„Ashmole 782“ and 15ºCancer Published: 18th February, 2013. | Author: Smiljana Gavrančić

"Ashmole 782" and 15º Cancer

Published: 18th February, 2013. | Author: Smiljana Gavrančić

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013, the bookstore 'Volcano' (symbolism of Scorpio, Pluto, series 8), Novi Sad – a city in the symbolism of Aquarius, ruled by Uranus, and we're in the period of 7  Uran-Pluto squares from the 24th of June, 2012. until March 17th, 2015. , every one of them symbolising the 'awakening' of one of the 7 energetic levels (chakras) inside us, traveling from the 8º to 15º degrees of cardinal signs – Aries and Capricorn, it's exactly 3pm, and I'm holding in my hands the first book of the All Souls triology – A Discovery of witches by Deborah Harkness, historian, alchemy expert, occultist, university professor . The book revolves around the ancient alchemy manuscript 'Ashmole 782' (related to Elias Ashmole) – the 'secret of the enchanted world'.. The book represents a magnificent synthesis of magic and history.

Ashmole 782 = 7 + 8 + 2 = 17 = 1 + 7 = 8 (transformation)

„That you are reading this means that your father and I succeeded. We were able to convince the Congregation that it was your father – and not you – whose power they sought. You mustn't blame yourself.  It was the only decision we could possibly make. We trust that you are old enough now to understand.You're old enough, too, to take up the hunt that we began when you were born – the hunt for information about you and your magic. We recieved the enclosed note and drawing when you were three. It came to us in an envelope with an Israeli stamp. The department secretary told us there was no return address or signature – just the note and the picture. We've spent much of the past four years trying to make sense of it. We couldn't ask too many questions. But we think the picture shows a wedding....Remember, Diana: The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious.“
(A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness)

The Ascendant was on 15º Cancer at the time, conjucting my natal Moon in 8th house (research) and the ruler of 9th house (purpose) on 29º Cancer (the place where two Lights, the Moon and the Sun, come together, the place that can give great insight) in square with Pluto in Libra, ruler of 12th house (Secret, silence). The cusp of that house is on 2º Scorpio (near to the fall of the Moon on 3º Scorpio) and I felt (Moon) that I was on the right place, on the verge of discovery, the light at the end of the tunnel, the light which will come to me after I connect with something from the past far away.. (trine Venus on Achernar, which 'resolves' the square in mention).

As on that exact day my diurnal chart pinpointed the Moon on 5º Gemini, conjucting the Ascendant of Elias Ashmole, the man who knew the secret of the Philosopher's stone – it was a chance for him and me to 'meet', somewhere...

Elias Ashmole

Ashmole was an English politician, collector, astrologer and alchemist, one of the founders of the Royal Society and one of the first members of the secret  Free masons in England. He donated his enormously rich collection of ancient manuscripts to the University of Oxford, where a museum dedicated to him exists today.  What makes Ashmole even more interesting is the fact that, in May of 1653. he had written down the secret of the Philosopher's stone, shared with him by a dying friend.

„My 'father' Blackhouse, lying sick in Fleet Street across St. Dunstan church, not knowing whether he'll live or die, around 11 o'clock, told me the real secret of the Philosopher's stone...“

If we take a look at Ashmole's secondary progressions for May of 1653, we can see that the secondary Sun is at 15º Cancer, on the exact degree of  the Ascendant of the moment when I touched the book for the first time.

Also, his secondary Moon (moving one degree in one month)which is intercepted ('a secret') in his natal chart and placed inside the 12th house ('secret'), was on 15º Virgo (close to exaltation of Mercury, 13º Virgo, which is the sign of important words) and making a sextile to 15º Cancer during May of 1653. , which was a chance to reach a secret with ease, and the 15th degrees alone speak of the importance of that secret as 'royal'.

It's very well known that 15º Cancer is the degree of Jupiter's exaltation and also a place in the zodiac where God, the Maker, lives, and also the greatest knowledge! It's a strong place inside the Zodiac, energy-wise, a place which demands reconcilliation of opposites, uniting our parents, father (Sun) and mother (Moon) and hold them inside us as – one. It is then when we become somewhat of a magician, and we don't see fear or danger in the degree of Moon's fall (3º Scorpio) but the possibility to reach and connect with something deep in the past, because the degree of a planet's fall represents that need.

This degree (15º Cancer) is asking of us to cleanse ourselves from any doubt (Saturn is in detriment in Cancer), anger ( Mars falls in Cancer), and to be joyful and full of optimism (Jupiter – exalted on 15º Cancer)...

His secondary Moon, ruler of the Ascendant makes an exact sextile to Uranus at the same time, which opens him up to new and sudden insight...

