This section contains articles, essays, observations and ideas on topics relevant to Zone 1. Our aim is to share information that explores the correlation between the cosmos and human affairs. Contributions are expressed through the perspectives of many fields whether personal, social, cultural or universal and are not limited to astrology.
Mars transit Reports -
Mars transit stories, Mars Retrograde stories, Mars Progressed,
Looking for contributions
Birth Myth Stories -
The legend , the fairytale, the birth myth you were told about your birth as a child.
How has your birth Myth been reflected in your life and through you Astrology Chart ? How has it influenced your outlook and behaviour patterns in life?
Mars in Signs -
Experiences of being born with eg. Mars in Scorpio, Mars in Capricorn etc, a guide and platform for understanding and sharing with others.
Looking for contributions
Transit reports are filed under the planet in transit. As transits involve many other background influences, are quite often multi layered and involve other planets and aspects, we aim to keep the stories to one theme and aspect. Transit reports aim to show the multivalent ways transits can be experienced, whilst at the same time very much symbolic and relating to the planets and signs involved.The C*I*A see transit reports as a valid tool for showing astrology in action..If you would like to submit a story please email – info@cosmicintelligenceagency.com, andplease keep experiences and anecdotes to approx 500 words.
Ascendant transits
1.Natal Point(s) Affected: Ascendant - Jupiter transit
Duration: About 1 monthJupiter crossed my Ascendant when I was 24½ years of age. Just 1 week later than the exact date of the transit, I took a holiday to the USA from where I was living in Europe. This was the first time that I travelled on a holiday on my own, and I was certainly taking a risk because I was planning to stay with a friend that I hadn’t seen for some time. At the time I felt as though I knew that things would turn out alright and as it turned out I had a very exciting time. However, I do recall now that I look back, that I was probably a little presumptuous and a little self-centred in my relationship with the friend that was putting me up in the American city where I was visiting. I also probably had a little too much fun.
2.Natal Point(s) Affected: Ascendant - Saturn transit
Duration: About 1 yearBetween the ages of 21 and 21½ I finally resolved to myself to ‘come out’ as gay. Although I had always known that I was that way inclined, it was only at this time that I recall feeling that I had to stop pondering the matter and simply declare myself and my preferences for what they are. There was an element of coming to a major decision about myself and about how others see me. It felt heavy and responsible but at the same time it felt timely and appropriate. Throughout this time I remember being very cautious about gradually opening myself up to others with my new-found identity, and it very much felt like I was wearing a big sign saying ‘gay’ which was visible to others at all times. This made me feel conspicuous or gave me a certain definition in the company of others. It was not an easy time but it was a necessary process and it was only associated with a few relatively minor unfortunate interactions, which in retrospect I was very much expecting. But there certainly was a strong feeling of ‘this is it’ about this time and in a sense it was almost a relief to able to know that my identity in the eyes of others was consonant with what it was in my own eyes at that time, that I had developed a certain integrity in my presentation.
Mars transits:
Mars in Leo : transits 7th House and Moon:
In June 2009, I was promoted to a new job (in an interim position for a co-worker going on leave) in the entertainment company where I work. The step from this previous job to the new job was HUGE: going from an employee status to a professional status, a pay raise of almost 20,000$, possibility of working from home some of the time, etc. Even though my training was somewhat appropriate for the job, I was still going to have to prove to others that I could do the job. Many, me included, had doubts.
Before I discuss how the last transit of Mars in Leo was reflected in my life from October 18th, 2009, to May 17th, 2010, it is important to note that my 7th house cusp falls on 2 degrees Leo and extends to 24 degrees Virgo, natal NN is at 12 degrees Leo, and natal Moon at 16 degrees Leo. Also, and although the Mars retro phase did not affect these two planets, it is useful to know that natal Uranus (ruler of the Asc) stands at 26 degrees Leo and Pluto at 7 degrees Virgo. I have a packed 7th house. My natal Moon, which was transited 3 times during the phase, is trine Mars in Aries in the 2nd, square Sun in Taurus in the 3rd, sextil to Mercury and Venus in Gemini in the 4-5th, square Neptune in Scorpio in the 9th, and opposed Saturn in Aquarius in the 1st. The Moon, ruler of my 6th house, is definitely a big player in my chart. The transit of Mars over it would not go unnoticed.
The new job is two-fold: one, I negotiate contracts with artists (quite a 7th house theme); two, I counsel management on artist management issues (a 6th house service theme). The managers were the ones I was going to have to convince I was able to do this job. One in particular would give me a hard-time I knew, since he was at odds (if not at war) with the co-worker I was replacing.
