The significance of this is, in today’s astrology, not only neglected, but often even
denied. Since I established the heliocentric approach to astrology in talks given in
1952 and 53 in Aalen and Munich(Germany) and in a paper in the Astrologische
Monatshefte, 1954, nothing very much has happened in this field in Europe.
The Heliocentric Ephemeris, edited by R. Ebertin, the organizer of the
conferences in Aalen (a town in South Germany) in the fifties had to be
dropped after a few years because of a lack of demand.
The heliocentric data used to be given only in astronomical almanacs. Today
these data can be produced by some computer programs for astrologers;
A program which does not do this should not be accepted anymore. (Editor’s note: Win*Star and Kaleidoscope from Matrix Software include helio positions.)
Since 1982 there has been The American Heliocentric Ephemeris
1901-2000, because several American astrologers turned towards the
heliocentric method which, as far as I know, must have jumped over the ocean
previous to that.
In the following I will call a heliocentric chart a Cosmogram, a geocentric chart a
Horoscope. In a Cosmogram the earth appears instead of the Sun, of course in
opposition to the Sun of the Horoscope. The changes of the positions of the
planets which occur when we transfer our standpoint from the earth to the Sun
become, clear if you look at the Cosmogram of Holderlin
in the center you can see the Sun, surrounded by the orbit of Mercury and
showing its actual position. A beam from the Sun over Mercury projects it onto
28.5°Scorpio. A straight line from the Earth over this Mercury projects it to about
3° Pisces where it is marked.
Generally the changes are greater with planets near to the Sun. Mercury and
Venus, geocentrically bound to the Sun, move heliocentrically around the entire
Zodiac independent from one another and can even come in opposition to their
geocentric position. There is no retrograde. Compared with the geocentric
position Mars can shift by up to 45°, Jupiter only 12°, Saturn by up to 6.5°
Uranus 3° but Neptune and Pluto only 2°. That shows us the easiest and most certain way to see if there is something in the heliocentric approach: the new positions of the planets, especially those near to the Sun, have to make sense in astrology.
At first we can look at Goethe’s Cosmogram. What we see is amazing:
Mercury comes into a conjunction with Neptune (imagination), both receive
a trine from Jupiter and Saturn and a square from Venus. Since also JU and
SA form a mutual trine a complete Grand Trine comes about.
That occurs not so often with only nine factors, because Moon, AC and MC
are missing in a Cosmogram. All aspects are quite exact. In Cosmograms I
give an orb of 6° to conjunction and opposition and 5° to trine, square and
sextile. If there is a complete configuration of three or more planets, one aspect
may have an orb of one degree more.
I do not intend to go into the interpretation of this, I did that in 1954, in the paper
mentioned above. (At that time I published under the pen-name A. Schutz
because I wanted to do a PhD in science with Astronomy as a secondary subject
and publication in Astrology would have caused a lot of difficulties.)
Although the heliocentric positions of the planets are quite impressive it is no
proof yet. Perhaps I picked out the chart which worked best.
In Germany the next great poet after Goethe is Schiller. A naive
person with only a little experience in astrology would expect a
similar constellation to Goethe’s. An educated astrologer,
disappointed by many cheerless experiences, would put a damper on
these expectations and explain: "Astrology is not that easy".
But look at Schiller again. Mercury comes at the corner of a Grand Trine with
Mars trine Uranus (storm and stress) and also in a stress-aspect to Venus, this
time an opposition. So a configuration results, which resembles a kite (in German
"Drache" which means "dragon").
By an opposition Mars to Jupiter (opposition to authority) an impressive
harmonious configuration with a course of sextiles over five planets appears.
Please note here, like in other Cosmograms, the masses of existing mid-points.
Certainly it is unlikely that such a harmonious picture would occur by chance
just with two outstanding poets but of course it would be possible. In German
literature Holderlin could be nominated to third position.
Here in Holderlin's chart we meet one of the most unlikely harmonious constellations
which can be formed with only 9 factors: two independent Grand Trines. One of
them, Mercury trine Venus trine Saturn, is extended by an opposition of Venus to
Earth to a kite shape. The other trine with Mercury conjunction Pluto at one
corner forms a triangle with trine Uranus trine Neptune. Both triangles form the
mutual aspect of 45° (octile or semi-square).
