Anne Massey’s astrology blog

Questions about Interceptions

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 | Ask Anne, Astrology Students, Astrology for You

Question: Am I still a Cancer with the associated characteristics when my sign is intercepted? Answer: Of course you are. However, how naturally you express the associated qualities could be delayed or diminished. When you were younger you might have hidden your sensitive nature because the environment you grew up in did not support that kind of behaviour. The houses, in addition to defining different areas of life, describe our environment. When we live in an extreme climate our experience of life tends to be more extreme. In the harsh northern climates it is more about survival against the elements. Certain parts of life are necessarily emphasized over others. To endure several months in literal darkness or at best constant twilight would leave an impression and describe a different experience of life. The months when the Sun hardly sets and there is no true darkness would also be reflected in our lives.

“Planets in intercepted signs tend to be very strong, yet a person is less consciously connected to them at least at first. Thus, they tend to work on a more unconscious level, until you learn how to connect with them.”—Zane Stein

Interceptions are fairly common for people born at high latitudes. The environment we are born into influences our perception of life. Being raised in a city versus in the countryside similarly leaves an impression. Astrology reflects our experience of life. The person asking the questions was born in Rotterdam, which lies at the 52nd parallel. For a reference, Canada’s border with the United States is defined by the 49th parallel and on the East Coast there are locations at around the 42nd parallel.

Intercepted signs are those that do not have a house cusp, the word intercept means cut off, read the first article about this topic http://www.annemassey.ca/2010/05/22/interceptions/

Chart with Placidus Houses

 The positioning of the Sun in astrological chart always reflects the time of day at the location the chart was cast. When the Sun is found in the 8th house we think of halfway between Noon and sunset. At the equator we would be able to state between 14:00-16:00. 

The person asking the question was born shortly after the Summer Solstice—a time when the Sun stays above the horizon the longest, on that day the Sun set at 20:58:32 in Rotterdam and other locations sharing the latitude. I have circled the intercepted signs and planets with red, and the cusps of the houses with the interceptions with green.

Question: Are the influences of the houses (in my case the 2nd and 8th house) diminished when they are intercepted?

Quite the opposite, these two houses are physically bigger. This means that planets in transit, the ever-changing sky, spend a longer time in these two houses. Transits are external events, and simplistically their role is to teach us life lessons. Those of us with big houses in an astrological chart spend more time preoccupied with the issues and concepts associated with houses.

The concepts for the eighth house are occult knowledge, death, understanding what motivates others and us, and shared resources in general. With Cancer planets intercepted in this house you might have found that you extended much effort in gaining knowledge about these concepts. The ruler of the house is with the Sun, and you do this to understand who you are intellectually, so that you can understand your innate sensitive nature.

Mercury is in intercepted in Cancer, which suggests the person is likely a very independent thinker, who has the luxury of pondering life without external disruptions. People who have planets in the eighth house tend to obsess over understanding the mysteries of life. The fact that Cancer is intercepted does not mean that the qualities it represents not present in the person. It is not blocked from functioning nor is it weaker. This may mean that owning the knowledge and skills comes with age (that’s life for most of us).

The fascinating part of interceptions is what happens to the four quadrants in a chart, how they deviate from the norm of 90 degrees per quarter. In this chart the distance from the Ascendant to the Midheaven is 69 degrees and from the Midheaven to the Descendant 111°. So there are two large quadrants that oppose each other and two small ones. The first quadrant comprising of houses one, two and three is important, it is 111 degrees long. This quadrant is about self and learning survival skills. Understanding self, your motivation, accumulating personal resources and taking care of your needs are some of the basic issues you need to handle.

The third quadrant comprising houses seven, eight and nine, is about being shaped by your environment, learning to contribute meaningfully to your environment. The third quarter, consisting of Houses Seven, Eight and Nine, is typified by creative release and objective awareness of others. People with third-quarter emphasis, work outwardly with much ambition. The cooperation of others is needed for their pursuits. Here we meet others as equals and intimates, and develop an expanded view of life.

