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AMERICAN ASTROLOGY September 1977 Locational Astrology Map Your Way To Happiness by Jim Lewis Imagine walking into a travel agent’s office and, instead of the usual, "Well, I can’t decide whether to spend this vacation in the mountains, or at the beach," you say: "This year, I’d like to go someplace where I’d be a little more assertive, maybe where I could demand and get a little more from people - perhaps find a new girl (or boy) friend." If your travel agent knew his (or her) locational astrology, he wouldn’t refer you to the psychiatrist upstairs, but would sit down and generate a map from your birth data showing just where your request would be most likely to come true. Then, for an additional fee, he would book your reservations. This "Subjective Travel Service" is really only as far away as your nearest astrologer, who can, using the principles of locational astrology, create a map of the world where such subjective climates prevail. Everyone has observed, or at least intuited, that certain locations seem to have certain effects on certain people, that these locations affect different people differently, and can do so every time. Gerald Ford would do well to avoid the San Francisco Bay area, if experience is to be heeded, as he has been attacked twice there, despite the elaborate security precautions that attend any President. One assassination attempt would be just another event - but twice? I seem to "have a thing" with 108 degrees West longitude. Every time I drive over that imaginary line, I have a flat tire - once, I had five in less than eight hours on a Sunday, near Salt Lake City. This seems to work whether I’m driving the car or not, and whether or not it’s mine. Other places, I feel "at home" even if I know no one there, and quickly, easily meet people who later become close friends. Hopefully, my "Subjective Travel Agent," with his map of my astrological zones, could anticipate and plan reactions, feelings and even events like these. A thorough job of locational mapping may also provide insights into events in my past and future. But what do I mean by "relocation map"? Most astrologers admit that the standard procedure of comparing a client’s chart with that of the local city chart may give a good idea of his or her relationship to City Hall, but little more. Skilled astrologers will draw up a new "relocation chart," using the client’s exact birth time and date. They take the same Greenwich birth time, and thus, the same planetary positions as in the natal chart, but cast the chart cusps as if the client had been born at the new location. Let’s just say you were born in Omaha at 12:43 am CST, on July 14 1913, as was Gerald Ford, and were interested in a relocation chart for July 14, 1913, at 12:43 am CST (6:43 am GMT), but for San Francisco as the birth place. This would move the Midheaven and other house cups about 27 degrees (the difference between the two longitudes) Westward, or backward in the zodiac, so that planets in your 9th house would now occupy stronger positions near you Midheaven. This new chart would show the parts of your personality that would tend to be more prominent in San Francisco, since angular planets (those nearest the Ascendant, Descendant, Midheaven, or IC) are those whose forces are most felt in the life. It would, of course, be inconvenient and time consuming to calculate such a relocation chart for every place you could go. Why not represent all places at which a particular planet, say Pluto, was going to be at the Midheaven as a line running across a map? Then you could see at a glance where in the world your Pluto was going to be the strongest part of your personality. Going on from there, why not represent all places where any planet was angular, as lines across a map? Then you would have a map showing where to expect certain parts of your personality to be most prominent, and where certain experiences would manifest. But before going into detail about how to create such a map for yourself, the philosophical foundations for these assumptions should be subjected to some exploration. It is my opinion that astrological forces work not by any causal mechanism - the planets don’t "make things happen" with magnetic or gravitational forces - but work rather by the less tangible mechanism of "synchronicity." If gravitational or other physical forces were at work, Pluto’s effect would be substantially less than that of the Moon, as both are near the same size, and Pluto is hundreds of times more distant from the Earth. This difference in quantity of effect, as any astrologer can tell you, is not the case. But if Pluto, the Moon and all the rest were merely indications of some greater pattern, their distance would be irrelevant. It seems to me that planets work not by causal factors, but because planets and events are reflecting the same, larger data. It’s like saying there is no causal relationship between the fact your watch and the tower clock both agree it’s 11:45;one hasn’t made the other say 11:45 - both reflect a larger fact. In this way, the angularity of a birth planet, at the birthplace, stands for a particular limited personality potential, linked to that place and time. But why shouldn’t every possibility have an equal chance in any place? Among the more obvious "Laws of Nature" is that of economy. All animals don’t have horns, claws, and the ability to run, swim and fly. Rather, each specializes in one mode of survival, and does it particularly well. People tend to do this also, and some stress mental, some physical, and some emotional, or any of various other modes of existence. This guarantees against, for example, too many or too few leaders emerging in a given social group. What these personal modes of expression are to be is arbitrarily decided from the angular planets at birth, which reflect a larger order, and so assure equal distribution of possibilities. Your personal, internal, biochemical or metabolic cycles were set at birth to reflect these angular planets, which define you as a certain type of person. But