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Aaron Briggs, Astro-LOA, astrology, best cover art, contra-parallel, David Gemell, declination, ecliptic, Journey by Night, Kim Falconer, law of attraction, learn astrology from Kim Falconer, Mars, Parallel, Ravenheart Award, Saturn
First order of business today – If you haven’t voted for the David Gemelle ‘people’s choice’ Ravenheart award for best cover art, the poll’s about to close. My son, Aaron Briggs, is up for my latest book cover, Journey by Night. Thanks everyone for their support! We are very grateful! It’s a total honour to be short listed!
On to the Daily Astro-Flash: Mars, the action engine, contra-parallel Saturn, the god of ambition, can feel like a tug-o-war between doing and achieving. If someone throws a wrench in the works, use the pause to not only untangle the mechanisms but clarify your goals. First order of business is to check the use-by-date. Ask, is this leading to inner peace?
Mars and Saturn have been in and out of this contra-parallel aspect for a while and I thought it might be a good time to talk about what this means, really.
Definition: The Parallel aspect is formed between two planets with the same declination or distance north or south of the ecliptic. If the planets are both North or both South of the ecliptic, the parallel aspect is read as a conjunction. If they are the same declination but one is North and one is South, then the contra-parallel is read as a 180 degree opposition.
These aspects are strongest when the orb is kept to 1 degree or less. They can also magnify the intensity of any other aspect between the two planets or points. So if you have Mars sextile Saturn AND Mars parallel Saturn, you have a whole lot of contact going on.
The best way to grokk this is by example so everyone can get out their chart (or follow my tutorial for drawing it up on Astro.com). When you get your chart up you will see a list of declinations on the ‘view additional tables‘. If you are using another program or an ephemeris, look for the list of daily ‘declinations’. They will look like this: 20°35’27″ N (the N is for North. North is also represented by a + and South by a -). Make a list of any planets that are within one degree of declination + or -. If both are + or both – they are parallel. If one is + and the other – they are contra-parallel.
For example I have the Pluto at 23°17’46″ N declination and the Jupitier at 23°21′ 7″ N so Jupiter and Pluto are parallel. They form wide sextile aspect so this is an additional emphasis, pulling them into closer contact. Make sense?
So check your declinations and discuss here. Give a shout if you want some help. I or other declination savvy 11th house readers will jump in!
Thank you, and again, your vote for Journey by Night is deeply appreciated!
If the concept of declinations is completely foreign, raise your hand and I’ll use your chart as an example so we can all learn something new.
I have Mercury 1º 33’18″ N and Saturn 0º22’36″ N, but not sure what this means in regard to current Saturn Mars positions? Love learning what those declinations mean!
PS I went to the Ravenheart award site because I read about it on your blog and voted for Aaron – because his really is the best, just beautiful! Hope he wins!
Thank you for the vote! Much appreciated!
Okay, with your Mercury parallel Saturn, you have a connection to those two energies that either augments a natal aspect between them or become THE aspect between them. Are they aspected angularly? Sextile, square etc? In either case it means the way you think and communicate (Mercury) has a from and structure to it (Saturn) that could add stabilitty (especially if Mercury is in an Air sign or conjnct Uranus). It can mean you have to work hard to prove to yourself and the world you worth, intelligence etc.
The relationship to Mars and Saturn’s current declination (exact on the 4th of June at 06:28:00: N and S) comes into play if you have ANY planets with the 06:00 to 07:00 declination. That is a transiting Parallel or contra-parallel.
The best way to become familiar with this is to list your natal planets and declination:
Sun – 22:03:13
Moon – 04:03:55
etc and look for connections within one degree or 1.5 degrees tops. Then list out current transits and the declinations and check them for links back to the natal. We would read that like a transit. For example, transiting Mercury is Parallel my Jupiter/Pluto at 23:09:00 so news or communication, sign or message re finances or career moves it on the cards. See how this works?
