domiciles. So the pragmatic expression is reinforced when it comes to our communication as well as craftsmanship and other practical skills that Mercury signifies because both of these are of the earth element.

Venus is exalted in the sign of Pisces, which is a house of Jupiter, or ruled by Jupiter. Venus's topics take on an expansive and idealistic quality. This may look like us forming alliances based around a shared dream, ideal, ethics, and even moral standing. Art and entertainment can resonate with us on a deep and even spiritual level. Pisces is a water element so it can add to the humid element of Venus. And both Venus and Jupiter are benefic, so there's even added optimism and benefits signified by this placement.

Mars is exalted in Capricorn, which is ruled by Saturn. Since Saturn's topics are those that are heavy and restrictive, Mars' fiery and combative nature is contained, but elevated to be constructive rather than dangerous. So this may look like sustained action in a persevering manner in order to reach a goal, achieve a desired result, or push through some adversity. We take bold actions in order to establish a sense of order. In other words, Mars's topics are acts of courage and perseverance instead of destruction and violence. We can think of this as Mars' fire is being contained by the earth element of Capricorn. This is despite one malefic planet being in a sign ruled by another malefic planet because Saturn and Mars are both malefic. Now, sometimes this scheme doesn't make logical sense. So I can only speculate with my interpretations based on the research I've done and the historical records we have. But going on.

Jupiter is exalted in Cancer, which is ruled by the moon. So Jupiter's topics affect us on an emotional and even physical level. We may seek to nurture others by sharing our ideals, becoming involved in law, religion, or a spiritual organization due to some moralistic obligation, or we may make decisions for the greater good based on intuition or some emotional attachment. In other words, Jupiter's topics of law, fairness, alliances, and abundance have an emotional quality to them. And we may feel a bit sensitive to these topics. Just like Venus and Pisces, the water of Cancer adds to that humid air quality of Jupiter in a beneficial way.

And last Saturn is exalted in Libra, which is ruled by Venus. Now since Venus has a warm and welcoming quality to its topics, Saturn's heaviness is lifted to a more rational instead of dark and depressing expression. Saturn's topics of order and restraint can help achieve a sense of organization and productivity. Boundaries are established where they're needed. We may have an easier time using discernment and remaining level-headed, especially when sacrifices have to be made. Saturn is of the earth element, which is cold and dry, but excessively cold. Libra is an air element and is warm and humid. So in a way, Libra can be seen as warming up the distant cold planet. And like Mars and Capricorn, sometimes it's hard to explain the scheme, but this is how I rationalize it, and I think it's fun to think about.

[36:52] Fall Signs

And last in this scheme we have the fall signs. This, like detriment, is when they're opposite the exalted signs. Remember, detriment signs are when the planets are in the sign opposite those signs that they rule, which is the domicile. We just went through a exalted signs. So opposite these exalted signs are the fall signs. If the planets in their signs of exaltation are like esteemed guests, then the fall signs are like unwanted guests, maybe even more so than the detriment signs. There's a greater distortion of how the planet's topics are expressed, and benefic planets are less beneficial while malefic planets can be that destructive and challenging expression of their topics.

So Moon is in fall when it is in the sign of Scorpio. This is ruled by Mars. So while the moon's topics seemed restrictive in Capricorn, the expression in the sign is one of turbulence. I think of this as the waters of the moon are being boiled away by the fire of Mars. Emotions can come across erratic and irrational, even explosive. Anger issues could be a result. Health issues and physical dangers may manifest. And although Scorpio and the moon are both water elements, Mars is excessively hot, and therefore Scorpio can be seen as boiling and scalding water rather than the cool and still waters that the moon represents.

The sun is in fall in the sign of Libra. This is ruled by Venus. Similar to the moon in Capricorn, the sun in Aquarius had a restrictive expression. That was its detriment sign. However, in Libra, the sun's expression may be a tug of war between our autonomy that the sun represents and the expectation of others that Libra represents. This could look like not speaking up for ourselves as a way to appease the other party, not standing up against authority when our autonomy is being challenged, again as a way to keep peace, we may not even trust our own ideas and default to what others may think we should do. This is because Venus, again, that rules Libra, wants to keep the peace and place our ego aside if necessary. The sun is said to represent our ego and hence that push and pull with our self-confidence. The sun's fire may be too hot for the more tepid quality of Libra, despite it being ruled by a benefic planet. Again, this is me trying to make sense through the elements of this scheme.

Now, mercury is in its fall when in Pisces. And this is ruled by Jupiter. Again, this is that same as its detriment, but since his topics are reinforced more in Virgo, his topics are even more unstable here in Pisces than when it was in the sign of Sagittarius. Mercury's topics include concrete details instead of broad and philosophical ideas like Jupiter. However, this time in Pisces, we may struggle with articulating our dreams and ideals and understanding what it is that we resonate with. We may struggle with finding meaning in our life and finding a way to express that. There's a risk of resorting to dogma or blind faith without questioning those beliefs or feeling too overwhelmed with details to make a definitive decision. If we think of it in terms of the elements, the dry earth of Mercury is being drowned out by the water of Pisces.

Sometimes I believe relating it to the elements is what makes sense on a somewhat logical level. I kind of got this idea from reading the book On the Heavenly Spheres written by Helena Avelar and Luis Ribeiro. Again, you can find this book in my show notes, or if you're watching this on YouTube, you can see it listed in the description. But let's keep going.

