The chart below is of Mary Shelley.  The box at top right in the diagram is Gemini, her ascendant, and the signs of the zodiac and 12 houses run clockwise from there.   In 1797 when Mary Shelley was born the difference in planetary positions between Western and Vedic Astrology was 21 degrees, so the usual 2 degree Cancer ascendant minus 21 degrees converts to 11 degrees Gemini.  This gives the visible astronomical positions for the ascendant and planets at the time of birth and allows many insights not available in Western Astrology.

I will focus only on the first house, the zodiac sign that is located inside the first house; the Ascendant; the ruling planet of Ascendant and the planet that is inside the first house. Click here for a large version of Mary Shelley's chart in a new window.

The Ascendant is at the 2nd degree of Cardinal sign, Cancer. A child expects to receive the emotional protection and also the nutrition and education from a mother, instead there is “a cold and dry Saturn”. Saturn can also be the authority in the chart. And indeed this Saturn ‘plays-out'. Mary loses her mother at the age of eleven days and her father is the parent who gives her basic education and ‘bringing-up’. (Her biography notes that Mary Godwin's mother died when she was eleven days old; afterwards, she and her older half-sister, Fanny Imlay, were raised by her father).

By Bernie Ashman 

This short article is focused on the unique ability of Mary Shelley to tell a story with great imagination by thinking out of the box. She was born with her Virgo Sun sign in conjunction to the planet that triggers innovation, Uranus. It gave her a strong mind that did not fear what others might think of her even after publishing a book such as Frankenstein during the 19th century. Uranus is the ruler of her 9th house with the sign Aquarius placed upon its cusp. The 9th house has connections to publishing, education and writing. Both Uranus and Aquarius have an emphasis on independence. Ms Shelley was self-educated early in life and loved making use of her father’s vast library. She said that this is where she found peace of mind.

The Part of Fortune is often in a very interesting exact degree aspect at significant points in people’s lives. This connection may seem obvious, but I am not convinced of its ‘fortunate’ nature.
-- Corinna Hurst

Preface

The author of this article, Corinna Hurst, is working toward her diploma in the Kepler Certificate Program. She selected the Part of Fortune to examine more closely for an assignment in her course on Symmetry in Astrology with Bruce Scofield. This paper represents her journey testing whether or not the generally accepted meaning of the Part of Fortune applies in actual practice.

Chart rectification can be challenging and different astrologers have advocated different methods. In the final class of the certificate, Moving the Chart in Time (W112), students have a chance to test different methods. Corinna Hurst, a student from the Certificate program, has volunteered to share her Week 6 assignment. Corinna started studying at Kepler in the fall of 2010, starting at the beginning with W101 Introduction to Astrological Symbolism and Practice.

Week 6 assignment for W112 Rectification class taught by Carol Tebbs (Fall term 2012-2013)

• Select a chart of a notable person whose birth time is A, B, or C-rated and experiment with one of the rectification methods described by another author (reviewed in week 1) except Zipporyh Dobyns, Carol Tebbs and Noel Tyl, since we have already practiced their methods. Use a list of important life events to derive a birth time that astrologically corresponds to time rectification, most probably one of especial interest to you. [Note: The other authors included Bernadette Brady, Ciro Discepolo, Laurence Ely, Ken Gilman, David Meadows, Bruce Scofield, and John Willner.]

By Walter Cambra, MA (LAMAFA)

According to the ancients "Via Combusta" exerted a malefic influence, particularly for the Moon in one's natal chart.[1] Via Combusta is Latin for "the burning way" and generally refers to the first fifteen degrees of the sign of Scorpio.[2] Other astrologers have extended Via Combusta to include the last fifteen degrees of the sign of Libra and/or the entire sign of Scorpio.[3]

Modern astrologers have speculated that the negative influence of the signs of Libra and Scorpio, specified as Via Combusta, had its origins in antiquity when many of the malefic fixed stars were located in those two signs.[4]

A more insightful explanation used by the ancients considering the influence of Libra and Scorpio as malefic is suggested by Al Biruni: Libra is the Fall of the Sun while Scorpio is the Fall of the Moon. Furthermore, these two signs contain the two malefics. Libra is the Exaltation of Saturn (Greater Malefic); Scorpio (by classical ruler, contains Mars (Lesser Malefic).[5]

The daily countdown to the Presidential election has started in earnest. It's the season of prediction, so of course astrologers are feeling right at home. Since the Presidential Panel in May at UAC 2012 to the latest commentary in blogs, newsletters and the Huffington post, astrologers have used a wide variety of indicators to determine how the candidates will fare. Below I have highlighted a few of the more interesting columns that present a variety of techniques, from modern to ancient, Western to Vedic. Although most predict President Obama will win, no one thinks it is going to be an easy path.

-- by Joseph Crane.

An examination of the astrology of this Presidential campaign, using many difficult predictive techniques, is a complicated enterprise.  Here are some of the things I have surmised from my investigation.

Obama and Romney do not like each other or even respect each other; in fact they drive each other a bit crazy.  There’s also sufficient Mars intruding on the first debate that it may be a rhetorical Armageddon.  Expect an October surprise of some kind, one that will make Obama look bad, although his campaign will probably survive intact.  Romney may wilt sometime before the end of the campaign, a victim of physical stress or exhaustion.

Here’s a chart example to demonstrate many of the major themes of the Hellenistic tradition of astrology.  In this essay I refrain from outright interpretation and simply discuss how one would see a chart according to the Hellenistic tradition. I choose a person well known to many Americans as both or either a politician and an entertainer.

Rush Limbaugh, according to some (Democrats), was the de facto leader of the Republican Party, yet he has never held elected or appointed office.  He is an influential talk-radio host and self-proclaimed spokesperson for the conservative cause.  He has been a national figure for the past twenty years.  He has helped steer many a political cause, his depictions of liberal politicians can be devastating, and he is not particularly beloved by women.  Yet even some liberals find him an entertaining guilty pleasure. 

Let’s take our time with what we have here. First of all we’re seeing his astrological chart using whole sign houses, the original house (or “place” topos) system. In the next image of his chart, to make the contrast more clear, I have deleted the Midheaven degree, which in the ancient tradition was mostly used for predictive purposes. I have included the Ascendant that always falls somewhere in the first house or place.