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planet besieged is fairly obvious. Such
a configuration may consist of planets only,
no Nodes or Asteroids. Orbs are dependent
on the strength of the planets in their
signs, but mainly nothing over 7- or 10-degrees
spread, all told. Sign differences only
add to the complexity.
Some
authorities restrict its application to
a Significator when between and within
orbs of two benefics. Older authorities
(no citation!) who applied the term to
a planet situated between any two planets,
considered a planet between Venus and
Jupiter to be favorably besieged; perhaps
the "enemy" only wants to make
mushy kisses or some repulsive slobber!
However, if a planet was besieged between
Mars and Saturn it was in an extremely
unfavorable position. Most importantly,
the planet besieged is smothered, and
cannot escape the forces of the other
archetypes so close by; Mars for example,
cannot be easily adapted to the life if
in such a position, and it doesn't really
matter if the surrounding planets are
benefics or malefics.
I
say "slobber" because each planet
so configured has his own agenda; I'll
continue with Mars as an example.
In
any chart, Mars has a heroic job to do
and it takes courage, muscle strength,
force of character, etcetera. Mars is
by necessity always primitive--he's the
planet of instinct. When the surrounding
malefics are represented by these Major
Moderns, i.e., Uranus, Neptune or Pluto,
it is as if these represented something
of our highly technical development as
a culture. Physics, chemistry, internet
technology, the stock market, hospitals,
television, etc. are all themes developed
in the last few centuries, if not the
last 50 years. When they surround the
primitive chest-beating "Johnny Weismeuller"
(Film & Television's first Tarzan),
the direct action and instinctual planet
Mars is lost; the Major Moderns are "beyond
the beyonds" for him.
A
Venus/Moon besiegement of Mars may try
to cushion and sweeten, giving to Mars
the fluffy slippers and remote control
for TV every night. This configuration
(April 5, 1999) was the subject of All_astrology's
discussion in a thread titled, "Double-Scorpio
Difficulty." The posts detailed
a heroin addiction. Mars' wounds were
the tiny punctures surrounded by the clouds
and cushions of Venus/Moon.
In
my observation, a besieged situation merely
demands different agendas to co-exist
together. Think of a planet either being
"on" his agenda and those that
surround it in close configuration as
being "off" that agenda, into
something else, either leading or even
misleading. With Mars, the special vulnerability
is his "dumbness" he's not something
we can easily train or make articulate.
He's the planet of Instinct. So any other
agenda surrounding him takes him off his
chosen duties and responsibilities as
a hero. He may take drugs, revert to baby
behaviors, whatever. But he's not going
into battle to courageously fight for
that to which he feels committed. That's
besieged.
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More
on the Archetype of the Warrior:
Mars:
Addiction and Instinct,
an astrological story of a besieged planet
The
Horary Tradition and Mars: Cuts
and Stings from an ol' Bruiser
McVeigh:
The Abandoned Soldier Within
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| An
All_astrology list member wrote:
I
have a client "Claudia" born in Bogotà
Colombia on 24th October 1970 at 02:55 a.m., with
Mars Pluto and Uranus on the 1st House. The complaint
from close relatives is that insecurity, coupled
with aggressiveness and explosiveness make her a
difficult person to live with at all levels. I would
be grateful if you could help me decipher this explosive
cocktail in House one with the ancient techniques
you use.
Your
client has Mars "besieged".
This
term comes from the medieval castle which finds
itself fully surrounded by the enemy. Uranus at
10 Libra and Pluto at 28 Virgo surround the Mars
in Libra at 2 degrees. That's the ancient point
of view. After that, I have the progressions and
one asteroid to bring to the table. I'll use the
stuff gleaned from my teachers, Wendy Ashley and
Robert Zoller to examine this one. From Zoller comes
the rule cited in Jean Morin de Villefranche:
The
good or bad signified by a house emanates from the
ruler of the house.
In
other words, this is what makes a house ruler actually
rule. All the planets of a house, says
Zoller, follow the ruler of the house.
This
chart's numerous planets ruled by Mars all "feel"
his besieged condition. Scorpio (anciently ruled
by Mars) planets include Sun, Jupiter, Venus and
Neptune. It should be noted also that Aries is on
the 8th cusp, thus making an image of the potential
mode of her death; that Mars is in the 1st, underscoring
a possibility that she may take her own life if
or when feeling completely surrounded by the perceived
enemy. The "besieged" Mars is a situation
of paranoia as well, a sort of persecution and difficulty
with perception beyond self-interests; the Moon
in Leo does what the Sun does, who is in Scorpio.
Moon is also squared to the Saturn which opposes
the Venus; it is a situation whic involves the need
for confinement and treatment. She has the progressed
Moon arriving to the Pluto soon, which will be followed
by the progression of Moon to Mars, etcetera. While
she remains in the home of her parents, I would
consult with the local hospital and find suicide
prevention groups; enlist the aid of the community.
