Algol and the Head of the Dragon
I had a recent post asking whether the fixed star Algol conjunct the South Node would be a problem. This is a good example of the nuances of traditional astrology. We do not want to fall into a classifying everything as simply good or bad, reality is much more complex than that.
The North Node of the Moon is known as the Caput Draconis, the Head of the Dragon and the South Node as the Cauda Draconis, the Tail of the Dragon. The Nodes are the points where the orbit of the Moon intersects the Ecliptic, the orbit of the Sun.
The English astrologer William Lilly says,
The Head of the Dragon is Masculine, of the nature of Jupiter and Venus, and of himself a Fortune; yet the Ancients doe say, that being in Conjunction with the good he is good, and in conjunction with the evil Planets they account him evil.
The Tayle of the Dragon is Feminine by Nature, and clean contrary to the Head; for he is evil when joyned with good Planets, and good when in conjunction with the malignant Planets. This is the constant opinion of all the Ancients, but upon what reason grounded I know not; I ever found the North Node equivalent to either of the Fortunes, and when joyned with the evil Planets to lessen their malevolent signification; when joyned with the good to increase the good promised by them:
For the Tayle of the Dragon, I always in my practise found when he was joyned with the evil Planets; their malice or the evil intended thereby was doubled and trebled, or extreamly augmented, &c. and when he chanced to be conjunction with any of the Fortunes who were significators in the question, though the matter by the principal significator was fairely promised, and likely to be perfected in a smal time; yet did there ever fal out many rubs and disturbances, much wrangling and great controversie, that the businesse was many times given over for desperate ere a perfect conclusion could be had; and unlesse the principal significators were Angular and wel fortified with essential dignities, many times unexpectedly the whole matter came to nothing.
Christian Astrology page 83
The Arabic astrologer Al-Qabisi, aka Alcabitius, says that the Head of the Dragon is a benefic and "Some say its nature is increase. If it is with the benefics it increases their good fortune; if it is with the malefics it increases their bad fortune...The Tail of the Dragon is a malefic...Some say its nature is decrease. If it is with the benefics it decreases their good fortune; if it is with the malefics it decreases their bad fortune. Thus it is said that the Head is a benefic with the benefics and a malefic with the malefics; the Tail is a malefic with the benefics and a benefic with the malefics."
The Introduction to Astrology, trans. Burnett (Warburg 2004) Chapter II page 87-9.
So, since we are using Algol as protection talisman, to diminish the effect of curses, perhaps being conjunct the South Node is appropriate? This is similar to the issue of Moon phase, again Moon waning is simplistically considered bad, but if we wish to diminish or remove it is exactly what we want.
Finally, we are going to do a final Algol casting before he/she gets too close to the South Node, ie within about 1-2 degrees. With this election we can have the Moon conjunct Algol within 8 degrees but still about 11-12 degrees from the South Node, which works!
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