by Jamie Longstreet

In the Witte school (midpoints etc), the zero Aries point is considered significant. In medical astrology, where one does not necessarily have a birth time and even if one does, there is not time to rectify it and thus, needing a specific degree of accuracy, one must resort to other methodologies. One of these is to use midpoints.

Thus, it seems important to me, because I rely on the midpoint so heavily, to justify the zero Aries point within the tropical zodiac. While struggling with my ignorace of siderealist viewpoint, I am reminded that the saying "When in Rome, do as...." always carries with it a helping of common sense and here in the west, we have developed and to date, use tropical astrology.

Eastern views of astrology present philosophies which by their nature involve a mature understanding of eastern philosophy; predicting death is one important example.

As Hand's Hindsight project brings to light much of early western techniques (ie chronocrators - Greek equivalent of the planetary cycles), it is becoming increasingly evident that the two systems have common elemental bonds, although tropical can be performed without the ritual necessary in Eastern cultures. (I leave this thought open to comment.)

The zero Aries point comes from the Greeks. Although it's not actually a planet, it is the point where the Sun's ecliptic crosses the earth's equator. A basic premise of astrology incorporates the ideology that all action occurs along the ecliptic. To wit, this point has turned the tropical/sidereal argument into a discussion of the seasons. But the point's relationship to the Ascendent - Descendent axis and thus intimate and social contact, is easily determined. "Rising" at the zero Aries point and "setting" at zero Libra, the relationship chart is determined.

To go beyond this is to presume an understanding of the role of our solar system in the universe. Unfortunately on a macroscopic level, we are as yet unable to find evidence to study this. The zero Aries point is an entirely impersonal but universally common point of social contact.

Zero Aries represents a point in time when the night is suddenly overshadowed by day (vernal equinox). This celebratory flavor, in my opinion, represents an important common bond which we universally share, if not consciously, at the least, on an unconscious level. Although the Moon's north node has the same flavor and is an important point, (again may I point out my scanty knowledge of Vedic) I perceive the Moon's node as having a far more personal essence.

For this reason, I would say boldly that the Sun/Earth node (zero Aries) has a social impact; certainly it does so here, in our western world. The Moon's node also has a social impact, but one of a more intimate nature. This may explain why the Moon's natural house, the fourth house, is commonly associated with endings which are typically of a personal nature. The Sun's nature is more characteristic of creativity - the new life-start - *birth* - we receive following the emergence from the 4th house.

But the point that most strikes me is the significance of the poles themselves and the rising points. Thus in my perverse logic I jump here to the study of "Solstice Points" which has become a personal fascination of mine.

We struggle in life to rise to the top of our charts but we know that the fall will be cushioned by the presence of the 4th house provided we have taken care to see that it remains upkept throughout our struggles. Whatever it is we do is based upon and is influenced by our rising degree, our horizon, and that "stuggle" is what we take into our public world at the top of the chart. Furthermore, the pressures we face each day whether it be from the partner (7th) we share that home with or from the happenstance that we are placed in from day to day - have a profound effect upon that rise and fall.

It seems quite interesting also, that the draconic chart, which is often measured by adding the distance from the node to the zero Aries point to all the other points in the chart including the cusps... (point here being that the crossing of the path of the Sun and the Moon is as significant a point as is the point of Zero Aries) that the draconic chart stresses the impact upon our lives that the Sun and Moon have on our lives in accord with their cyclic nature. A nature that incidentally has a 19 year cycle. Yes, nodal events should have a corresponding similarity to an event 19 years in the past.

To finish this diversion, I feel compelled to point out that the Solstice Points seem to be based upon how hard we work at something and should never be looked upon as fated. Certainly events that happen to us (1st house) may have that flavor, but in spite of their flavor, our work and accomplishments are what stands when we are finished with this lifetime. The Solstice Points mark the comings and goings of those events. But what is more important is that they have weight in the chart and seem to keep us bound on this earth until the time comes for us to leave. Ahhh, those out-of-bounds planets! How significant they are, truly.

There are some interesting aspects of out-of-bounds declinations you may find handy. Interesting to many astrologers is that an aspect that is out-of-bounds generally behave in a manner totally contrary to the one that is normally correct. These delineations are:

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