PERSONAL DEGREE ASSESSMENTS

Charubel’s Aquarius 17°

“A naked man,  having a serpent  coiled  around the lower part of the body.”  A vicious degree; denotes one  subject to filthy habits and deeds; he that hath this degree  on the ascendant should “ Know himself “ and seek to conquer his evil nature.

My natal Sun is at 16° 58’ Aquarius.

            There is some truth to this. I do have some filthy habits such as smoking, occasionally drinking and smoking (grass), exhibitionism. I have learned to know myself better over the last few years and have conquered some of my evil nature, if you wish to call it this. It is a rather harsh statement from the part of Charubel but I can understand it in the context of the late 18th century.        …….CT

My natal Sun is in the 17th degree of Aquarius.

            Several years ago I lived in a third floor studio apartment in a large walk-up building. The tenant in the apartment beneath mine, a young man who was unemployed, often sat on the stairs near the second floor landing, staring out the window. One day I came up the stairs to find him in his usual spot with a long grey snake wrapped around his upper body. Since this was an old building, my first thought was, “are there any holes in my floors or walls where a snake could crawl in?” I lived with two very petite cats who were often taken to be kittens. The bathroom had been remodelled and everything looked secure. The main room and hallway had wall to wall carpeting and I crawled around on my hands and knees, making sure the floor was solid underneath and there were no holes in the wood. This neighbour continued to sit in the hall with his snake from time to time. He often invited me to join him while he fed his snake dinner. I declined. Luckily, I was already planning to move out of that building and only had a few weeks of passing the man with the snake in the hall.

            Oddly enough, about 12 years earlier, I lived in a similar three-story walk up building in Chicago in the trendy Belmont Harbour neighbourhood. My friend and I shared a third floor apartment, and five other apartments shared the same entrance and stairwell. One night my roommate came home asking if I had seen the woman standing on the second floor landing with the snake wrapped around her upper body. No, I hadn’t, and I don’t recall ever seeing that snake myself. The snake lady, though, told my roommate that this was her new pet and they lived across the hall from the apartment beneath ours.      ……..DN

LIBRA 24°

            My natal Sun radiates at 23° 18’ Libra. I found some significance in  Charubel’s, Sepharial’s, and Leo’s degree symbolism. At first association, especially with Charubel, I felt that the manner and attitude of the degree interpretations rather repulsive and in places even unethical. However after deeper reflection I am learning to listen. Some gems just look like stones from the outside.

LI 24° (Charubel) “A big man. He resembles a giant, but the lower limbs look black; this appears to creep upwards.”

            I am not a big man and nowhere near a giant. In size I am now about 5 ft. 8 in. As a young boy and teenager I was much smaller than most people in my class. I grew a lot between 15 and 17. I have over the years managed to hurt my feet, ankles, and hips (in that order) through accidents, and they did indeed creep upwards.

Char….“The one who has this degree will be the subject of many misfortunes, and liable to numerous losses.” ….

                        Yes, indeed, I have suffered many significant losses and setbacks. I do consider these to be the cornerstones or foundations of whatever wisdom I have developed.

Char….“He possesses ambition and capacious desires. But whatever he speculates in will fail.”

            It is curious that I never have been lucky in gambling or speculation.

Char….“In the meantime, let such an one examine his natal figure carefully, and it is possible by so doing that he may be able to master what some call destiny.”

            This part still remains to be proved, however, so far so good.

LIB 24°(Sepharial) “A solitary tree upon a rocky height, behind which is a dark and theatening cloud.”

            This symbol is uncannily close to my spiritual vision. After spending the better part of two years in a black room meditating, a vision came via a lightning bolt during a dark and threatening storm.

Seph….“ It denotes a person of  much independence of spirit, self-confidence, pride, and no little love of distinction.”

            I have always searched for my own vision and followed my own spiritual voice. I have been deeply influenced by the teachers of several religions but I have not been able to choose just one. I have a will to be special and the best. I have always related to my own uniqueness, one way or another.

Seph….“The native will suffer on account of  his isolated feelings,”

            Probably so. I have spent much time alone. Solitary disciplines can threaten relationships.

Seph….“ and will be in danger of betrayal by the  machinations of perfidious enemies.”

            This has happened several significant times in my life. I consider them the completion of old debts, and the beginnings of wisdom.

Seph….“ At a time when he has  reached a height of isolated distinction, he will fall under the  jealous hand of his enemies.”

            If one does one’s best and it lessens the glory of others, should one try to do less than his or her best?

Seph….“ It is a degree of PRIDE.”

            Pride and humiliation seem to come hand in hand.

LI 24°(Alan Leo) “Negative temperament, prone to self-indulgence and given to many amours: health troubles.”

            “Negative” in terms of being reflective and introspective with reservations about outer-social reality, …….. yes, that’s me.

            “Prone to self indulgence” ….. I cannot deny my indulgent side but it is not absolute. I can do without if I so choose.

            “Many Amours” ….. three marriages and a couple of significant other relationships might be considered many by some.

            “Health troubles” ….. not much, but I have had significant extremes of physical experience. Generally my health is good.

            For me, as you can see, I have found relevance and significant seed ideas in all three authors’ works. It simply took some reflective time to assimilate the implications and to see them in my life. After doing so, I feel that I have grown a little and learned a lot. Thank-you Charubel, Sepharial, and Alan Leo! ………..RA.

Sepharial’s LEO 25°

“A reversed triangle upon a red ground”. It denotes a person of. a very passionate and emotional nature, who will suffer through the allurements of the other sex, and  at some time in his life will be liable to suffocation or drowning.  The native will certainly be in danger through the watery  element. The fortunes will be in danger of reversal, and that  through the passional nature of the native. The nature is  incapable of any steady effort, and is, in short, as soft and unstable as water.

It is a degree of INSTABILITY.

My natal Pluto is in the 25th degree of Leo. Sepharial’s degree symbolism for 25° Leo was outstanding to me.

For example:

At two years old I almost drowned in a lake. My mother saved me.

At four years old I set fire to the house and almost suffocated in the smoke.            My mother saved me.

At twelve years old I fell into a well and almost drowned. My mother saved me.

At thirteen years old, a friend of mine who was afraid of deep water almost drowned me. I was rescued by a friend.

Can this be merely coincidence?    …..CM