Venus is in fall when in the sign of Virgo. Again, that is ruled by Mercury. While Venus had a less agreeable and maybe even passive aggressive expression in either Scorpio and Aries, in Virgo, Venus has an even more restrictive quality in this sign. Mercury adds an analytic expression that closes down that openness that Venus represents. This can result in us overanalyzing, our social interactions, being a bit too judgmental and not accepting of others, even nitpicking when it comes to art and entertainment. In terms of the elements, the humid air of Venus is being dried out by the earth of Virgo.

Mars is in fall when in the sign of Cancer, and this is ruled by the Moon Mars's malefic nature wasn't contained in the signs of Libra or Taurus, which is its signs of detriment, which resulted in an expression that was too forceful and combative. However, in Cancer, that is intensified. The topics of Mars can come across more moody, volatile, angry, and irrational. In other words, we're more sensitive when it comes to challenges and critiques. We may feel the need to force our way through something, through a situation or give up on those desires completely. The malefic nature of Mars can come out in an intense way when in this sign. Mars is of the fire element while Cancer is water. So these opposite elements can clash, sometimes in a violent way, very moody way. I have noticed that whenever Mars is in Cancer, I'm just very tired, I don't wanna do anything, I'm not as motivated to get certain things done and my energy seems to wane in and out. I know I'm relating that more to modern astrology, but things just don't seem to happen. And when they do happen, it's an over exaggeration of it, or there are more issues and challenges that seem to come about when Mars is in this sign, at least on my chart.

Now, Jupiter's in fall when it's a sign of Capricorn, which is ruled by Saturn. Now, while Jupiter's expression was contained a bit in the detriment signs of Gemini and Virgo, in Capricorn it's greatly restricted. Saturn adds a heaviness to Jupiter's topics, narrowing that expansive quality he thrives in. We may struggle with determining what's fair and just, or establishing moderation in our lives. We may be too dogmatic and idealistic with our religion or spirituality. Possibly seeing our ideals and morals as the only acceptable one. We may even struggle with finding meaning for ourselves. Now like Venus in Virgo, the humid air of Jupiter is being dried out and maybe even too cold in the sign of Capricorn, which is an earth sign.

And last, Saturn is in fall when in the sign of Aries, which is ruled by Mars. Saturn's malefic nature wasn't contained in Cancer or Leo, 'cause those were the signs of his detriment, resulting in a expression that was too heavy, depressive, and restrictive. However, in Aries that is magnified. The topics of Saturn can become too dark, isolating, and even sinister. In other words, there's a lot of fear that could stop us from moving forward in a goal, desire, or just life in general. That may be a lot of systemic barriers in our path, and we may struggle with feeling isolated whenever we try to set up boundaries and seek a level of independence. We may even struggle to deal with those things in life that are just out of our control, resulting in more feelings of depression and anxiousness. Like Saturn and Leo, the fire of Mars, because Mars rules Aries, are at an opposite and even extreme opposite than the cold earth element of Saturn.

[44:24] Symmetry

Now it's worth pointing out that the symmetry remains in this scheme. The domicile scheme placed the planets mostly in Chaldean order, from the moon in Cancer to Saturn in Aquarius and Capricorn. Sun in Leo breaks this original pattern. But because it's a luminary, it is placed next to the moon. And the signs of detriment place the planets in opposite order. So Saturn in Cancer and Leo, back to the Sun in Aquarius and Moon in Capricorn.

Now the signs of exaltation have several theories and there was an argument of whether the doctrine originated in Mesopotamia, like most of the basis of ancient astrology or if it was developed later, possibly during the Hellenistic era. We don't have enough evidence to confirm yet, but there is a slight pattern that I see. The Sun and Saturn stay opposite each other when placed in their signs of exaltation, which is Aries and Libra respectively. Mercury and Venus, which are next to each other as inferior planets in Chaldean order, are placed opposite each other in exaltation. This is the same as the last two planets, Mars and Jupiter, who are the superior planets. This pattern stays the same when the planets are placed in their fall signs. Sun and Saturn swap places, but yet they stay opposite. Mercury and Venus swap signs while Mars and Jupiter swap signs. The moon is the only exception in this pattern.

[45:42] Last Words

I wanna leave you with some last words. This is just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to the possible interpretation of the planets in these signs. But this provides a basis of something called planetary conditions, which judges how strong planets are in a sign. That's a more advanced technique. I'll explain that at the very end of this series. But the thing to remember at this point is that the planets represent particular themes in our lives, while the signs represent the way those themes will be expressed. The planetary rulership scheme denotes certain special considerations when the planets are in those signs. If there in any other signs, say Saturn in Pisces, it's considered a neutral expression 'cause it falls outside of this planetary scheme, but a similar way of interpreting it still exists there. But that's where I'm gonna leave you for now.

Now, if you would like a closer look at my process and this journey, be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter and also look at my blog post that are on my website. But with all of that said, stay tuned for the third part of this framework, which we discuss the 12 houses in astrology.

Thanks for listening to this episode. If you would like to learn more, be sure to check out my website where you'll find transcripts to the episode, as well as older ones and additional blog posts. For those of you watching on YouTube, be sure to subscribe and leave me a comment. Thank you so much, and I'll see you in the next one.