Anyone who has ever written a regular column will know that there are times when inspiration is – not to put too fine a point on it – notable by its absence. At other times, so many ideas are flying around that catching one by the tail to pin it down is, to say the least, tricky. And – you never know, as the last deadline is met and you can now relax for a few weeks – which set of conditions is going to prevail the next time.
So, Reader, there I was, new deadline appearing over the horizon, and…nada. Nix. No–thing. At all. Braincell dry as an old chewed-up bone. In this situation there are generally two options: blind panic – or blind faith. I have six fiery planets. This is often a curse, let me tell you, but in the matter of column deadlines, it is a blessing. So, armed with nothing but blind faith, I headed for the office.
To pass time sitting on the bus, I check my phone. Ahah – there’s a message on Messenger. A colleague is beginning a new project for the international company he works for, an unusual company where his boss is an astrology appreciator. He is making a podcast series on Turning Points: asking people to talk for five minutes on the one decision which changed their lives forever. He is inviting me to contribute.
“Ping!!” went the braincell, hit by a mini bolt of inspiration. I had my topic. I’d ruminate on what it was that inspired me to take up, and continue, the long-term study and practice of astrology. That decision certainly changed MY life forever.
So – what was it ?
Was it my youthful awe as I watched the Northern Lights enacting their glorious colourful dance, just above the skyline near our house? Perhaps it was lying cosy in bed, listening to the roaring gales of January tearing the world apart – wondering what the Power was behind that raging wind. Was it the growing excitement, as I grew up, of being able to spot familiar constellations in the clear, unpolluted night skies of my native island?
Or – maybe the Fates had already decided, leaving me a clue to be decoded many years later, via the placement of Uranus, the astrologers’ planet, at 25 Degrees of Gemini, in the tenth house of my natal horoscope?
I have recently been revisiting the significance of the placement of Uranus’ discovery degree, ie 24 degrees 27 minutes Gemini,(i) in the horoscopes of those drawn to the practice of astrology. A dip into my horoscope collection, lifting out three male and three female birth charts, found that all six prominent astrologers chosen have this degree either conjunct, square or opposite natal planets, Nodes or Angles: the lately deceased and much-missed Donna Cunningham, Michel Gauquelin, Liz Greene, Isabel Hickey, Johannes Kepler and Noel Tyl. (ii)
Johannes Kepler Asc 24 deg 25 mins Gemini
Furthermore, when I was 27 years old, progressed Sun crossed asteroid Urania, placed at 19 degrees of Virgo in my first house, square tenth house Uranus. That year, I had a totally random encounter with a pair of astrologers who predicted my future astrological career.
So – did I choose that career or did I come in with it already chosen? Was it Fate, or free will? We will, of course, never be able to answer that question. MY conclusion, hardly stunningly original, is that we dance to the tune of both. There are times when the power of Fate feels strongly present. Other times, the unglamorous wrestle with inertia, poor judgement, and other ills to haul our lives into a reasonably satisfying shape feels very strongly to be determined mainly by our own conscious efforts.
In the latter case, a major ingredient in the shaping process, in my opinion, is the power of inspiration. At twenty-four years of age I was fortunate enough to have what I later realised was a mystical experience, something which has continued to inspire me. This may well have created a spiritual backdrop for the subsequent encounter with astrology as foreground; when I met those astrologers I was going through a crisis involving wondering what, after all, my life was FOR…not an uncommon state for one’s late twenties!
Their accurate reading inspired me to investigate astrology further, initially via the UK’s Faculty of Astrological Studies. On discovering that I, too, could produce accurate and affirming feedback from those strange marks on a piece of paper which seemed helpful to people trying to understand themselves better, I was hooked. For the rest of my life.
Astrology has continued to inspire because it continues to challenge me. It challenges me because we are working with living energies, patterns whose essential meanings we have established over millennia, but whose manifestations are endless and only partly predictable. Despite decades of experience, I still get that tight anxious feeling before every new client I see, being very aware of my responsibility at least to do no harm, at best to help the person before me see their life in a more constructive, bigger context.
I am, of course, always curious to find out what inspires people to engage with astrology – and to keep going once they get there. There is an occasional series running on my blog, in which astrologers tell their interesting, unusual tales of inspiration and – of course! – an inevitable amount of perspiration…
Want to share your story? Go on…
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Endnotes:
(i) and (ii) : all charts available free from Astrodienst: http://www.astro.com
NOTE: To find details of how to purchase Anne’s books, including her acclaimed recent book “Postcards to the Future”, click HERE
This post is a slightly edited version of my bi-monthly column for Dell Horoscope Magazine ‘The astro-view from Scotland’ from the January/February 2018 Issue.
