Cleopatra Selene and a Virgo Lunar Eclipse

Astro-Notes on the Death of Cleopatra Selene a Lunar Queen of Africa

by Jude Cowell

As you know, the name 'Selene' is a lunar name and several moons ago on Jude's Threshold I published the natal horoscope of Queen Cleopatra VII as rectified by master astrologer Noel Tyl. The post remains there if you wish to view it here. I simply love historical horoscopes, don't you? Born on January 13, 0069 B.C., Queen Cleopatra's chart is an ancient relic and extremely gray around the muzzle!

Do you know that the name 'Cleopatra' means "Father's Glory"? Well, one of the many things I did not know at the time of the previous post is that Queen Cleopatra's and Marc Antony's daughter Cleopatra Selene became Queen of Africa for she married Juba II thus blending the kingdoms of Egypt and Libya. Their son Ptolemy ruled with his father after Selene's early death at only 35 years of age upon which Crinagoras of Mytilene wrote a famous and stirring commemorative epigram for Cleopatra Selene which astrologers in particular may appreciate for its lunar qualities:

"The moon herself grew dark, rising at sunset, covering her suffering in the night, because she saw her beautiful namesake, Selene, breathless, descending to Hades, with her she had had the beauty of her light in common, and mingled her own darkness with her death."

Read more at History Today.

And so it is written that "on or around March 23, 005 BC" Cleopatra Selene's untimely death coincided with a rising-at-sunset Lunar Eclipse. Now being of a curious Mercurial nature, I checked my Solar Fire V9 software for lunar eclipses in year 005--and allowing for calendar differences through the centuries--I discovered that an appulse Lunar Eclipse (appulse, the weakest kind) in Virgo, sign of health, had perfected on March 14, 005 @21Vir59, a difference of 9 days. Setting a horoscope for Alexandria, Egypt we can see the eclipsed Moon rising precisely at sunset in this horoscope just as Crinagoras recorded:

Angular Planets and An Icy Cold 'Cold Case'!

If we place our trust in Crinagoras of Mytilene and dare to consider this as Cleopatra Selene's Death Horoscope, we find angular planets as if the Cosmos is timing her passing. The Moon at Ascendant (physical body) and the setting Sun and Venus angular at Descendant, are descriptive of her vitality (Sun) setting--and with aggravating Mars squaring the eclipse. Yes, near Midheaven is an angular Mars, malefic planet of infections, sharp instruments, attacks, and other negative associations but I mention 'infections' first because of other chart factors that are penned upon the chart.

Such as: when Moon-ASC is involved, poisoning may be the case; Virgo is the sign of the bowels; *Nicholas Devore gives "22 Virgo" (Luna's position--its apt Sabian Symbol = "A Royal Coat of Arms") as as degree of appendicitis which, if ruptured, spreads infection throughout the abdomen, causing much pain and suffering, and the appendix must be surgically removed immediately and the infection cleared out or death soon follows.

Also penned on the chart is a question that occurs to me because of Juno rising in Virgo (Queen of Heaven), and Moon as the mother: was she pregnant? Probably not since mention of it would almost certainly have been made at some point but with Mars angular and the Moon-ASC association my first suspicion is that some form of infection and/or poison was involved in Queen Cleopatra Selene's untimely death. Whether it was due to disease or was administered by another's hand is a mystery disguised within this Very Cold Case.

Unfortunately, my search for a natal horoscope or exact birth date for Cleopatra Selene has proven fruitless though this Timeline provides details such as the name of Selene's twin brother, Ptolemy Helios (who was killed by Octavian). Their older brother, Ptolemy Caesar is more often known as Caesarion--another link to pregnancy issues! did the tendency run in the family as did the name Ptolemy? These Greek twins of royal birth were born in 40 BCE which tallies with Selene's age of 35 at death, an age which also suggests that her death occurred during, or around the time of, what would have been her third Jupiter Return.

Recommended: King Juba II of Numidia and Queen Cleopatra Selene of Mauretania.

Please note that the horoscope shown includes the outer planets Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto more out of habit than for any particular reason, considering how long ago 'twas 005 BC. Of course, chart-ruler Mercury @7Ari54 conjunct South Node of the Moon (a Saturnian point of separation) makes only one applying Ptolemaic aspect and that's to conjoin disruptive Uranus which is also associated with the concept of separation and suddenness--and Uranus--conjunct mother asteroid Ceres--has just vacated the 8th house of death (in this House System). Yet Mercury represents younger folk than Selene's age of 35--she's just entered the Mars phase of life actually (although Mars is in Mercury-ruled Gemini, sign of the puer and puella)--and there's dreary Black Moon Lilith at MC (seductress or child-killer?). Also curious is that Selena (in 3rd house) @00Sag40 conjoins nebulous Neptune which was not discovered until 1846, yes, but is associated with poisons, toxins, and infections (plus, loss and mysterious deaths). As you see, Neptune is at a critical-crisis 29th degree of Scorpio, sign of betrayal and death, and which is ruled by Mars, though many astrologers now add Hades-ruler Pluto to the rulership, co-rulership, or sub-rulership of brooding Scorpio. jc

*Nicholas Devore's Encyclopedia of Astrology, 1947.