Date | sun | moon | mercury |
| | | |
| LONG DECL | LONG DECL | LONG DECL |
——————————————————————————–
30 May 2012 | 8 ge 59 21°47 | 23 vi 43 – 2°06 | 12 ge 7 23°09 |
31 May 2012 | 9 ge 57 21°56 | 7 li 50 – 7°12 | 14 ge 18 23°34 |
Date | Venus | Mars | Jupiter |
| | | |
| LONG DECL | LONG DECL | LONG DECL |
——————————————————————————–
30 May 2012 | 19 ge 57 Rx 24°48 | 13 vi 56 7°22 | 27 ta 3 18°44 |
31 May 2012 | 19 ge 24 Rx 24°33 | 14 vi 20 7°12 | 27 ta 17 18°47 |
Date | Saturn | Chiron | Uranus |
| | | |
| LONG DECL | LONG DECL | LONG DECL |
——————————————————————————–
30 May 2012 | 23 li 19 Rx – 6°33 | 9 pi 40 – 2°46 | 7 ar 45 2°26 |
31 May 2012 | 23 li 17 Rx – 6°33 | 9 pi 40 – 2°46 | 7 ar 47 2°26 |
Date | Neptune | Pluto |
| | | LONG DECL | LONG DECL
| ———————————————————-
30 May 2012 | 3 pi 8 -10°53 | 8 cp 59 Rx -19°14 |
31 May 2012 | 3 pi 8 -10°53 | 8 cp 58 Rx -19°14 |
This is great – thank you! Although I’m not sure about the first part ‘…either augments a natal aspect or become the aspect between them’ ? My Mercury is conjunct Saturn and both conjunct ascendant all in Aries!
Then I have natal Mars in Libra 7º 9′ 2″ S with transiting Saturn 6º 33 in my 7th house – would this explain my feeling of disconnect with family and friends, like leaving them all behind? Wish Saturn would hurry on up out of Libra!
Voted
I have Merc 12⁰ 11’16’’ N and Venus 13⁰ 8’ 59’’ N (both conjunct in Taurus), and Mars 19⁰ 58′ 6” S and Jupiter 19⁰ 25′ 50” S. Also noticed it with an asteroid lol Do you do it with points/angles too? If so I have asc/desc at 19⁰ as well
Thanks for the vote!
Yes we use the Ascendant and Midheaven too. So for you it is like having Mars and Jupiter (lots of fire!) conjunct (parallel) or opposite (contra-parallel) your Asc AND Mercury conjunct Venus is augmented. Can you see how this adds to the way you express int the world? What is your Ascendant sign?
Sorry Kim, I got ahead of myself with the Asc bit; Sag Asc is 19° 29’15” not the decl. Ooops! Part of Fortune fits though
Not sure if you’d count that.
Fascinating finding out new astro stuff. I can definitely see the Merc/Venus in my life. It’s a HUGE part of who I am. As for firey Mars and Jupiter, even though I have the Sag Asc I feel I underutilise the fire in my chart. Will have to rectify this.
Was just reading your reply to Fiona. Does the info re Mars/Saturn on the 4th June apply to everyone or mainly people with Mars/Saturn connections? I ask as I have Chiron at 7° 1’19″ N (sextile Merc exact on the 4th) and was curious of the impact.
The transiting declination of Mars/Saturn applies to anyone getting a Parallel or contra-parallel. Yes, the POF counts! It’s a very important point to consider . . . a whole other post I can see!
These are new to me, so I would be happy to raise my hand. Using your guidance, I think this is what I have:
Sun parallel Moon (Sun is also conjunct moon in the first house, but different signs)
Mercury contra-parallel Pluto
Are asteroids, nodes, and angles possible? If so I think I see several with asteroids, but this one interests me:
Jupiter parallel North Node – also conjunct by 3 degrees different signs – considering that, it seems impossible for them to be parallel… How does that work??? Am I off here?
March 17, 1980 – 5:19am – Gainesville, FL
Good questions and we’ll use your chart as an example to run through all this. I’ll pop back in tonight and list the contacts and show how the parallel of declination is separate from the angular aspect (so planets and angles can be conjunct and not parallel or conjunct and parallel. They are two different forms of measurement.
More soon!
Thanks, Kim!
One more question – Are parallels and contra-parallels applicable in composites?
Yes, they are, and in synastry too, Especially relevant in horary charts and ellecitonals. I’ve been flat out but will return and do examples. This will make sense, I promise!
Hi Julia, The first thing we do to get an understanding of the declinations is to make a list of them from the natal chart. (Julia’s data is above so you can all run the chart and follow along if you want the practice)
Sun – -00:29
Moon -01:12
Mercury -07:16
Venus +17:13
Mars +15:38
Jupiter +11:47
Saturn +04:51
Uranus -18:51
Neptune -21;52
Pluto +08:11
NNode +12:13
ASC -12:06
MC -21:49
Once there is a list we can work out the Parallel (||) or contra-Parallel (#) I’ll stick to a 1 degree orb.