if you move substantially across the Earth’s surface, you are changing your biological and metabolic cycles, as they depend on consistent, unvarying time to continue themselves. Changes in these cycles affect your personality over the long term. So, travel and its effects equate to a change in the birth time itself; this in turn brings into being the personality that would have been, with other planets angular in the horoscope. It is my conjecture that Nature uses time of birth as the key to assure economy of human types, thereby limiting each to certain potentials, and that this timing mechanism can be "reset" by travel. All this supposition aside, the fact is that relocation maps do work and, after a short dissertation on how to construct one for yourself (which can be skipped by less technical readers or brought to your astrologer for him/her to figure out), I shall note a few examples in my own experience confirming their effectiveness. Calculating A World Locational Map First, since zodiacal longitude does not equate directly with the terrestrial latitude-longitude coordinate system, all planets and the natal Midheaven must be converted to Right Ascension (RA), most easily done by availing oneself of some of the tables designed for this purpose. (Robert De Luce’s Complete Method of Prediction has tables to find RA, as well as declination.) I find it easier to convert these RAs into degrees, rather than the customary hours, minutes and seconds, as a calculator can be used. To plot a line where a given planet appears on its own Midheaven, find the difference between the natal Midheaven’s RA, whose longitude you have already marked on the map, and the planet’s RA, and simply subtract the difference from the natal Midheaven’s longitude. For example, if your natal Midheaven’s RA is 294 Degrees, over Omaha, and you have a planet with RA of 270 degrees, it will appear on its own Midheaven 24 degrees West of Omaha. Having plotted all of your Midheavens in this fashion, add or subtract 180 degrees from each of them. This will give the longitude at which the planets are encountered on the IC (4th house cusp, nadir). Finding Ascendants and Descendants is more complex. The easiest way is to take the tables of houses and start on the page that has your natal Midheaven at the heading. Equipped with a list of RAs of each natal planet, look down the Ascendant’s column for that Midheaven to see if any planet appears. If so, plot this position on your map at the latitude given. Then advance the Sidereal Time 20 minutes and repeat the process, but plot Ascendants on a longitudinal line 5 degrees East of the birthplace. In this way, plot every point that a longitudinal line (every five degrees) intersects a planet’s Ascendant. Link these Points into a line, and you have all potential Ascendants for that planet. The same must be done with Descendants, as these are not always 180 degrees distant from ascendants. The finished result should look like the accompanying map. This method will give exact results for the Sun, but for any planets which have celestial latitude (especially Pluto), formulae such as those in Fagan and Firebrace’s Primer of Sidereal Astrology should be used.
How To Use Your Map Armed with your map, you are now ready to make decisions, acting as your own "Subjective Travel Agent." Those places at which any birth planet is angular (that is, places under or near a line on your map) are where, according to theory, that part of your personality will manifest most directly and strongly. Of course, knowledge of your own birth chart is important. If your natal Mars is in Capricorn, closely aspected by Jupiter and Mercury, it is going to manifest differently than a natal Mars in Cancer, closely conjunct Saturn. But, in my opinion, the essential nature of the experience in the angular-Mars place will be Martian, and how you handle it can be inferred from other characteristics of its placement. You know yourself well enough to know if you like, and can handle Mars situations - where challenge, assertion and control are required - and should judge your map with this in mind. Some people whose charts are strongly stressed are happiest in a zone of no influences - really "getting away from it all." After all this calculation and speculation, you would, of course, like to know what kind of results to expect. Having produced hundreds of these maps for individuals, some of whom have been kind enough to share their experiences with me, and having seen the power of locality adjustment in my own life, I can offer the following examples as typical. The map we have been using as an example is that of Gerald Ford. Quite as we might expect, his natal Pluto was exactly angular in San Francisco at the moment of his birth in Omaha. I think this is adequate explanation for his repeated ill fortune in the Bay Area. Moreover, Vail, Colorado finds his Jupiter nearest an angle. It is there that he enjoys athletics and relaxed from the pressures of his office. Washington shows two influences nearby - Uranus at Midheaven (UR MH) and the Moon on the Descendant (MO DSC), symbolizing the unpredictable changes and stormy vicissitudes of his tenure there, though the Uranus line actually passes though Detroit, in his constituency of Michigan. In Southeast Asia, where Vietnam and the Mayaguez incident showed a different Gerald Ford to the public, his natal Mars and Uranus are the most angular planets. Equally impressive, and perhaps closer to home, is the experience of R.M., who, by the age of twenty, had gone through more than her share of hardship. In her own words: "In the last several years, my health had been rapidly disintegrating, and none of the MD’s could find anything to explain it…I thought I was near the end as I watched my body progressively worsen, my mind lose its ability to concentrate…still trying to hold down a job to support myself…I subsequently learned after months of suffering and confusion that I was very toxic from heavy metal poisoning…" A relocation map shows her to be living almost exactly under her Saturn on the Descendant, a