The 'All Souls' triology

Deborah Harkness, the writer, studied at Oxford herself and the character of Diana Bishop represents an author surrogate in many ways. But Diana is not only a historian of alchemy, like the writer herself, but also a descendant of a well known family of witches. Her parents Rebecca and Stephen were well-respected scholars, but also one of the most powerful magical creatures. But, a tragic event separated Diana from her parents forever. When she was only seven years old, they were brutally murdered in Africa. It's believed that they were killed for the great amount of knowledge and power they possessed...Before their untimely deaths, they left her a letter, explaining who and what she really is, and the magnitude of her power. Her aunt Sarah was the one who raised her, and although she was also a witch, her abilities never compared to those of Diana's parents.

For her whole life, Diana tried to 'escape' and ignore her own magic as a way to forget her parents' tragic death she couldn't get over... She refused to use her magic abilities, and wanted to be just an ordinary human.. Not using her magic and focusing on her intelligence, she became an accomplished scholar and professor. But, everything changed one day when she stumbled upon an ancient manuscript 'Ashmole 782' which started her transformation and infuenced her to finally awaken the gifts of her parents inside her.Her athletic build is also interesting as she coped with excessive energy and adrenaline by rowing or running daily. Her name suits her very well, considering her date of birth...

13th of August – Celebration of the goddess 

It's the 13th of August, 1976. That exact date was dedicated to the goddess of the hunt, Diana, in Ancient Rome. Her name in greek mythology was Artemis. Later she also became the goddess of the Moon (Luna in roman mythology), which also inspired me to place the Ascendant of the main character of the book, due to the date of birth and symbolism behind it. I mapped her Ascendant on 15º Cancer because that degree fits perfectly in the story about her parents and the 'problem' related to them... While she was refusing to use her magic, to be a witch – she refused to recconcile her parents inside her and make them one. 

Further, Diana Bishop is a university professor (Jupiter) on two very prestigious universities (Oxford and Yale) which is also symbolism of Asc on 15º Cancer! She's got fire (Sun on the degree of Neptune's fall) and water (Moon on 29º Pisces) magic inside her, and in the beggining she can't control her magic and balance these two opposites of her powers. When she cries, she conjures witchwater and even becomes it, and she can produce electric flames on the tips of her fingers which can cause fires. What her Ascendant on 15º Cancer demands of her is to balance out and reconcile these two opposites – water and fire – inside her. 

Diana – Artemis and 15º Cancer

As Artemis is the goddess of the Moon, it's completely logical that she could be connected to the central degree in the sign of Cancer, more accurately, the 15th degree. 

Finally, this could be the zodiac degree from which 'vibrates' the temple of goddess Artemis in Efes (Ephesus – present day Turkey) as one of the Seven world wonders of the ancient world. Since the degree in question is exalting Jupiter, it's not a coincidence that this great temple was burnt to the ground on July 21st, 356. BC, in the night when Alexander the Great (Jupiter) was born, as the historians of that age claim: „In that night the goddess wasn't present at her temple, watching over the birth of a future great leader, so she couldn't save her temple from destruction.“ Also being a goddess of fertility, she had to greet the new baby into the world.  During the following two decades, the temple was rebuilt, helped significantly by Alexander the Great himself. By the way, the resources for the original construction of the temple came from the last king of ancient Lidia, Kruz, known for his enormous wealth ( 15º Cancer, exaltation of Jupiter and a degree connected to great sums of money). In many languages of the world, there's still a saying 'Rich like Kruz'! All of this really proves that 15º Cancer is a crucial degree in this story.

I stopped writing the article for a moment, being summoned by a friend in need... I accept, although hating to interrupt my writing.. However, I know that everything happens for a reason, and soon I had a confirmation for that. And so my friend introduces me to Lidija, a Jewish girl, who shares with me a beautiful story about Israel, Jerusalim, without me even asking her anything. And then I remember  - Jerusalim is also connected to 15º Cancer, and it's one of the most important religious locations in the world. This unplanned encounter with Lidija only confirmed that I'm on the right track about this research... I told myself: „Yes, Diana Bishop's Ascendant must be on 15º Cancer!“

Having returned home, I continued writing...

If we observe this chart further, we can see that the Moon, ruler of the Ascendant in 10th house (same gender parent, mother in this case) is on a very special degree - 29º Pisces, a degree connected to people who are Seers, which represents her mother as a great and well known Seer, but also it can represent Diana's  walking with her eyes closed, which she did since she was a child. It's also a symbol of her great ability to row in the fog and even ride horses with her eyes closed! It's a way to relax, and as she says, it's an act of meditation for her.

The Moon's dispositor, Jupiter, places it in 11th house, brining liberation, still remaining on a special degree - 29º Taurus, where Moon is naturally exalted. This degree tells us that it will be many years before Diana actually uses her magic abilities, but when she releases her secret knowledge, she'll be extraordinary (The Moon is exalted)...