Sun || Moon
Mercury # Pluto
Jupiter || N Node
Jupiter # ASC
Neptune || MC
NNode # ASC
That looks like it.
Next we would look at the natal aspects and see if the declinations create new ones or strengthen what’s already there. Lisa is a New Moon baby but the conjunction is wide and out of sign. The parallel between Su/Mo strengthens it! Mercury and Pluto have a sesquisqare aspect, one considered ‘weak’ but the contra parallel boosts that signal big time. Jupiter and the Node are conjunct by aspect AND parallel, Jupiter is opp the ASC and contra Parallel. Again, the contact is boosted. Made more significant. What I like in this list is that Neptune, which forms not natal aspect to the MC (door to the career and public sector) is parallel and nearly exact. There is a decided Neptune influence on the career that wouldn’t make sense if we didn’t look at the declinations.
What is a Neptune influence?
It can mean that it takes a fair while to know WHAT your career really is. Lots of trial and error. Then when it clicks, it’s often linked to empathy and compassion in some way so anything from music, art, acting, healing, tarot reading, counseling, helping professions to things to do with the sea . . . Whatever the career, there is a link to the collective consciousness. An ability to know what the public wants and what’s moving in the collective (what’s trending). Super handy for publication, promotion, entrepreneur roles.
Then we can look at the transiting planet’s declinations to see if there are links there.
Is this starting to make more sense?
Obviously when doing a reading you just pick out the parallel and Cparallels that stand out. You could pour over this for hours but that’s usually reserved for our own charts and not practical when seeing clients.
Declination is very important to check in horary charts. It counts as strongly as a conjunction or opp aspect. In progressions, declinations also count (as the movement of the planets is slowed way down in the progressed chart so they ‘last’ for quite some time).
Also check them in composite charts and synastry!
I will turn this into a tutorial when I get a chance!
It is starting to make some sense. But I, of course, have a couple more questions -
What exactly is the personal significance of something being parallel v. contra-parallel? You mention it enhances an existing aspect or helps us understand a relationship when there is no aspect. Specifically, when there is no aspect, could it work like an opposition v. conjunction?
Also, if a person has a planet that is unaspected, but that same planet has a parallel or contraparallel, there is obviously a relationship – but do you still consider the planet unaspected?
In response to what you wrote about mine – the neptune parallel definitely makes sense… (I’m 32 and still in school – working on my 4th degree! hah!) Could this neptune parallel MC connection be enhanced by the fact that neptune is also IN the 10th house? And that is aspects the ruler of the 10th house (Jupiter)?
Thank you!
I’ve wondered about parallels cause you talk about them a lot, but never quite got it. I have Sun, Asc, Mars and Saturn all parallel at 20 something north, and all contra parallel neptune and Desc at 20 something south.
asc, mars and Saturn are conjunct anyway, and all sextile my sun, so they are all tied up anyway. Neptune is the new comer in that as there are no aspects between it and the rest. Not sure what to take from that though.
I also have merc and Venus parallel and Uranus contra parallel pluto and Chiron. In fact if I count the nodes and their CP to Jupiter, the only planet in my chart not tied into a parallel is the my moon. Is that normal?
Normal not the right word. Unusual? Meaningful?
Um, how is the elliptic calculated? Off an angle?
Astrology is geocentric and the ecliptic is the apparent path of the sun around the Earth where we symbolically place the 12 signs of the zodiac.Her is a good ref for the three ‘great circles’ used in astrology – http://www.astro.com/astrology/cw_astro_houses_e.htm
Thanks for that.
I tried reading it but I think my brain is too weary for geometry today, from being out late to see a song cycle inspired by the solar system incidentally.
But I did make it as far as the bit that says the declination is no more than 23 degrees ish. Which I think explains my confusion at to how things were only up to 20 when it’s a circle. Or will when the fog passes
Okay, no no, only the SUN stays within 23:27′ 00″ degrees of declination. All other bodies can be ‘out of bounds’ as in beyond 23:27. For example, Venus is 24:28 right now . . . I explain it here. http://www.kimfalconer.com/oob.html But I know this can hurt the head. Hang on, everyone. I’ll be back tonight to go through some examples and this will make WAY more sense!!!!
I’d love to see your chart and look at these declinations. Yes you count the node, ASc etc. It’s not that often that all or most of the planets and points are on the same declination, north or south of the ecliptic!
I had to go relook to make sure it wasnt late night phone eyes, but nope, clusters all over the place. But my chart is like that too … I’ll be very interested to hear what you think
22 May, 1976 10.45am Lismore