In each of the 3 Cosmograms Mercury came to a corner of a Grand Trine and in a
quite exact aspect to Venus, aspects which are very characteristic, but impossible
in geocentric horoscopes.
Because I am German you will understand that I started my investigation with
prominent German poets but then I passed on to world literature which I have
always been very interested in. There I have found a lot more appropriate charts.
To give examples of English speaking poets and writers I can refer to William
Wordworth, Lawrence Sterne, E.A. Poe, and Rudyard Kipling.
The greatest English poet, W. Shakespeare has a quadriga, 4 planets linked by
conjunctions. This configuration is much stronger and occurs significantly less
frequently than the Grand Trine. More details about that later below.
Anette v, Droste-Hushoff, born 27 years after Holderlin (portrayed on the
German 20 DM note), F.v. Bodelschwing born 1831 (portrayed on a German
stamp of 1996) and A. Tschechov born 1860, all have Grand Trines like
Holderlin’s.
The probability of a particular Grand Trine, i.e. formed by 3 predetermined planets, is
1 in 650. Only in a group of more than 2000 people should we find the same constellation 4 times. Now the other Cosmograms I am showing should not need
any more explanations. Of course a Grand Trine is not the only configuration which is helpful for above average success in life. Here I have given special emphasis to it since it can show best the effectiveness of heliocentric constellations. Concerning Mercury, Venus and Earth, the triangles display best fitting constellations which cannot occur in a geocentric Horoscopes.
The other configurations which I investigated more closely are those formed by
conjunctions. I consider a certain constellation of planets as a configuration only if at least 3
planets are involved, like in music where at least 3 tones are needed to form an
chord. With this in mind any 3 planets linked by conjunctions form also a configuration,
which we call a "troika," four planets linked by conjunctions-we call a quadriga.
These terms also say a lot about how they are effective. With a quadriga someone
can rush to their goal in life, as if drawn by 4 horses. (Editor’s note: a quadriga is a chariot drawn by four horses.) Although this could only be attained by a firm and mature personality. Otherwise the person suffers the fate of
Phaeton who drove the quadriga of his father, the Sun-god Helios. At the zenith
of the path he lost control of the horses and crashed.
In my statistical investigations I use an orb of 6° for conjunctions, if a troika is
formed for the third and every further planet an orb of 7° is valid, so that the two
planets on the outside can be separated by up to 13°, in a quadriga up to 20°.
These kinds of configurations occur more rarely in Cosmograms than in
Horoscopes. In Horoscopes there is also the Moon as a 10th "planet" and even
ASC and MC and the Moon’s node are often employed in conjunctions.
Besides that a conjunction Mercury/Earth is only 1/10 as frequent as the
conjunction Mercury/Sun, provided the same orb is taken as a basis.
An increase of the number of factors by one (for example from 9 to 10 = 11%)
doesn’t lead to a linear increase in the probability of configurations by only 11%
but to an increase of 43% (!), since 9 planets combined in groups of 3 can form
84 possible combinations; 10 planets combined in groups of 3 can form 120
combinations.
Following the classical theory of astrology conjunctions should give much power
of assertion to its "owner." That is confirmed by picking out of the number of
famous people only those whose configurations have not only two or three but
four or more planets in conjunction. Of course a quadriga turns up much more
rarely than a troika. (In one chart with 9 planets two troikas turn up even more
rarely, occurring for example in Hitler’s chart.) The list starts with J. Caesar (see
pict. 6); after Trajan (another Caesar) and some popes we come to M. Luther,
Shakespeare, Wallenstein, Salazar, Franco, Mao Tse Tung, Ch.de Gaulle, ...!
Now we can try to prove statistically a connection between constellations of the planets on the day of birth of a person and their achievements.
I made my first attempt at that during my student days in Halle (on Saale),
1946-50. I went on the assumption that a group of people with a very special
profession would have to show special constellations if there were a connection.
This profession should fulfill conditions as follows: very special, not
widespread, freely chosen (not hereditary).
For example it should not be a soldier, doctor or farmer. If a doctor than it should
be more precise, for example a specialist like gynecologist or a surgeon.
I had just changed my subject from chemistry to geology and the occupation of a
geologist seemed to be very suitable for testing claims of astrology. To be
interested in fossils, quarries, pits and mines was not very usual, almost lying a
little bit outside the social norm. Since geology was not a subject at school there
could not be much influence from outside, for example by a teacher. Moreover
there was a quite clear statement in astrology for this particular interest: a strong
position of Saturn all above near MC or ASC.