While Mars was transiting my 6th house, I was putting in the hours, pretty much doing my own thing, learning my job, with the help of my co-workers. I was stressed, I had challenges, but it was manageable. Then in October, the moment Mars crossed the degree of its eventual direct station (O*+ Leo) close to my 7th house cusp and until its retro station, the pace picked up and tension in my job-related relationships started building in a most disturbing fashion, particularly with the manager I mentioned earlier. He was displeased with the general direction my team was taking and he pretty much took it out on me. He wrote a few nasty emails to my boss (a Leo). He felt very frustrated by what he thought was our team (represented by me) trying to interfere in his business. Around the time Mars passed over my natal Moon position, I managed to get this person’s birth date, as I was looking for a way to deal with this delicate situation. I wasn’t too surprised to find out he had a natal Sun-Mars conjunction in Aquarius. He was having a seriously bad time with this transit too it seemed! And since I have Aquarius rising, I recognized the Aquarian pattern of stubbornness and resistance to imposed change. I felt I could probably turn things around if I presented them from a different angle. I waited for an occasion. And it came, almost exactly on the day Mars stationed retro, at 19* + Leo. The particulars are uninteresting, but over the Christmas period I worked long and hard on a file he was unable to take care of on is own and he had to heavily rely on me to get it done. He was pleased with the results. But I decided that things couldn’t just go on being left unsaid, that we needed to clear the air completely and so I suggested we have lunch together. He chose the date: the day Mars crossed my natal Moon, in its retro phase. Perfect, I thought!
During that lunch, we were both able to discuss where we were coming from, why the initial misunderstanding arose, our intentions, and our common concern for a job well-done, etc. It was a very good, even fun discussion. Since then, our working relationship has been very good. We know we won’t always see eye to eye, but we now agree that everything isn’t worth going to war. We each give in a little, and we reason things out like two Aquarians can… when willing!
When Mars finally reached its direct station degree on my 1st-7th house axis, I was officially confirmed in the job (no longer only in replacement during my co-worker’s leave) which allowed me to relax a bit. On my solar return on May 11th, Mars once again passed over my natal Moon position. It has brought a reassessment of my needs. It seems to be more a question of trying to balance things out now. I am measuring my happiness in this job, finding out its good and bad points. It seems to be more about me versus me, rather than me versus them.
I would also like to mention that in the course of this Mars transit, the person who initially hired me in this job (someone I liked very much), was fired unexpectedly, one of my colleagues left for another job, another colleague was diagnosed with cancer and subsequently dramatically reduced her hours on the job, our team of 24 people was split into three distinct entities which were physically moved to different offices, and all through this of course, I negotiated many, many contracts with artists. Physically, my back (Mars opposing my natal Saturn in the 1st) gave me quite a bit of trouble too… I am now dealing with this stress-related issue through yoga.
Looking back, I can say it was a fun but challenging time. I feel as though I have integrated the lessons of a Mars transit through the 7th house: fighting with rather than against others. Also, I know my biggest opponent was no other than myself: I now believe I can do this job effectively. It was a very useful lesson.
Mars’ passage through my 7th house is on-going (until mid-July), so it may still bring some surprises in my relationships. It should be an interesting summer!
Birth Myth Stories -
1.The story about my Birth was told to me by my mother perhaps for the first time when I was a young girl curious about all these things. I was to be the third child and apparently my mother went into labour on the eve of a Friday the 13th. She was wanting, hoping and pushing for the labour to hurry up, so her next child would not be born on a Friday the 13th. The birth proceeded quite quickly and I was born just in time, about an hour before midnight and the dreaded Friday the 13th .
My immediate family was not very superstitious nor very religious. My mother's family - Mother, Father and Grandmother lived behind us in the other street with our backyards joining together. My great grandmother was always very old, dressed as a peasant with head scarf anf long skirts and aprons. She was always sitting on the back porch praying to die. We were bought up as good little pretend catholics and it was quite a paradox having our great grandmother praying to die with rosary beads in hand - whilst at the same time she thought her daughter in law - my grandmother, had a curse on her to keep her alive. This side of the family did carry with it many age old pagan - superstitions- even though Friday 13th seemed more of an anglo superstition to me.
Anyway - the birth was easy and quick and - I was born in the caul. My astrology chart shows a stellium of planets in Pisces in the 4th house with Sun and Moon all very much symbolic of the family myths and patterns that I was born into. Sagittarius is rising and Neptune in Scorpio is in the 12th.
I grew up to be the most mystical, dreamy, magically inquistive of all the five siblings and grew to love all things superstitious, magical, and mysterious. I have never been afraid of superstition, but grew up to believe (Pisces) for myself and found the need to find out the truth on my own (Sag) like why are we superstitious of Friday the 13th? I've always wanted to know what was behind these concepts, the history, the reason.- I don't think my mother knows till this day? It confirms to me how many people take things on and believe without ever really knowing why they believe what they do. Like many things religious, esoteric and spiritual. As one of five, I became the most outspoken in the family against our catholicism, questioned my parents and grandparents constantly about their rules and conformity. On my first Jupiter return I remember telling my parents I was not going to confession anymore and later was the first sibling to never christen my own children, much to their dissapointment. Who needed another christian in the world anyway.
It was quite curious that the following year, exactly 13 months and one day later, my brother was born(the 4th Child) - it was " Good Friday the 13th" and also my mother's Birthday - she couldn't avoid that one - and he has his own birth myth story.