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950 words copyright Anne Whitaker/Dell Horoscope Magazine 2018
Licensed under Creative Commons – for conditions see Home Page of Writing from the Twelfth House
I’m happy to report that I’ve had a great deal of very interesting feedback from astrologers and students of astrology – via the Facebook Pages on which I shared the post – letting me know of their connections with the Astrologers’ Degree. I ‘ll share them as comments on this post shortly.
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Steven Forrest
Very interesting! Depending on the orbs you’d want to use, you can add me to the list too. My natal Uranus is 3dg 23′ from the conjunction, my Venus 3dg 13′ from the opposition, and my ASC is 1dg 36′ from the quincunx.
I think we’ll let you in, Steve!
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Leah Whitehorse
My progressed Sun will be on this degree next year. In my natal, I have Mercury, Uranus, Neptune and Jupiter all at 25 degrees of their respective signs so it’s interacting with all of them. I am leaning towards the idea that I first heard Demetra George speak about – that the Fates spin our destiny before birth and we are then bound to live it out. But my modern mind also adds that we aren’t just puppets, we can resist or go with whatever we decided with the Fates, making new karmic stories for the future. But whatever we do, we cannot go outside the energetic framework of the chart. I think there are cosmic boundaries in place.
Great feedback, Leah. I’m very much of this same mind…
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Elizabeth Spring
Add me to the list as well: My Uranus is at 26 degrees Uranus in the 3rd House, in trine to Mercury in Scorpio in the 7th. Maybe I should go back to my astrological work! I read your post this morning while rereading Liz Greene’s Astrology of Fate.
Resistance is probably futile, Elizabeth, with that lineup!🤣
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Sheri Robin Hartstein
Anne, I recall that after reading this essay in your book, I questioned you as to why there was a seven year gap between that fateful encounter with those astrologers in the laundromat and you beginning to study astrology. Your response was memorable, stating that you were a “dyed in the wool rationalist” in those earlier days, and that years later it was the timing of Uranus hitting your Scorpio IC/South Node as the catalyst for your studies. (An especially relevant karmic trigger!) You summarized it beautifully: “There is a is a deeper Wisdom than the personal ego which guides our lives, and which knows the timing of our soul’s unfolding. I think that is the level which Jung calls the Self. Seven years on from that laundrette encounter was the appropriate timing for astrology to enter my life. By then, I had the level of stability which was needed to support my studies and my future practice as an astrologer.” A perfect example of how “we dance to the tune of both: There are times when the power of Fate feels strongly present. Other times, the unglamorous wrestle with inertia, poor judgement, and other ills to haul our lives into a reasonably satisfying shape feels very strongly to be determined mainly by our own conscious efforts.” ❤️
Thank you so much for your eloquence and affirmation, Sheri…🙏🏼
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Anton D’Abreu
Hi Anne another strong addition to the 25 Gemini club. I have my North Node at 25 GE exactly squaring my Sun and Moon and Uranus in GE also in my 9th house. What else was I going to end up doing ? – clearly homeopathy was not enough. I was plunged into astrology in my late 40’s when Pluto at 25 SC trined my Sun. At that exact time – appropriately for someone who professionally deals only with Collective cycles – a powerful Uranus-Neptune conjunction opposed the most sensitive conjunction in my chart. I certainly don’t believe in a determinist astrology or God though I do think our free will has to operate in a limited range bounded by the kaleidescope thesaurus of our chart’s aspects. Anton
Many thanks, Anton! Excellent experiential evidence…
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Ben Craib
Sometimes – when there is astro-confluence – transits, progressions, dashes, whatever, all coming to ahead in the chart – and it’s all kicking off in real life, positive or negative – the only way to describe what’s happening (for me) is fate. I am usually of the view that how I respond is free will. But sometimes I even question that!
Yes, well, I think it’s important to retain a sceptical, questioning mind, especially in the worlds (and sometimes the Wild West, as it were! 🤦♀️🤣) of symbolism…
But quality experiential evidence is always valuable. Thanks for dropping by, Ben!
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Frank C Clifford
Yes, it makes more sense than the Leo degree often mentioned (and if I’m not mistaken proposed by Alan, err, Leo after he’d rectified his chart!) – certainly Uranus’s discovery degree would reflect the modern day astrologer who practises a subject that’s on the periphery nowadays.