Risking my reputation as a scientist-to-be, I got about 25 data from fellow
students. The result was quite positive as defined by astrology.
However, it proved impossible to impress these results on skeptical scientists.
Whereas they immediately accepted statistics in geology as correctly produced
and analyzed, since the results were "rational," they doubted everything in
astrology. They doubted the precision of the calculation; I was suspected of
manipulating the times of birth (mostly indicated to me orally) or even ignoring
horoscopes which did not fit.
So I was forced to choose a group of people as a basis for statistics which were
not compiled by me and whose data were available to the public. I used a big
German encyclopedia which had just been published. I picked out of the
Brockhaus - Lexikon in 14 volumes (1952 - 57) every individual about whom
25 cm or more were reported.
These personalities achieved - without any doubt - something above average,
even if the achievements were not always positive ones. With them more helpful
constellations should occur than in a group of average people, if there were a
connection between human achievements and the constellation of planets.
For some thousand years, astrology has held the theory that the helpful
constellations are conjunctions, trines and sextiles. The result with this group of
geniuses (which is what I will call them for short, while aware of the problems in
this expression) was clearly in the sense of astrology!
All constellations had been, however, calculated from the heliocentric standpoint.
So I could use with sufficient precision for statistical purposes the positions at
noon at the day of birth, since the quickly running Moon, ASC and MC do not
come into consideration. Of course, encyclopedias give only the day of birth and
only exceptionally is the time known. To assess such statistics the probabilities or
rather the frequencies which are to be expected have to be known. These are
given in the table below:
Orb (in degrees)
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
|
Troika
0.054
0.081
0.112
0.147
0.184
|
Grand Trine
0.051
0.077
0.107
0.139
0.174
|
These values, calculated by an expert in mathematics and by myself, were confirmed by
200,000 computer simulations of planets’ positions. Besides that I have
calculated 2000 actual cosmograms of random data between the year 1500 and
1920, that is the period of time to which most of the geniuses belong, and this
gave the same result.
The encyclopedia I used, provided just 100 geniuses with entries of 25 cm or
more. These 100 cosmograms contain 43% of the helpful configurations I
mentioned, instead of 24% which would be expected. That is a clear proof of a
connection, since such a deviation should occur only once in more than 1 million
samples.
After that I calculated the cosmograms of all individuals given by the Lexikon
which had entries of more than 10 cm (apart from hereditary kings or emperors).
So I got 604 additional cosmograms. Also in this group the configurations I
considered were significantly more frequent than was to be expected. According
to all rules of statistics it is almost impossible that this deviation can be caused by
chance.
I had already worked out these results in the sixties. It took me several holidays
because the calculations had to be carried out by hand and head. There were
no ephemerides for the time before 1800 and as well of course at that time there
were no PCs or even any astronomical programs.
A cosmogram took about 1 to 2 hours for calculating, drawing and analyzing.
With the help of a computer this can be done in one minute. So last year I was
able to check in one week the calculations of years. But certainly you explore the
material deeper when you calculate and draw it yourself.
So there is now a statistical investigation with 704 individuals, who where not
chosen by me, and with given and easy to check data of birth.
The strong deviation of the frequency of helpful aspects, corresponding with
old rules of astrology, can be checked by every skeptic who is interested in
science. This particular lexikon is still available in almost all German libraries
(and in many houses). It was the first big lexikon published in Germany after
the war. The heliocentric positions of planets can be calculated with the help of
the tables of NEUGEBAUER or AHNERT or after 1798 taken from the
Astronomical Almanach or Berliner Astronomisches Jahrbuch. The easiest way of
course is now the calculation with the PC. There are several programs today
which give the heliocentric positions too.
Incidentally, there are additional methods in statistics for considering as proven
strong deviations from an expected average, to order the masses of data after
criteria which make either sense or not and observe the result.
A reasonable point of view is the length of the articles in the lexikon. This has
been fixed by the editorial staff of the lexikon proportionally to the meaning
they attributed to the person concerned and their achievements. Articles about
Goethe, Shakespeare or Luther are, of course, significantly longer than those
about e.g. Bert Brecht, Bemh. Shaw or the priest Kneipp. The data ordered in
groups corresponding to the length of the articles provide an amazingly
good correlation which is difficult to explain as a result of chance (pict. 9).