Uranus in this chart is also interesting (after Mercury, an essencial significator for gene, genetics can also be observed through Uranus) in her 5th house (love), on the very degree of Moon's fall, but also exaltation of Pluto (Vampire), on 3º Scorpio, the degree I mentioned earlier as important to the story. It's an image of the geneticist Matthew Clairmont, also a vampire older than 1500 years and a professor, extremely rich, a member of the Knights of Lazarus, somebody that's fond of wine, yoga, smells like cloves and cinnamon, somebody who never sleeps and drags Diana into his Plutonic world, because of his interest in her and the secret 'Ashmole 782' represents... 

Despite the rule forbidding love between witches and vampires, they instantly connect with each other and he influences her transformation. Together they journey back in time (in the second part of the triology, Shadow of the Night), during the reign of Elizabeth I, all the way to 1590. in order to find a teacher for Diana, who can help her with controlling her magic, also reconcilling her parents inside her at the same time. During this stay in the past, Diana also runs into her father... 

Sun/Moon conjuction

There are 7 alchemic steps (exactly the same number of chakras exist, and also 7 Uranus/Pluto squares from 2012. to 2015.) towards transformation, and during the whole All Souls triology Diana keeps connecting with the alchemic illumination speaking about the fourth step, the Conjucton, the sacred marriage of the masculine and feminine aspect in us, the conjuction of Sun (gold) and Moon (silver), the royal wedding. Exactly this step is connected to the most important, fourth, lunar chakra, which is located in the heart area inside all of us, and it connects the lower energetic level (the body, unconcious) with the upper ( the mind, concious). The act of developing inner love, love of ourselves, is very important here, so is accepting ourselves and our parents, father (Sun) and mother (Moon), reconcilliate the mind (Sun) and the feelings (Moon) in one point, on 15º Cancer, in order to reach the great knowledge (Jupiter). In secret alchemy experiments, the conjuction symbolises salt, and that makes cleaning the organism with sea salt very beneficial, 'cleaning' us on the deepest levels of painful emotions and negative energy.

It takes a lot of courage to reach this, and passion to find the way to ourselves and to God. We can experience Unity when we love somebody, but also when we feel united with nature and the universe... Before the Unity takes part in our lives, a person can be lost and prone to wandering (as it was the case with Diana), and that person can look for a partner at any cost, getting jealous and possessive when they are found. On the other hand, a sign of Unity in somebody is the growth of trust, the balance and peace flowing through their life. 

So, accordng to everything, the most important, lunar, fourth chakra vibrates inside the Zodiac exactly in the Center of the Soul, on 15º Cancer (exaltation of Jupiter), from the place where Zeus (Jupiter) will love only Hera and be faithful unless she fills her heart with doubts and fears (Saturn is in detriment in Cancer) and she gets angry (Cancer is where Mars falls). She only needs to be joyful (Jupiter). Can we, based on everything, conclude that the secret of the Philosopher's stone lives on 15º Cancer, the degree where we make the opposites in us become one, the degree where we reconcille our parents, our Sun and Moon? I would say that the answer is – yes... Because, when Diana accepts her parents and her magical heritage, when she reconcilles them, she also accepts herself, exactly the way she is – somebody that has power, a witch, she opens up a way to piece and tranquility...  It's then when she stops seeing 3º Scorpio (vampire, Matthew, death) as danger, accepting it as a chance for deep transformation and owning her deepest, long repressed secret powers... 

The 7th Uranus/Pluto square – March, 2015.

Although the fourth Uranus/Pluto square is going to happen in 2013., and analogue to the fourth chakra, the last, seventh square is especially interesting to the story since it's going to happen across the 15th degree of cardinal signs, Aries and Capricorn, which will 'touch' 15º Cancer, the degree we connect to the central, heart chakra, the alchemical illumination Conjuction, and the secret of the Philosopher's stone!

That's how a cardinal T-square will be created, where the focal point will be Uranus on 15º Aries, and the dispositor of Uranus will tell us the outcome. It's Mars which leads Uranus to the degree of Sun's exaltation, so it's all an image of merging two natural antipods, Uranus and Sun, on the degree where Sun is exalted (19º Aries), which accentuates that this cosmic man (Uranus) will be influenced by Light on a very important place inside the Zodiac. As this is the Sun decant inside the Aries sign, the importance of Light is even more accentuated. The first application aspect will be a sextile to Moon in Aquarius, so this will really be a chance to connect the Sun (19º Aries) and Moon inside us with ease...

„We think the woman in white is meant to be you, Diana. We are less certain about the indentity of the dark man. I've seen him in your dreams, but he's hard to place. He walks through your future, but he's in the past as well. He's always in shadows, never in the light. And though he's dangerous, the shadowed man doesn't pose a threat to you. Is he with you now? I hope so... We hope that the two of you will be able to discover the source of this picture.“
(Deborah Harkness, A Discovery of Witches)

 Chart source: http://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Ashmole,_Elias