Brush Strokes for the Portrait!
About ten years ago, I was thrilled to visit a special exhibition at the National Art Museum in Washington: the grand works of American Painter (1826-1900) Frederic Church. His canvases were the National Geographic of the day: Heart of the Andes, for example …paintings so large it was a rare wall or living space that could support the vista. Church would go to these exotic places and record them as no other medium could.
Atmosphere, climate, Nature pervaded Church’s work. His astounding talent was overwhelming in suggestion and expanse. -And then there was the little man in the red coat!
Church would paint this vista that no wide-angle lens on any camera could easily capture today and, in spite of all the expanse, your eye would be drawn to a tiny speck of red or orange, waaaaaaaaaaaay down in the right corner, a little peasant on a burro in the midst of the All! This spot gave scale to everything, of course; the little brushstroke was a vital, indispensable accent to the whole.
In astrology, we have accents too -usually not as special as the man in the red coat-but helpful in the overall vista, sometimes in establishing balance or surprise focus, adding to the sense of human nature.
Mutual Receptionoccurs when two planets relate (whether or not they are in aspect to each other) by virtue of each being in the Sign ruled by the other. Cher’s Saturn in Cancer (ruling her 7th, placed in her 1st) opposed the Moon in Capricorn (ruling her 1st, placed in her 7th) suggests strongly her “finding herself through others,” a dominant theme in her life.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt had a Virgo Ascendant and a Gemini Midheaven. His Mercury Aquarius was squared by Pluto: an extraordinarily empowered gulp of Mercury-synthesis! Additionally Uranus rising in his horoscope was in Virgo, not in aspect with Uranus, but clearly in mutual reception. This was his power with words, a chart that shall live in fame.
In my own horoscope, I am delightedly caught up with the exact quintile between my Uranus in Taurus and Venus in Aquarius, to which I attribute a strong dose of creativity. And this Uranus is tied in with my Sun/Moon midpoint, Venus in opposition to the Moon, the Ascendant ruler. Instantly, the synthesis is formed, keyed and emphasized by the mutual reception.
Oriental Planet The Oriental (East) Planet is the planet that will rise at the Ascendant last before the Sun does (after the birth) in clockwise motion. No matter what the longitudinal distance this planet has from the Sun, natally positioned behind the Sun, if it is the planet that will rise before the Sun does, i.e., the Sun being next in line to rise up and over the Ascendant, it is the oriental planet. (Please see the “Oriental Planet” section in Synthesis & Counseling in Astrology for the full presentation.)
Johnny Carson’s Mars is oriental (the promoter, the huckster). Saturn oriental adds a tremendous sense of patience, sobriety, sternness, perhaps (Martin Luther King, Ralph Nader). Uranus oriental brings out the adventure, chance-taking bullfighter in all of us (Jimmy Hoffa, Ronald Reagan, Madonna). Neptune oriental adds the brush stroke of the visionary, the aesthetic, the dreamy, even the spiritual (Nelson Rockefeller, Julie Andrews, Muhammed Ali, Julia Child). Pluto oriental (rare) suggests alliances with power, prestige through affiliation, as a strong brushstroke in the life (Merv Griffin, Bill Clinton). The Moon oriental is the teaching dimension brushstroke, the team coach, the manager, the preacher of dogma: Frank Sinatra, the Vatican(!).
I’m not so sure about Jupiter oriental (I have it): perhaps it’s taking the easy way within work situations, there being so much confidence, trusting spontaneity as key to personal style.
Venus and Mercury are so often oriental (because they are so close to the Sun) that statistical bias excludes their consideration as important brushstrokes.
From now on, watch for the little symbol in the brightly colored coat -especially to be expressed in vocational guidance!
The Closest Aspect Time and again, I have seen horoscopes in which a minor aspect like a semisquare to the Sun, an adjustment-inconjunct (quincunx), or a tense sesquiquadrate rise to real significance in the reality being lived by a client! There are usually two reasons for this: first, there are few dominating classic driving aspects in the configuration to lead the synthesis, and second, the minor aspect is the closest [and I mean close] aspect in the chart. -Check it out!
Interesting indeed.