Skyscript Astrology Forum

Hi everyone,

~ How many of you use Zodiacal Releasing?

~ Are you bothered by the fact it only appeared in Valens?
(mostly, except 1 or 2 later minor sources)
I had a brief mailing exchange with Martin Gansten a while ago, thus I discovered this peculiar fact.

ZR is an interesting technique as it seems to have been popularized by Chris Brennan, in the last decade or so.
Before that, I think it was rather obscure.

a lot of these ''ancient techniques'' have been popularized the past 20 or 30 years, that were not in use previously... zodiacal releasing is just one of them... no one ( or almost no one) was using profections prior to 1990 either.. at any rate in answer to your question - i don't use zr's... i am on the fence with profections... i have tossed out bounds/terms....

good question.. we could ask the same of a number of techniques in use today... i am curious of others response..

Taking a larger perspective, modern western astrology (beginning in the late 19th century) is the anomaly, with most of its practitioners unaware of techniques that were absolutely standard and used across the board from the ancient period at least up to the 17th century, and filling in the gaps with a plethora of new inventions. This is especially true of astrology in the latter half of the 20th century. Primary directions and profections belong to this group of standard techniques that are now coming back thanks to the greater availability of source texts (many newly translated from Latin, Greek and Arabic, although the start was marked by the re-publication of Lilly's Christian Astrology).

The technique known today as zodiacal releasing, on the other hand, was not part of the standard repertoire of either Arabic or European astrologers, and has probably never enjoyed as great popularity as today.

Dima Gur wrote:~ How many of you use Zodiacal Releasing?

I've never been able to make any insightful use them, Dima, even after testing on tens of charts. Others find them valuable, though, so I say they are worth investigating if you're questioning whether or not to do so.

In all fairness, I have to add that there is a substantial window of my life (a 5-year period) that involved MAJOR occurrences that no techniques seem to hit on. I've always wondered what that's all about. My only theory at this point is that it has something to do with the modern planets. There were multiple strong transiting aspects my chart was receiving from moderns at the time.

Off topic, but, I spent a good amount of years working solely with the classical 7 planets. At one point, I thought I'd never go back to using the modern planets again. What caused me to revisit their use was a traditional technique (haha): I was examining length of life techniques and kept finding people living past the astrological "formula" - not particularly exciting in this modern age with different circumstances and new medicine - but I also started to notice major transits of modern planets hitting those charts around the time they were supposed to "expire" - It got me thinking that if so-called "traditional" astrologers are comfortable explaining away that traditional length of life techniques failure in many cases can be due to modern medicine and other advancements, why aren't they interested in the possibility of the modern planets being able to disrupt/alter things?

Dima Gur wrote: ~ Are you bothered by the fact it only appeared in Valens?
(mostly, except 1 or 2 later minor sources)

Nope. To flip the question a little, I've seen people use Uranian astrology with pretty incredible results, and it's hardly very popular or longstanding.

Martin,

My understanding is that Tradition refers to a unique Tradition of the knowledge of ultimate, invariable and universal principles. But there is also what we call perennialism.

According to Patrick Laude , "the principles of the perennialist vision are based on the notion of Tradition as a divinely inspired and instituted reality, whose fundamental principle, the transcendent wisdom of the ages, manifests itself through a diversity of revelations and symbols in response to various conditions of time and place. [...] perennialism [...] is esoteric, traditional and universalist. »
(https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pérennial ... ritualité)

In the notion of perennialism, there is a notion of 'gnosis' or hidden knowledge, a state, character of that which lasts forever or the science of universal metaphysical principles of which René Guénon and Frithjof Schuon were proponents in the early 20th century.
Note that in Christian Astrology, we have the word Christian.

Back in the 70's here in Québec, an astrologer, Henri Gazon (1909-1982) who came from Europe popularized Profections. Yet, he was very much into gnosis and hermeticism. He was also an architect, mathematician and numerologist. He was combining numbers with birth charts in a pretty impressive way, what he called Vibrations.
As an example he gave with John F. Kennedy whose vibration was written
2 + 5 + 9 = 7 (Birthdate)
3 + 4 + 9 = 7 (Solar sign/Ruler/Decan)
-----------------
5 + 9 + 9 = 5 (Combined Vibration)
He said that the central number 4 facing a vertical row of 9's showed the end of his life.
So he concluded that 49 minus 3 (Gemini number of his Sun) = 46 years = death.
And he also matched it with a radix square MA-UR which repeated itself by transit in November 1963.

