A Question of Degree

The 29th degee with the 0 degree. Photo from http://www.divinedolphin.com/

I don't know much about degrees. I know very little. I have heard of and read about critical and anaretic degrees but that's all. It was a comment my friend Carl Karas made on my one of my Facebook statues recently that got me thinking about them. He mentioned how wistful I sound and he referred to my anaretic degrees. I have Mars at 29 50' Taurus and Uranus at 28 59' Libra. :: sotto voce:: I want to whine about this quinqunx but I'll leave that out for now.

So anyways, what Carl said got me thinking about the 29^th degree. Astrologers I respect think it is in fact a significant degree. I'll add a link at the bottom of this post and you can check it out there. But you read so many varying things about it: it's the penultimate degree of a sign so the expression is strong; it is almost into the other sign, so the expression is weak; it can't make up its mind and then it plunges into some rash action.

What I think is that unless you were born with a planet there that is Rx or about to go Rx, that planet is going to progress very soon into the next sign. Especially if it is the fast-moving bodies we're talking about. Picture this: You're born with the Sun at 29 Scorpio and at Age 1 your progressed Sun moves to 0 Sag. Or you're born with Venus at 10 Sag and at around Age 20, it progresses into Cap. You're going to feel and remember that one, if your romantic and relationship style and needs undergo a change when you're a young adult.

Some of us like to say, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." I like to say it myself. And yet, I have changed. We do change as we age. I would think when the progressed Sun changes signs, that's a big shift. April has written something terrific about that, you can click here to read it. Do read it. And while you read it think about the fact that a lot of planets in your natal 12^th are going to eventually move to your 1^st and boy won't everyone notice! Because the shift from one house to another is important too.

But to go back to the point I was trying to make, I think the anaretic degrees are tied to the fact that they very soon progress into the next sign. Hence all these diverse opinions about it. My progressed Mars will move into my 4^th soon, but for all my life it has been in my third. I was born with it in Taurus and it moved into Gemini when I was about three months old. If I track my drives, one way or another, they are tied up with communication. Sure, I fantasize about being a farmer, carpenter, potter but what I do all the time is read, write, talk and I even listen. The only time you'd detect my Taurus Mars is when you're trying to convince me, after a hard day at work, that getting out of my comfy jammies and going for a drink or a movie or play is more fun. I won't. I do flit about but it is very planned and purposeful flitting about. So, yeah, I am a natal Mars in Taurus.

In Nov 2013, my progressed Mars will hit my IC and leave my third house forever. Apart from an event foretold by a progressed planet hitting an angle, I'm curious about what this change of house (do note the inadvertent potential pun) will mean. Probably my activities will become more focused in and around my home. Which makes sense. I want a home office.

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I first read about critical degrees in a Carol Rushman book. She said they are tied to the Vedic lunar mansions. Here's a quote from the lovely Anne Heese's CafeAstrology page:

"0, 13, and 26 degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn); 8-9 and 21-22 degrees of fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius); and 4 and 17 degrees of mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces). hese are considered sensitive, and sometimes strengthening, points. If a natal planet is found in a critical degree, that planet is emphasized and assumes more power in the life of the native due to its placement."

And here is some info on the lunar mansions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakshatra

I'm too tired right now to see how they're derived from the lunar mansions and too tired to even research it to see if it is true. But if you see a connection, do let me know. Also, if you have stories about either your anaretic or critical degrees, do share. I have a whole bunch of critical degrees in my chart and I really like what Bob has to say: http://www.solarcharts.co.nz/Critical%20and%20Anaretic%20Degrees.htm

And here's the link I promised on the anaretic degrees: http://cafeastrology.com/criticaldegrees.html

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Christine, it was your email saying you miss my posts, that has me writing again. Thank you.