posted June 19, 2011 01:00 PM            

Happiness. Hmm. I like happiness. Ask any number of people what they want out of life and many will say "I want to be happy". Well, despite the fact that a statement like "I want to be happy" is considered rather diffuse and undefined, I understand it. I actually like the answer (although I appreciate there’s a bit of digging required). I appreciate its value as a desirable state of being for most folks.

Each of us seem to have certain things in our unique perspectives that can bring us to a place of happiness or joy. Actually, I find it somewhat remarkable how much happiness is available to us every single day. As always, and with pretty much everything, it’s our choice whether to see it or not. The world of astrology gives us some answers about how and when each of us may be inclined to perceive happiness. As you may know, there are different "brands" of astrology in practice in the world today. Simple categorization suggests Eastern and Western. In the East, the Arabic system uses something called "parts" - there are parts of marriage and parts of death, parts of pleasure and so on. Generally, this has fallen into disuse (too much stuff!), however, one system has remained in use (& used in our western system). It is called the Part of Fortune. It is not a "real place" in the sky, it is a point calculated by adding the absolute degree of the Moon to the Ascendant and subtracting the absolute degree of the Sun. What that adds up to is the degree and sign of what is known as the Part of Fortune or Pars Fortuna. To calculate this accurately does require the exact time of birth. Part of Fortune is said to be a fortunate degree within your personal chart and speaks to the activity or quality where you find the fulfillment of your dreams - a point in consciousness that could be called "happiness".

Astrologer Martin Schulman published a volume on the Part of Fortune in his series called Karmic Astrology: Joy and the Part of Fortune. In it he states that, as with all things, "…the benefits received from this point will be dependent upon how the energy of the Sun, Moon and Ascendant are used by the individual. If these factors are used negatively, the Part of Fortune may seem more like the Part of Misfortune." It occurs, he says, "because the individual has not made attempts at elevating the consciousness represented by the Moon." On a very simplistic level the Part of Fortune may be considered a lucky spot and a source of great opportunity through which one may achieve his greatest desires. Yet the idea of luck, opportunity fulfillment and completion remains abstract unless the individual makes concerted efforts towards his goal."

Aha! There’s that darn creation principle again! You know the one, the one that says we think and we choose and our reality is our reflected self. The one that also says that we have to place action behind our desires. Oh well - no rest for the wicked, I guess!The continued use of this particular Part says one thing to me. It says that, in the scheme of the lessons and evolution, unique personality matrixes and all that astrological stuff - there is a recognition of a state called Happiness. It isn’t a planet, for any planet can bring it’s own happiness, it isn’t a sign, same thing applies, it isn’t even a place - it seems to be a point where certain parts of your consciousness meet and find a united fulfillment - a state of being or a fusion of energies where, triggered by a particular activity or thought process or something - we find ourselves experiencing something called "I’m happy" right here, right now in the "maximum coordination point" for the free flow of the natural energy attunement. (Say that three times fast!) To calculate your Part of Fortune, you will need to know exactly where your Sun, Moon and Ascendant are (sign, degree and minute). If you know this, you probably already know the whereabouts of your Part of Fortune. (It is the Moon + Asc. - Sun = P/F). By the way, often (not always) the Part of Fortune sign is one that you don’t think is strongly highlighted in your chart. I’m borrowing here again from Mr. Martin Schulman’s "Joy and the Part of Fortune", 087728346X from his series "Karmic Astrology". This one is volume 3. Following are brief bits on the Part occurring in each of the 12 signs. If you are interested in reading more, this book is on our Book Shelves . You can get there from here

posted June 19, 2011 01:01 PM            

So, Part of Fortune in:

Aries: Here the individual experiences the need and energy for activity. If he flows with this, he will find there are very few obstacles in his path that he cannot overcome. An inherent bravery pushes him onward so that he is able to transcend all of his self-doubts. His great successes come from realizing that this energy is strong enough to grant him independence.

Taurus: The person with this placement seeks all that is solid and enduring and does not care for those pleasures which are fleeting and superficial. He desires to know the meaning and uses of all things, so that he many construct a firm future. His joy is based on the ability to sustain and develop the substance of life.

Gemini: The Part of Fortune placed in Gemini gives one great joy through communication and learning, and the connection with people these engender. This person is seeking and gleaming new understandings from everyone he meets. The people in his life are more important for the ideas they convey than for who they are. Here, too, there is an attempt to keep things at a light level without becoming enmeshed in emotions. Many people come and go in his life, and he receives stimulation and information from all of them.

Cancer: This individual is given great joy when expressing the deep felt impulse of devotion. He seeks people and circumstances through which he can experience warmth and closeness. This is an energy of feeling. There is much happiness derived from being close to nature, for it is through nature that one can feel the very essence of unity and cooperation with the universe. There is a desire for a childlike simplicity in all actions.

Leo: Here there is a great yearning to act as the "center" and be in command. Through self-mastery the individual seeks to be a source of inspiration and guidance to others. A leader must lead, and he must not shirk the problems and responsibilities which only he has the will and power to solve. Great joy comes from accomplishing large scale achievements which in some way stand as shining examples and symbols of what man is capable of when he uses his potential. This person not only seeks self-betterment, but also the improvement of the society as a whole.

Virgo: Here the individual achieves great happiness by creating a sense of "organized purity" in his environment. He seeks cleanliness, not only in personal hygiene, but also in the living and working quarters. He also experiences a kind of cleanliness in the way in which thoughts are organized. Highly sensitive to the external environment, this person is very aware of how much he is affected by personal responses to apparently negative emotion.

Libra: Here the individual reaches his greatest happiness through cooperating with an energy which can be called "non-self-assertion" He is most comfortable going along with others, rather than expressing personal desires which might disturb the harmony sought from the company he keeps. There is an attempt to blend with the desires of others. This results in a continual shifting of the point of view in an attempt to gain acceptance.

Scorpio: Here the individual reaches his greatest joy by participating in the process of regeneration. This is linked with sexuality, on the physical plane, and the spiritual quest on the higher mental and emotional levels. Sexuality, the essence of life and the creative force, becomes a very important factor in this individuals make up. There is an intense desire to probe into the meaning of life.

Sagittarius: Here the individual feels the energy of abundant freedom. He seeks both mental and physical open spaces and avoids confining situations and circumstances which limit his possibilities. Of all the signs of the Zodiac, this has the greatest ability to experience a joyful life. The existence here can be naturally happy and bountiful.

Capricorn: Here an individual reaches greatest happiness watching his life assume a definite form and structure. This person has many ambitions and hopes, but remains discontented until the necessary steps for their enactment have been formulated and set in motion. He seeks to keep in touch with his ultimate purpose at all times.

Aquarius: Here the individual experiences his greatest happiness by flowing with the energies of awareness and enlightenment. Unfettered by the bonds set by society, unlimited by the confines of predictable expectation, he is able to experience all that exists outside of the limits of established society. He seeks to know ALL-about man, the world, the universe.

Pisces: The part of Fortune placed here allows one to experience the joy of transcending time, space and thought. The powerful intuition and attunement to cosmic forces which comes from the part of Fortune in Pisces gives an individual a mysterious, magnetic quality. There is a sense that this person knows the unknown intimately. ….He also experiences the restrictions of living in a finite consciousness in which the only reality is thought to be that which can be seen, touched, or felt emotionally. If he is to be happy, he is not to identify with that kind of reality