His esoteric influence came from Junctin de Florence and you will notice the board behind Junctin which looks like a magical square.
So the esoteric, gnostic part of astrology has not been unraveled yet and unfortunately, Gazon who was Scorpio rising died with his knowledge. Or should I say, his writings were sort of stolen by his secretary who became a popular astrology figure. The scenario would have inspired Agatha Christie.
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Jason,

Totally agree with you. Uranian astrology is a minegold.
It might have to do with the Uranus/Neptune conjunction in Capricorn in the 90's in a Grand Square with Eris (Aries), Jupiter, Apollon (Libra) and Vulcanus (Cancer).
The deep sky and oceans that will inspire generations of astrologers to come.

Dima Gur,

I am not using Zodiacal Releasing as a Tool but I have noticed that the 'Loose of the Bound' seems to have some value to it. But I can't make it a rule or explain why exactly.

Ouranos

Ouranos wrote: Mon May 06, 2024 10:56 am Martin,

My understanding is that Tradition refers to a unique Tradition of the knowledge of ultimate, invariable and universal principles. [...]

I'm not sure how this relates to what I wrote. I didn't even use the word tradition, much less Tradition. (And when I do use it, in the lower case, I do so in the concrete and prosaic sense of ideas/practices that can be shown to have been passed down historically, which is what traditio means.) I have some sympathy with the idea of a philosophia perennis, but not particularly with Guénon or Schuon.

Note that in Christian Astrology, we have the word Christian.

And note that in the book itself, there is little to justify it. In the religio-politically unstable England of the 17th century, it was expedient and sometimes essential to show oneself to side with orthodoxy. Which is not to say that Lilly wasn't a Christian, but that had little or no bearing on his astrology.

Hi Dima ...
I have Schimdt's Zodiacal Releasing Intensive and have worked with it. The naming of the technique comes from Schmidt, you can find the basics of it in Valens Book 4, Chapter 4.

if you are interested in how it's used you might want to check out some of Martien Hermes videos; he uses it for his consultations.

the way i see it astrology is about people being creative... innovative astrological methods come out of astrologers desire to make a connection with events in the world in connection with astrology.. trial and error with different methods which are created by people/astrologers is what we all have to work with... any idea of dismissing or negating those of any particular century their particular insights into astrology doesn't make sense to me.. i don't put life or astrology in some sort of hierarchy where older is always ''better'' for example.. i don't think like that and i have difficulty understand anyone who does..

the short history is in the 90's some astrological texts that had previously been unavailable for reading, became available.. william lillys christian astrology and various books that project hindsight was involved in translating were taking place in this time frame... this label 'traditional astrology' essentially was invented about that time and used a few different ways - one to establish it was not the 'modern astrology' that had been practiced prior to this 90's surge of texts and to suggest for anyone who adopted this approach, they would henceforth refer to themselves as 'traditional astrologers', meaning they would be trying to adopt the aesthetics of these previous astrologers.. dropping the outers would be one popular starting point.. now you're a ''traditional astrologer'!!

various astrological techniques came out are coming out of the same innovation that motivates people from time immortal... it has always been this way and it will always be this way...

i don't agree with martin - 'modern western astrology is the anomaly.' different cultures practiced ( or practice) astrology differently as well - indian astrology for example... there has been blending and sharing of ideas going on forever... it wasn't uniform and standardized in some sort of universal manner... it's definitely not that way today.. i think that's a good thing..

i don't hold to a fundamentalist viewpoint on astrology, but as we see in religion - many do.. i find it confining, elitist and unattractive.. am i supposed to view valens as the moses of astrology who brings down the 10 commandments from mt. sinai? or maybe it was abu mashar? i don't really care... i am happy to learn from valens and i am just as happy to learn from anyone who has some astrological insights or techniques that have merit.. it doesn't have to be part of some ''standardized repertoire'' for me to consider it..

james_m wrote: Tue May 07, 2024 12:36 am i don't agree with martin - 'modern western astrology is the anomaly.' different cultures practiced ( or practice) astrology differently as well - indian astrology for example...

