by Bruce Johnson —
Bruce Johnson has over 30 years of study in the fields of Ancient Wisdom and occultism. He has taught classes on a wide range of topics, from Atlantis to mediums to Zoroaster. He is also a spiritualist minister, with a background in spiritual astrology. He lives in Colorado with his wife and their cat.
Ancient astrologers determined the influence of the “fixed stars” to be a blend of two separate planetary energies that varied with different astrologers. Ptolemy attributed to the fixed star Antares the combined qualities of Mars and Jupiter. The brilliant star Spica was believed by some early astrologers to express the nature of Mercury blended with Venus. Fixed stars were further distinguished by their magnitude or brightness, significance to planet Earth, and by their being considered fortunate or unfortunate.
To be effectual in a nativity, a fixed star should be exactly conjunct or parallel a sensitive degree in the chart, including those of the planets, Ascendant, Midheaven and lunar nodes. Fixed stars are not fixed, but move about fifty and one quarter seconds of longitude yearly. Accuracy is important in working with fixed stars, and one will need a precise fixed star ephemeris to correctly locate them in a horoscope. This article shows their general locations by decans, or the three ten degree arcs contained in every astrological sign, for January 2020.
The double star Polaris is a magnitude two fixed star located in the last decan of Gemini. Also called the Pole Star, it indicates the celestial pole at this time. Due to the precession of the equinoxes, the fixed star Wega will be the pole star in 13,500 A.D. Polaris is a guiding star symbolizing spiritual direction and purpose for humanity. Esoterically, it attunes to the will and the red ray.
Alcyone is the brightest of the six visible stars in the Pleiades cluster placed in the first decan of Gemini. Like many modern astrologers, Mesopotamian astrologers believed Alcyone to be the central point around which our universe revolves. Alcyone expresses the qualities of mind and the yellow ray, and is sometimes referred to as the “Star of Intelligence”.
The heliacal rising of Sirius at the summer solstice marked the beginning of the Egyptian New Year. Sirius energy is both triple and seven-fold in nature, and can manifest through all seven rays. The primary energy of Sirius is love and peace, manifested through the blue ray. Combined with Polaris at the peak and Alcyone at the right-hand point, Sirius at the left-hand point creates a fixed star triangle that demonstrates the three fundamental color rays.
These eleven first magnitude or brightest fixed stars are generally considered fortunate or “lucky”. Aldebaran, one of the Four Royal Stars of Persia, along with Rigel, is positioned in the second decan of Gemini. The red-colored Antares was another of the Persian Royal Stars and is found in the first decan of Sagittarius. The third decan of Libra includes the beneficial stars Arcturus and Spica. Mars-influenced Betelgeuse as well as Capella, sparkle from the last decan of Gemini. Fomalhaut, one of the Persian Royal Stars, resides in the first decan of Pisces. The binary star Procyon shines from the third decan of Cancer. Regulus is a Persian Royal Star closely linked to the sign Leo and the energy of Sirius, and is found around zero degrees Virgo. The brightest star in the heavens Sirius illuminates from the second decan of Cancer.
Traditionally, the most evil star in the sky is Algol, positioned in the last decan of Taurus. Esoteric astrologers in the future will categorize fixed stars according to the energies and forces they radiate.