correspondence that few astrology students will find coincidental. Yet all was not negative, as she also writes: "It’s had its compensations, such as maturity, perspective and some inner knowledge…I have paid my price as well as reaped my rewards." She plans a move in the near future, however. These astrological zones can also promise more positive change. R.T. has traveled a good deal, and laughed when I showed him his locational map. "The Jupiter line goes right through Sydney," he exclaimed. "I didn’t believe the luck I had there! I was sitting in a pub, and was asked if I would like a job gardening on a millionaire’s residence. Relatives of the Prime Minister. I accepted and spent the rest of my stay in Australia living in sort of splendor, hanging out with the social set…" Closer examination showed Pluto, Saturn and the Moon angular in San Francisco, and he admitted, "I’ve always felt someone was chasing me here, and I’ve been depressed most of the time. Can’t find a job I like." He has since moved to San Diego, in a less demanding zone, and is happily expanding his family’s business into solar heating - his Sun line affects the new location. Jupiter was also good to D.R., who arrived in San Francisco during the turbulent 60’s, undecided about the future course of his life, having just dropped out of school. He now owns "several" apartment buildings. While he admits little interest in real estate trading, he is forced to continue practicing it, since if he sold his holdings, the profit would demand a tremendous tax sacrifice. So he just continues to grow wealthy where Jupiter occupies the IC of his chart. J.N. wrote of her stay in Switzerland, where Jupiter rose and Pluto was at the Midheaven: "Outstanding! Loved every minute of popularity, prosperity and political maneuvers! I was a real jet - setter-lots of travel and excitement." In Washington, under Jupiter and Venus angularities: "Our home was definitely an entertainment center. (We were) very active socially, but also enjoyed house and garden in tranquil moments." Mars seems to get less positive reviews: L.P., traveling in Cyrpus, had an unhappy vacation, after a frightening motorcycle wreck, that left him with scars and a resolution not to return to his Mars Descendant line. Dr. S.J. "spent six months in plaster," after a car wreck, "then had to fight for compensation, living soberly on a small income." Her Mars Ascendant was nearby. The flat tires I mentioned early in this article occurred under my Mars Midheaven line, but also, that zone is one where I discovered my penchant for astrology, and where I still make close friends. R.L.M. found his vocation also, and became a wood carver of some repute at a latitude affected by his Venus, Mercury and Uranus. Venus lines, not surprisingly, seem to lead to love and marriage, and often to money. R.R.M. noted, describing his stay in Dublin, which lies very close to his Venus rising line: "Not only was it a financial success, but I got married there, too." Several other people report meeting spouses under their Venus lines, while I, currently residing under my Venus Ascendant line, have explored my personal, sensual and social options, and have come to "like myself better." Astrological "world lines" seem to have had their impact on history, too. John Kennedy, if his round-hour birth time is adjusted a few minutes, had his Pluto line passing through Dallas, just as Ford’s goes through San Francisco. President Jimmy Carter’s, by the way, passes through Mexico City, and several small U.S. cities North of there. The same Jupiter IC line that helped my client grow wealthy in real estate zeros in on the Greek Islands on Jacqueline Onassis’ map. Not surprisingly, Richard Nixon’s Neptune Midheaven line dominates Washington, and textbook Neptune phrases like "caught in his own web…illusions…self-deception…" come to mind. Martin Luther King’s Sun-Pluto opposition was nearly angular at Memphis. Lyndon Johnson’s Mars and Jupiter rose at Washington - and set off the holocaust of Vietnam. This dimension of space can also be made to interrelate with time. These maps can be made for a solar return, and the lines seem to hold temporary power. I was once hitchhiking in New Mexico, under my solar return Jupiter Midheaven line, when I was given a ride by the Archbishop, on his way back from Rome! At my destination, I met a Jungian counselor, who has since become a good friend and guide. Time can also modify the map lines, so you should postpone your trip to your Jupiter-angular zone if Saturn is transiting it this year. I hope the above few examples establish the potential importance of locational astrology. I feel it is a very significant "third dimension" to the first dimension of the natal chart (with its "karma" of certain planets, signs and aspects), and the second dimension of time, which with its transits and progressions (and the will of the individual) would allow the potential to manifest as a life. Travel on the Earth is like taking control of the unfoldment of the natal potentials, since various parts of the personality can be brought to the fore, by traveling to places where symbolically associated planets are found angular. Carl Jung, perhaps the wisest man of the 20th century, wrote of a process of self-becoming that he called "individuation": "Individuation, therefore, can only mean a process of psychological develpment that fulfills the individual qualities given: in other words, it is a process by which a man becomes the definite, unique being he in fact is." By this standard, the purpose of astrology is to recognize, raise to conscious expression and incorporate into daily life all aspects of self. Locational astrology can advance this end by giving information about places at which certain parts of self, or the archetypes, will most strongly manifest. In the process of self-discovery that is life and living, a map of the sort explained in this article may guide a person to fulfillment of his or her fullest potentials, and thus contribute to this process of individuation. |
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