It wasn't a value judgement but a statement of historical fact. Basically you can pick any two astrological authors from any period in history prior to c. 1700 CE and from any cultural area to which horoscopic astrology had been transmitted, and they will have more in common than either will with 20th-century western astrology, both in outlook and in terms of techniques used. Whether one sees this as a sign of evolution or degeneration is a different matter.

Indian astrology is anomalous in some respects as well, and partly for the same sort of reason as modern western astrology: an incomplete transmission leaving lacunae that needed filling. But I would argue that the Indian tradition is still closer to what we may call the historical mainstream than the modern western variant is. (And you are right that the term 'traditional astrology' is modern. Before the modernizing project headed by Alan Leo set in, it wasn't needed. It was just called astrology.)

Everyone,
Thanks for participating.
Quick note: down below in my reply to Jane, I'm sharing my doubts about the ZR technique, if you'd like to reply to that as well

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James:
That's interesting - the techniques you don't use.
What type of astrology do you practice? How would you define it?

Martin:
It's funny how historical developments go, with ZR becoming so popular, so quickly.
Some astrologers swear by it. Especially people who are close to Chris Brennan and his students as well, I believe.
Also Martien Hermes, like Jane said, and I know Lars Panaro also uses it.

Jason:
Good point there, about Uranian.
I guess popularity is fickle, also as far as astrological fashions go.

Ouranos:
Thanks for insights about LoB.
I've seen a few cases where they describe events fairly accurate as well.
One client of my, had her LoB (I think for her Lot of Eros) and she discovered that her husband was cheating on her at about that time.

Jane & everyone:
Thanks for the Valens citation.
It's about time I'd go to the primary source.
Been using secondary sources way too much on ZR (Brennan & M. Hermes mainly).
In actuallity, I use ZR in my predictive work for the last few years.
Sometimes it works like a charm and sometimes it's so-so in terms of accuracy.
I have some uncertainties about the ZR technique, as well.
My impression is that Chris Brennan presents the main facet of the technique as being about zodiacal angularity from part of fortune, with a strong emphasis on that.
This is while Martien Hermes (and others) bring up additional facets, such as which house the zodiacal sign falls in, relative to the natal ASC, which planets are occupying the sign of releasing, which planets are in angular houses relative to that sign, and not least the ruler of the sign which is being released.
Of course there's the loosening of the bond, culmination periods and such, as well.
In case you do use ZR, do you think that the house relative to fortune overcomes the other considerations?
How would you establish an heirarchy of importance, amongst the various considerations?

Dima,

Check out in Planetdance, under Horoscope > Classical > Zodiacal Releasing > Help

From Robert Schmidt method

1. The times arrive in the image where the Lord of the Daimōn resides:
"Finding the/a/your life's work, perhaps even a vocation" (Schmidt: finding one's life's work)."
2. The times arrive in the image where the domicile lord of the main period is located.
"A typical and/or period defining event (Schmidt: Defining event)"
3. The times arrive in the other image of the planet that rules the major period. Ex: Mars radix Aries and going to Scorpio
"A watershed/break/focus period (Schmidt: Turning Point)."
4. The opposite image of the one distributing the major period takes over (explained above).
"A turn and/or disrupted trend (Loosing of the bond)." (Schmidt: it changes the dynamic of the rest of the major period).
5. The times arrive in an image of a planet located in the image that distributes the major period. So when the Ram distributes the major period, and Aphrodite/Venus resides in the Ram, these are the times when we arrive at the Bull or the Scales, the images belonging to Aphrodite/Venus.
"Period Typical motivation/event."
6. The times arrive at the image in which a malefic is situated that is diametrical to (opposes) the domicile ruler of the major period, or is tetragonal (square) to it, or is diametrical to the image that rules the major period.
"A possible split in the period"

Hi Dima ... it's been a few years since I last used ZR and when I did play around with the technique I did the releasing from Spirit, not Fortune. I do remember an emphasis being made on the angles, especially the angle triads, and that the 'loosening' did usually indicate a change but I'm afraid I lost interest in it after working through a few charts; not to say it doesn't work, I did not test it enough to be sure one way or the other; just found I did not take to the method.