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot 1796--1875

Orpheus Leading Eurydice From the Underworld by Camille Corot (1861); [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

One of the more famous and beloved of Greek Myths is that of Orpheus and his love Eurydice. Often depicted by painters of Corot's persuasion, you see here his version illustrating the melancholy tale which looks suitably dark and ethereal. Naturally, astrologers would key in on the word 'Underworld' thanks to its ruler, Pluto, and although Pluto's discovery didn't occur until 1930, out of curiosity my green eyes had a peek at the planetary positions on Jean-Baptists Camille Corot's day of birth at 1:30 am LMT on July 16, 1796, Paris, France, Rodden Rating: AA; Data collected by Gauquelin!

We should note that Corot's natal asteroids Orpheus and Eurydice (Eurydike) link to two of his natal planets: Orpheus conjunct (depressive) Saturn in Gemini and Eurydice conjunct Mars Rx in Sagittarius.

Now if you wish, read a brief bio and check out Corot's natal chart at astro.com where you'll find that he was born into a prosperous family, received an inheritance in 1822 (which made his switch from being a businessman to a painter possible), and that he suffered from gout, a painful chronic condition usually brought on by an overindulgent lifestyle. For more details, here's his Wiki page.

My meager speculation about his natal horoscope is that if born 20 minutes later at 1:50 am LMT, Saturn @22Gem06 would be conjunct his Gemini Ascendant but in the 12th house (concentrated work in solitude) and Mars Rx @17Sag23 would dip into his 6th house of Health and Daily Rounds which could relate to his gout and daily work. After all, exact birth times on the hour or half hour are often rounded off and therefore not quite accurate, are they? Yet his data was collected by researcher-statistician Michel Gauquelin so who am I to quibble?!

So we find Corot's natal Pluto @28AQ41 Rx in the 10th house of Public Status and Career along with Jupiter Rx in creative Pisces (12:41). Both planets have 'father' implications so his prosperous papa is seen here with both denoting wealth. Interesting that early on Corot painted against his father's wishes and only turned to Art as a profession after his father's demise, a typical occurrence since Art is so often seen as an unstable endeavor by parental units. Yet Corot's Saturn-Pluto trine (more Daddy notes!) is the aspect of "The Magnate" (A. Oken) and suggests economic success in business and an ability to refine authoritarianism.

Corot's Chart-Ruler Mercury Conjunct North Node: New Concepts Accepted by the Public

Now chart-ruler Mercury (Rx @10Can54 and partile conjunct North Node in 2nd house of Money and Values) applies only once--a trine to artful Neptune in Scorpio (6th house) giving him much creative inspiration which can inspire the talents of others. This trine is often seen in the natal charts of writers, novelists, artists, and musicians--and the Neptune-NN trine is helpful for art contacts with the public. Another creative aspect is a Fire trine between his Sag Mars and Venus @21Leo58 (but note that Mars is out-of-bounds so he's off on his own a lot and maybe not as cooperative with others as he could be). Yet as you know, the Sun-ruled sign of Leo is creative and dramatic, plus, Corot's Venus is Stationed and turned Rx 19 hours 37 minutes ago @21Leo57. Another Stationing planet? Neptune which turned Direct in 21 hours 48 minutes after Corot's birth so both Venus and Neptune, though not in major aspect with one another, are strong due to their Stationing conditions.

Even so, another creative aspect exists between his 7th and 11th house ruler Jupiter and Stationing Neptune indicates that Corot may have considered Art as his mission, or calling in life. And if we are the servants of our 10th house planets, Corot well-served his creative Piscean Jupiter by painting masterpieces while expressing the power of a 10th house Pluto in Aquarius, a sign placement denoting popularity and 'advancement in life with the help of others' (Ebertin).

Sun Cancer-Moon Sagittarius ('Moon-Jupiter')

Yet there are a few turbulent placements in his chart. Corot's natal Moon in Sagittarius (6th house of Health) and Sun @24Can06 (3rd house conjunct its cusp so affecting 2nd house depending on the House System used) suggests difficulties between his parents (sesqui-square 136 degrees) and may have caused relational troubles in adulthood between his conscious (Sun) and unconscious (Moon) minds. Was one or both parents overindulgent? That would be my first guess via the 'Moon-Jupiter' influence (plus, his Moon-Jupiter square suggests this along with a streak of laziness).

A quick look at his Water-Fire personality blend hints at a strong sense of family, concern for social issues, and an ability to understand 'the big picture' though perhaps with negligent attention given to details. He probably used sarcasm to hide his vulnerabilities and tended to justify his personal prejudices, yet a poetic imagination is also present with this blend but with much emotional volatility which is supported by Corot's Moon-Mars conjunction (7-degree orb), and Moon square his Jupiter-Uranus opposition. Plus, a Moon-Mercury inconjunct adds emotional overreactions and upsets since his lunar feelings and mercurial thinking processes and speech may have been at odds (as taught in childhood!)