She is not safe with her family who would project
on her their needs to love her and protect her from
herself only to spread the destruction around and
have it land on themselves as well. They have the
situation of the Tar Baby; the more they fight the
more dangerous it becomes. I don't look at asteroids
very much, since this one is already just packed
with stuff; the asteroids, arabic parts (Lots) and
many other astrological "salts/peppers"
just repeat these themes, generally.
Moreover,
Hera (also, "Juno") is conjoined
her Saturn. Mythologically, Hera is Queen of the
Universe, a status given in Marriage by her husband,
Zeus (Jupiter). She was given to tremendous persecution
of Heracles (his name meant "persecuted
by Hera" and is the Greek antecedant to
the Latin, "Hercules"). Hercules
the hero was born a bastard to another, impregnated
by her errant husband, Zeus. Hera had fits of jealousy
followed by violence. Even tortures were not beyond
her wild impulses to protect her marriage. So we
can perhaps expect more of such potent anger, not
less, when married. Her instinctual planet, Mars,
is sensing an attack at all times. A good example
in the latest movies (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,
2000) is the younger woman "Jen," portrayed
by Zhang Ziyi, whose vehemence under attack produces
(in the movies, of course) a shrewish, immature
but polished fighter.
This
conjunction to Saturn which is involved in the t-square
to Venus and the Moon points to family violence.
Neptune,
grand Brick Thrower and agent of unseen
violence (all the ideals are a bit
of show designed to throw everyone off the
trail...) gets the progression from the Sun, so
some identification with fantasies and delusions
are possible for the moment. She may point at her
(poor) mother as the person responsible for her
pain, as a Neptune/Venus conjunction squares the
Mother/Moon figure and perhaps inspires malevolence
against her. Soon Uranus will oppose the moon and
square the t-square to complete the entire radius
of the fixed signs. This will most certainly trigger
the greater powers of her difficulties. The most
demanding time will be when progressed Mars makes
it to her Mercury, the ruler of the chart. This
is the shrew, the motor-mouth and shouting/aggressive
side all full-blown.
With
a chart so difficult and filled with impossibilities
(Neptune) it is more successful to place the person
in a location that gives adaptation; rather than
try to twist the Mars into a charm school teacher.
Permit the Tigress to munch on something substantial
in a field environment where this is appropriate:
she can adapt! Pluto will be on the 4th cusp by
transit in the next year. A forced removal from
her home may follow, unless she can find a way
to live off the land somewhere. Like in the
movie, the girl must go to the mythological
Wudan Mountain, for training. This chart gives
a need for primitive conditions where a hero (Mars)
can take charge and become important by fighting
it out. She needs a castle to defend.
I
am sorry that your client's fate seems so full of
terror. What I reccommend is that the progression
of Venus arriving to her Jupiter may "sweeten"
her exisence; she may marry! Perhaps she could be
convinced that a "retreat" would be better
than living with her family and she could become
a judo or jujitsu instructor. She needs a way to
incorporate the teaching of a warring kind of peace
(Mars in Libra is a "peaceful warrior"
if we can stretch our imagination that far) with
the meaning of violence, and adapt her kicking and
screaming where it is needed, in fact. She may work
for the police department, fire department, that
sort of thing.
Mars
is the planet of instinct. Hunger, drink, sex, even
elimination or sleep are all instinctive; we do
not conjure these events, they are part of being
in the body and living the life of a physical being.
Her instincts are besieged; it's not comfortable
to be in her body at all. If anyone tells her what
to do, she resents it. Yet, she has needs, too.
This
Mercury (ruler of the chart) is close to the Sun,
thus "blinded" by his brilliance. Don't
seek to reason! "It's all about me!" is
what it must feel like. The Venus/Neptune is one
way of convincing her with dreamy ideals. She might
find a way through dream work with a really good
shaman or elder who has visions and dreams and that
sort of thing. If she were living in a city, I would
reccommend a Jungian analyst, but because the planet
of Instinct is special, I much prefer finding something
less civilized. She needs a farm or a forest dwelling
where she may work on her dreams, learn a fighting
sport, become a masterful teacher.
If
she can find support and connection, she will get
through it. She should be cutting down trees or
plowing earth, using big equipment and digging deep.
These would perhaps satisfy that situation with
Mars by exhausting her energies where destruction
is a necessary part of her skills. Perhaps if she
were a responsible type she would take an interest
in explosives or even fireworks. However she must
be persuaded also to listen to wisdom and grow up!
It'll be hard. Get her away from her mother and
she'll learn about what her soul cries out for:
life the "survival" and "primitive"
way. Let her take pride in a Martian-style assignment
instead of all the wussy stuff she hates.
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