Another sensible structuring of the data is one according to the years of birth.
Also here we get a picture (nr. 10) we might expect: a steady high level through
the centuries, decreasing in the 19th century, which is easy to explain.
A Konversation-Lexikon, as it is really called in German, tries to be relevant
to recent or even present situations. So of the last and the current century
individuals are mentioned who will disappear in the next century, while the
memories of people of earlier centuries is only maintained for really great
achievements. Think only of the numerous actors, pop singers and secretaries
in politics who are mentioned in the current lexikon, but not any more in the
next one.
The steadiness of the distribution of the helpful configurations also demonstrates
the strong deviation in our statistics, can not be caused by some constellations
which last for a longer time.
Now we can compare these examples with a data put in order of a point of view
which certainly can not stand in a relevant connection with the distribution of
constellations. We order the individuals alphabetically, split up in groups, and get
now a picture (nr. 11) without any correlation. The abscissa goes from A to Z
and of course the values of the groups are scattered irregularly which would also
have been the case in the other two pictures, if there had not been a connection
with the positions of planets.
This significant connection between spiritual achievements and heliocentric
position of planets is really of great theoretical meaning and perhaps some day of
a practical one. It shows that our spirit works in a field of an, as yet unknown,
nature which is formed or at least modified by the position of the planets.
It can not only be a radiation of the planets as assumed by many astrologers.
The experience of astrology over thousands of years was gained only with
geocentric horoscopes, which in my opinion (based on many observations) are
only correct with still native living people, who react immediately to each
stimulus and mood coming from outside.
With personalities who take daily life composedly, watching it from a calm center
and, by this means, come to a more objective view of things and life and thus to
achievements which outlive their originators, the heliocentric constellations
are more decisive. In 1954 I described the geocentric horoscope as a horoscope
of the heart, the heliocentric one (Cosmogram) as a horoscope of the spirit. The
Cosmogram becomes more effective with growing experience and growing
maturity.
Thus there appears a relationship between the structure of our mind and the
structure of our Solar system. Actually this is not surprising. Live, and surely the
spirit too (at least the brain) has developed in the last 3 billion years slowly
under the steady influence of the Sun and the revolving planets.(Imaging really
the number of three billion years, 3 thousand times 1 million years, each million
consisting again of 1000 times 1000 years.)
Now physicists should think about the nature of the force-field which links the
structure of the Solar system with the structure of the human mind.
The effect seems to depend mainly on direction and angles. The masses and
distances of the planets are of no or of secondary meaning.
What is new in science in general and for physicists in particular is now that the
only "instrument" for measuring the quality of the effective forces we have, is the
quality of the achievement of a person. Quality means here not only the level but
also the type and manner of achievement. We can judge achievements only by
actually realized creative feats in arts, science or politics. In this matter now have
to cooperate arts and science certainly to their mutual profits.
Bibliography:
AHNERTS: Kalender fur Sternfreunde
 Leipzig, Berlin, Heidelberg: J. Ambrosius Barth-Verl., (1995 im 47. Jahrgg.)
AHNERT, P.: Astronomisch-Chronologische Tafein fur Sonne, Mond und Planeten
Leipzig: 1961, 2. Aufl.
KOLLER, S.: Graphische Tafeln zur Beurteilung statistischer Zahlen
Darmstadt: 1953, 3.Auflage
MICHELSEN, Neil F.: The American Heliocentric Ephemeris 1901-2000
San Diego: 1982
NEUGEBAUER, P.V.: Tafeln zur astronomischen Chronologie
Leipzig: 1914, Vol. 2
RETTIG, R.: HORCOM, Astrologie-Programm (mit heliozentrischen
Planetenstellungen) fur ATARI - ST- Computer
SCHIEMENZ, S.: "Die psychologische Bedeutung der Gestirne4"
in: Kosmobiologie, May 1953
SCHUTZ, A. (S.Schiemenz): "Das heliozentrische Horoskop"
in: Astroiogische Monatshefte 7/8, Hamburg 1954
(Editor’s Note: The Sun is Shining by Michael Erlewine is a heliocentric ephemeris with introductory material on heliocentric astrology, Matrix Software.)
Copyright: Siegfried Schiemenz
|