Question: Does it mean the interception of Mercury has a bad influence on the intellect as I’ve heard from someone? And the response: No, you still have a functioning mind; in your email you state that you are intelligent. Remember the astrological chart reflects who you know yourself to be. You state: I am intelligent, I like to ponder, to read and learn anything I can catch. Mercury in the eighth house often belongs to some who loves to contemplate life in its complexity. You also state that you are a writer, which for one requires research another eight house concept. Because Mercury is intercepted, it might mean that you take longer than most to release your work or find it tougher to publish your work.

Intercepted planets are not able to function independently nor have control over the affairs of the houses they rule (or occupy) is the basic theory.

The speculation based on these theories would be that Mercury of expression is busy uncovering hidden knowledge, finding tools to understand human behaviour, happy doing research uninterrupted and isolated, thinking about the mysteries of life and perhaps with little interest in figuring out investments, or how to manage shared resources or handling the daily routines necessary at home-base. Mercury intercepted in the 8th would not be interested in idle chatter but demands deep conversation filled with symbolic meaning.

• I use Koch- and whole-sign houses in my work; the latter naturally eliminates interceptions
• The house divisions in most common use today are Placidus, Koch, Porphyry and Alcabitius (the Regiomontanus houses are often used by Horary astrologers)

Basic rule of astrology: The planets rule—signs do not.

Based on this rule, the eighth house affairs, namely the resources of others are ruled by Mercury in its own sign but intercepted, thus Mercury does not have a voice regarding these issues. Thus we might speculate that this person is unable to manage their resources effectively, their opinions and plans are not heard by others.

Question: I read on different (Dutch and English) sites the intercepted-influence weakens, blocks and disturbs the characteristics of the concerning signs and also weakens, blocks and disturbs the planets and other astrological objects in that intercepted sign.

Chart with Koch houses

Here is the same chart with Koch house cusps, now the interception occurs in Leo-Aquarius and in the ninth and third houses. Mars is intercepted in Leo in the ninth house and rules houses five and six and the Ascendant.

In her question LA writes “I’ve always had a deep compassion with the suppressed, weaker and needing beings on this world, especially animals and nature. Animals and nature are my energy-refillers; they give me a great feel of joy and safety, more than most people do.”

Animals belong primarily to the sixth house, which is ruled by Mars and Mars is influenced by the Moon, which rules the ninth house, where Mars lives. If that wasn’t enough for us, the chart also tells the story a second time. Venus in the sixth house of animals and people (the underdog) we serve and rules the eleventh house of humanity and the twelfth of charity. Venus is in one of its own signs, thus particularly strong. The Sun and Mercury, which were intercepted using Placidus houses, remain in the eighth house of occult knowledge and this time the Sun rules the intercepted Leo in the ninth. Perhaps the subject matter she has learnt is something she is unable to ‘teach’ and/or share with the world.

Question: Do natal house cusps move in course of time, so the interception will end and the intercepted sign will be ‘repaired’ and ‘normal’ again, so in my case Cancer and Capricorn will not be intercepted later in life, or are intercepted signs in a natal chart unchangeable?

Response: As I stated in my essay about interceptions, time changes things. The way astrologers measure time with our changing perceptions is through progressions. Signs and planets come out of interception and the energy is released, however, at the same time chances are good that another pair of signs and a different set of planets become intercepted.

I have always found that intercepted planets function just fine. They are strong, because they are allowed to work independently without external stimuli. The comment, they can only function within the house they are situated holds some truth for me. I like to think of the planet as if it were not in a sign. For example in the chart using Koch houses Mars is in Leo and in the ninth. I personally begin my analysis thinking about Mars in the ninth of higher knowledge and remove the Leo influence of wanting to shine, to be a leader and authority on the topics. Mars shows us how we operate, where we expend effort and energy. With your ruling planet intercepted in the ninth house you might have to grow into your strength and learn to demonstrate that strong leadership potential.

 Copyright Anne Massey, June 2010

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