Well, I do think Alan Leo(?) ‘s view can be taken with a pinch of salt here! I just like the association between the actual ‘observable in the heavens’ degree where Uranus was first noted, and the connection between that and astrologers’ horoscopes. It certainly makes symbolic sense and has astronomical logic attached to it! Also – there is quite a weight of experiential evidence supporting the astrological relevance of that particular degree. Looks like this post is in the process of collecting some more!
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Kevin Rowan-Drewitt
My natal moon is 24 Gemini and I have been an astrologer 32 years!
Thanks for this, Kevin! 
Thanks for this, Kevin! 
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Tim Burness
As a Gemini with a heavily aspected Mercury at 23 degrees 52 minutes Gemini, I couldn’t possibly comment on this!
Comment totally unnecessary, Tim!🤣
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Liz Watson
I have no planets in Gemini, but it is my 10th house. I have Mars square in Pisces 25° Uranus in Leo. I did a beginners course after my first Saturn return, but started more seriously after my second return.
Liz, I think we’ll let that data in!!
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Lia Sabbatini
Funny, I have Uranus at 24.30 Scorpio, quincunx the Gemini point, Venus at 25.29 Virgo square the Gemini point, and my IC in semi-sextile at 25.45 Cancer! Urania is also conjunct my Sun to the degree at 3.24 Scorpio.
Been into astrology over 25 years, though heard about it my whole life through my astrologer Mother, but truly dove in when transit Pluto hit my progressed descendant and transit Uranus sextiled that 25th degree in Aries, 2017!✨
There you go, Lia, good experiential proof there!
There you go, Lia, good experiential data there!
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Carole Bone
Sun in opposition and Uranus sextile. Started my astro journey on a progressed new Moon in Aquarius in the 5th house 🤩🤩🤩
Bang on target, Carole! 😄🤩
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Marc Laurenson
My 12th house Mars is at 21 Gemini. It hit my Ascendant by Solar Arc when I was struck by Astrology as a child.
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Guinevere Athena
This is within a degree of my natal Uranus which is conjunct my descendant. I’ve been learning Astrology for most of my life but started to study it formally when Uranus crossed my ascendant and opposed itself.
What a positive affirmation that was, Guenevere!🤩
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Margaret Gray
Within a degree of my MC! 🤩
Why am I not surprised, Margaret?!
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Paul Swann
My astrology teacher, John Sandbach, has Uranus in its own discovery degree, i.e. he was born a couple of days after the final pass of transiting Uranus’s second return to its discovery degree. John also has asteroid 30 Urania directly opposing his Sun, within 8’.
My database includes two other astrologers born in this timeframe (20 July-9 August 1947, 26 November-19 December 1947, 7-25 May 1948) who have Uranus in its discovery degree: Bob Makransky and Dorothy Oja.
Paul, thanks so much for sharing this great data🙏
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Nate Speare
Wow…my natal Chiron is at 25 Gemini (conjunct Venus at 20 Gemini) and I began my astrological journey when my progressed Mercury came to 24 degrees 21 minutes Gemini!
Love this feedback, Nate!
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Signee Hoffman-Swartley
I’m early Virgo moon rising. I can’t unsee astrology anymore. It’s in my veins.
Anne Whitaker
Yes, that fits in with the first 10° of Virgo band which is identified as predisposing one towards astrological interests…
Signee Hoffman-Swartley
Anne Whitaker that makes me laugh. I spent half of my life dismissing astrology because I didn’t understand how to read the glyphs in the circle. Earlier my roommate Magda was an astrologer. I didn’t understand when she said: ‘Oh I get it, you’re an Aries Stellium!’. That was her thing not mine. But as soon as I ran into a major life stumbling block (complements of Uranus), I ran to an astrologer who nailed what was happening and when it would be over. 18 months was an eternity. I was captivated, I had to learn astrology. At the end of the Uranus in Aries transit, and thanks to IAA, I was an astrologer.
Anne Whitaker
Signee Hoffman-Swartley Signee, I love this feedback. I too was an astro-dismisser, until: https://astrologyquestionsandanswers.com/category/some-thoughts-on-prediction/
Via Facebook, 29/9 – 02/10:
Lynn Koiner
Actually, I have Mars in the 10th at 24 Gemini. When I traveled to Berlin after MauerFall, the astrologers there told me that (at least for Germany) early degrees of Virgo rule astrologers. They were pleased that I have the Sun and ASC at the early degrees.
Thanks for your feedback, Lynn, and yes I think it’s the first 10° of Virgo that also connects to involvement with Astrology. My Ascendant is 9 Virgo In addition to Uranus in the tenth house at 25 Gemini…