Spheres of Influence: zodiac, ecliptic, equator

Audience: May I ask you a question? In the beginning you said relocation takes into account our houses whereas Astro*Carto*Graphy doesn't. I wondered why? Why is it that relocation takes into account houses and not Astro*Carto*Graphy?

Erin: Good, your question offers an opportunity to clarify something before we move into the more personal and experiential part of the work today. Horoscopy and A*C*G mapping are different systems, showing different views, depicting different astronomical pictures. A*C*G focuses only on angularity of planets, and accounts for both latitude of the planets and their zodiacal longitude, therefore, we have a more accurate visualization of the planets in the sky, not just in the ecliptic. The houses of the horoscope are based on an earth view of the sky and the ecliptic (zodiac), whereas the angular lines of the A*C*G map are based on the sky’s view of the earth – in other words, a “planetary view” of the earth’s sphere! The houses are there, in the locations specific, but they are not the significance, the point, of the A*C*G map. Philosophically, it is based on power in angularity. In other words, if a planet is on an angle, it has more power than it does when it is in an intermediary house.

Audience: And so it does in relocation charts - I was born in London. I noticed that although I have SU/MC line almost on the dot of London on the map, I actually have the Sun about 2° into the tenth house natally. So, it looks Sun/MC but it isn’t quite an exact conjunction. So, if I were to set a chart for, say, Dover, on the coast, it would then show on the horoscope the exact Sun conjunct Midheaven?

Erin: Yes, in fact, that is right - perfect illustration. Your Sun is so close to the MC that the A*C*G line looks close to London, but to get the fine tuning down, you must find the place whereupon that line is precise. And, it would be about Dover, a bit north of it, right on the tip of the peninsula. Perhaps you should put some energy into Dover and see what you can develop over there! You see, the A*C*G gives a big picture, which we then can refine to houses and precise degrees on the angles by setting a relocation horoscope - but as you will see shortly, with Freud’s examples, what you see in the horoscope with respect to angles, is not always what you get in the more astronomically correct A*C*G map - especially with Venus, the Moon and Pluto.

Audience: I have been looking at my map and my relocation and natal charts and see that even though I have a wide opposition to Pluto from the Sun natally, there is actually a place on the earth where I have Sun/Ascendant and Pluto/Descendant crossing. . . it is in San Francisco. Now, that means that I have an opposition by paran? That they are a “mundane opposition”?

Erin: Yes sort of, even though that isn’t a real term - mundane opposition - but that is precisely what is going on for you. Your wide opposition does not become a tight opposition, degrees don’t change, but the view of them does.

Audience: Strange, I have the opposite situation in San Francisco! I have a pretty close conjunction of Sun and Pluto in Leo, they are only 2° apart. . . and the Pluto is right on the Descendant in San Francisco (PL/DSC), but the Sun/DSC is apparently quite a bit south of the city. . . almost over Los Angeles.

Erin: Ah, again, a good example. Your Astro*Carto*Graphy chart showing its Pluto/Descendant line running through San Francisco and your Sun/Descendant line running up south of it. This illustrates the “problem of latitude” I spoke of in the A*C*G seminar. Remember, this is particularly applicable to Pluto, especially in Leo, Virgo and Libra.

Audience: Oh! I see, I have a virtually perpendicular Venus/ASC/DSC line - and I have Venus at 8° Libra! But, Mars is in Cancer, which is very curved along the ASC/DSC line!

Erin: Actually, that is a bit different - considerably different - because Venus is in the equinoctial sign of Libra, not because of its place on the ecliptic, as this situation with Pluto illustrates. Now, let’s go back to your example of the close conjunction of Sun and Pluto, Susan - yes, they are conjunct in zodiacal longitude, but when you see them on the A*C*G, map you actually see the planets as they are according to their latitude as well.

Audience: And, how does that work? Pluto - what you see is not always what you get.

Erin: Let me show you another example of Pluto’s appearance on the Ascendant of the natal chart, and its actual position in latitude. By example, I will use Sigmund Freud’s natal horoscope and A*C*G map. (See images at top).  He has Pluto at 4° 26’ Taurus, conjunct the Descendant which is 4° 24’ Taurus.

When we look at his A*C*G map, we see that he does not have Pluto/Descendant line running through his birthplace at Freiburg, Moravia (now Pribor, Czech Republic)! His Pluto/Descendant line is running right through London, England! How can that be, you ask? Because although Pluto appears to be setting in the natal horoscope which is according to the ecliptic (zodiac), it actually won’t be setting for a couple of hours. . . Pluto’s latitude is about 15° north, thus, a couple hours from actually setting. It is setting in London when he was born (west of the birthplace), but won’t be setting in Frieburg for a couple of hours after birth.

Now, this is where the interpretation of this astronomical phenomenon becomes interesting. Freud had natal Pluto on the Descendent in his horoscope, and he lived it out within himself, and in his work. And, certainly, we know enough of his life and work to see what that meant - his depth of vision, his founding of psychoanalysis, his dedication to the “other” in himself and his patients, his pioneer work on the psyche and so on.

Also, he was obsessive, observant, relentless and a man of great power and influence over others. Though he lived in and loved Vienna, he was forced into exile in London (Pluto) during WWII, where he finished his life; most of his family were annihilated in Auschwitz, and his London home and office is now a museum to his family, life and work. It is in Maresfield Gardens, and a must to experience.

To go to your Pluto/Descendent line to finish your life, seems appropriate - and his cocaine addiction became profound in London, and eventually he died after eighteen operations to his nasal passages, septum, jaw and face. And, his daughter, Anna, founded the Anna Freud Institute in London, training psychoanalysts in the Freudian manner.

He became immortal on his Pluto line. Pluto setting in London, though natally on his Descendant, says that he would be able to continue his Plutonian existence and work in London, whereas he would have died remaining in Austria. He was racked with guilt over this, and always felt he had abandoned his home and family. But his legacy in London remains, and his contribution to the origins of psychoanalysis is vast if troubling in many ways.