But the most prominent factor concerning Corot's Sun is that it is unaspected. If you wish to read about such a detached Sun you'll find info in a previous post concerning a certain lady. Scroll to the last paragraph for a few unaspected Sun details.

Then on the generational level, Camille Corot was born during a creative Uranus-Neptune sextile period (as was Mary Shelley, 1797) identifying him a 'revolutionary thinker' suspicious of entrenched beliefs and institutions and insistent that commitments be made voluntarily. That last tallies well with the themes of Corot's Prenatal Solar Eclipse which perfected on July 4, 1796 @13Can31 in the 15 North Saros Series with cosmic vibes of 'good news' and 'joy through commitment' (Brady). In our day, 15 North last manifested on November 13, 2012 @22Scorpio and will come again in 2030 @3Sagittarius.

All in all, I'd say that the natal horoscope of Camille Corot is quite fascinating and worth your consideration if you wish for more chart factors are certain to be of interest!

There are several books on Corot and/or his paintings; one is Corot and the Art of Landscape available on Amazon via third-party sellers.

For more personality blend info see Sun Sign-Moon Sign by Charles and Suzi Harvey.

Astrological Aspect of "The Transcendental Mind"

With astrological Mercury, planet of thought processes, thinking, the senses, and the mind, one of the more interesting aspects that can form in a natal chart is a trine (120 degrees) with Pluto, planet of transformation and the deeper recesses of reality.

Now admittedly yours truly was not born with a Mercury-Pluto trine. And my only novile aspect is between Mercury and Chiron.

Now as you know, a novile aspect is in the trine category. (160/80/40 degrees), a 9th Harmonic aspect of 'destiny'. Curiously, destiny is also revealed in 6th Harmonic charts which is what I was investigating today and discovered that my H6 Mercury and Pluto are engaged in a trine. This sent me directly to Alan Oken's Complete Astrology (#ad) to find out more, never having a reason to consider this trine as closely before.

Oken titles the Mercury-Pluto trine, "The Transcendental Mind" since it relates to higher consciousness and to a natural ability to "transcend certain set ways of thinking by viewing many levels of perception simultaneously." Consequently, this aspect is helpful in fields such as nuclear energy, education, advertising, or "other areas geared to molding of the mass mind" which sounds like propaganda to me. Of course, other aspects in the horoscope must agree for a Mercury-Pluto trine to express on these exalted levels (or at least not interfere!) Positive aspects to Saturn would help and a well-placed and/or well-aspected Sun and Moon would facilitate the beneficial energies of the trine.

Now as you know, Pluto is also the planet of The Collective Unconscious, described by Carl Jung as 'the intuitive history of the species since the beginning of time and that part of ourselves which combines instincts with conscious development' (paraphrasing). With the Mercury-Pluto trine, the consciously functioning mind blends well with the power embedded within The Collective Unconscious so that transformation of the higher thought processes can easily occur and creativity can express unencumbered.

Does all this sound suspiciously like transcendental meditation? Well, as a Christian I prefer the admonitions to 'still your mind' and 'think on good things' along with the power of prayer, but for those who prefer TM or are curious about the practice (Mercury-Pluto trine or not!), here's a one-minute-fifteen-second video on the difference between Transcendental Meditation and Mindfulness.

Yet while we're on transcendental subjects we must include researcher-philosopher-author-lecturer Terence McKenna whose presentations such as Last Thoughts - The Transcendental Object at the End of Time (part 27, a 15-minute segment from the full movie) remain fascinating! And intriguing is the natal horoscope of Terence McKenna if you're curious.

Born on November 16, 1946 at 7:25 am MST in Hotchkiss, Colorado (RR: AA), this tireless botanical explorer into shamanism and the realms of conscious and unconscious reality was born with deep-thinking Scorpio rising, Sun @23Scorpio38, Moon @1Virgo52, and Venus, Chiron, and Jupiter also in Scorpio. And the orb between his Mercury Rx rising in early Sagittarius and his 9th house Pluto Rx @13Leo22? Actually, it's 111 degrees 35 minutes which astrodatabank gives as a trine. Stretched a bit, perhaps, but with distant Pluto (and considering his lifelong studies) I'd consider the orb descriptive of a trine under the circumstances. Some of McKenna's quirkiness and interest in unusual or occult topics is seen by a Bowl shape that 'scoops up experiences' with progressive Uranus @20Gemini48 Rx leading all his planets. And of course, Mercury-ruled Gemini is the sign of The Mind.

To close, you'll find more details on Harmonic charts and why study them in a previous post containing a video presentation by master astrologer David Cochrane.

And speaking of botanical hallucinogens, here's a detail of my drawing of the Flower of Jamestown Colony, Jimson weed in bloom:

Terence Kemp McKenna R.I.P. November 16, 1946--April 3, 2000 with both transit Mars and Jupiter square natal Saturn in Leo conjunct Pluto Rx.