Midpoint Interpretation and Context

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Midpoint Interpretation and Context

 

© Ruth Brummund, Dipl Psych

 

Translation from German by L Blake Finley

 

In 1979 "Whose life is it, anyway?", by British playwright Brian Clark was

performed in Hamburg. The piece deals with the critical theme where a young

man, after 6 months of hospitalization, remains paralyzed due to a traffic

accident, and his only remaining physical functions are those of his brain. At

this point, among the few medical measures still taken are the administration of

sedatives.

 

With a feeling of hopelessness about his situation, he seeks to bring an end to

his life. But how? To do even this, he needs the help of others. Doctors are

legally restrained from performing euthanasia -- and the patient proceeds to a

lawyer to seek advice about the law. Dismissal from the hospital would lead to

certain death, as he would no longer be hooked up to the life-support machines.

 

Subsequently a petition for release is submitted to the courts. Two specific

professional codes of ethics are confronted. The physician is ethically bound

to preserve the life of the patient, and the courts are bound to defend the

inviolable personal rights of the individual. The latter requires legal

intervention whenever the mind no longer functions.

 

In this situation, it must be determined whether the patient's mental faculties

are functioning effectively enough for him to make a lucid decision.

 

The patient is conscious enough to convincingly assert that he is deprived of

all his natural functions and can no longer operate as a normal member of

society. While he hangs on to life like others, his condition leads him to the

sole conclusion of death, so as not to lose his dignity beforehand. The

question of why he cannot make his own choices runs through his mind as he

states, "Whose life is it anyway?"

 

Reference to the theme of this theater piece serves to more clearly understand

the following concepts.

 

 

 

The context of this story (i.e. the stage setting, in this case) includes a

hospital bed occupied by a young man directly facing and speaking to the

audience. To either side of him are side-tables, the overall arrangement

symbolizing a planetary picture in the form of a symmetrical axis.

 

We now mentally substitute an astrological factor for each piece of furniture on

the set, where the body of the patient is symbolized by the Sun, the table to

one side the physician, and the table to the other side the patient's sister.

The result is this configuration:

 

SU=VE/KR

 

All discussions revolve around the patient, since he lies in the middle. The

center of gravity at any given point in time lies with the individual speaking.

In the overall situation, the energies of the three individuals intermingle,

and the predominant energy emits from the speaker or most active participant.

Essentially, whenever additional people appear on stage, they too affect the

patient. At every instance, there is a different pattern of energy exchanges,

and in each case the patient is at the focal point.

 

As we conceptualize these interactive dynamics as a planetary picture, isn't it

therefore logical that we should apply this to model as we interpret plantery

midpoints? Let's take an example of configurations involving Mars, Jupiter,

and Saturn from various interpretive texts:

 

Ebertin: The Combination of Stellar Influences

 

SA=MA/JU: Inhibitions and difficulties in making decisions, being able to make

up one's mind only with great difficulty, the tendency to let good

opportunities slip away. The termination of a relationship, a difficult birth.

 

JU=MA/SA: The complete concentration of energy upon a particular objective to

the entire exclusion of other interests, the ability to render quick work

(satisfactorily). The ability to destroy or eliminate something thoroughly.

The stage of improvement during an illness, a fortunate separation, a quick

dissolution (of the body), a very pleasant and easy death.

 

MA=JU/SA: A lack of endurance or tenaciousness, discontent, an inconstant will.

The desire to enforce a change of circumstances and conditions in life, the act

of separation.

 

..

 

Lefeldt: Rules for Planetary Pictures

 

MA+JU-SA: The ripe fruit. Confinement or end of pregnancy. Birth. Annulment of

an engagement. Separated liaisons. To finish a successful activity. Unpleasant

decision with good results.

 

MA+SA=JU: Pleasant interruption of work. Vacations. Quick death.

 

JU+SA=MA: Happy activity of short duration. The results of an activity only show

later. Betrothal with following separation.

 

The objective critic will recognize that the dominant planet stands at the

middle in the Ebertin interpretations, and in the minus position in the Lefeldt

interpretations. Otherwise, among the transposed variants, there are repeated

concepts which vary only in slight nuances from each other.

 

To someone engaged in metagnosis (analysis in retrospect), these nuances might

seem highly significant. For prognosis, however, it is more critical to

recognize core concepts and fundamental principles. This provides a more

comprehensive picture of the various possible real manifestations.

 

Unifying concepts were in fact repeated in the aforementioned texts. For this

reason, the interpretations are unified at one location in the Brummund

Rulebook, so they can be compared to the the aforementioned interpretations:The

Brummund Rulebook (annotated):

 

MA.JU.SA + systematic. works methodically. focused. conservative. skilled at

planning. cautious. discreet. pragmatic. good at problem-solving. slow but

steady.

 

Enduring success at work. Happiness due to a permanent job. Beneficial

interruption of work. Vacation from work. To finish off a successful job. To

contribute to the maturation process. To handle legal or financial problems.

Beneficial temporary work. Success after effecting a separation. Ripe fruit.

Harvest. (Lucrative work requiring departures or separations. Profitable work

in solitude. To depart for success. To carry out a change of location. Efforts

successful after maturation.)

 

- contrary. works or acts too slowly.

 

To create legal problems. To miss favorable opportunities (due to tardiness or

immaturity). To bring about financial difficulties. End of a pregnancy.

Difficult birth. Pleasant death. (Termination despite a successful beginning.

Profitable but restrictive work.)

 

Now we are able to compare the interpretations of each individual author before

making a determination.

 

We should not forget, while interpreting these planetary trios, that they rarely

stand alone on a given planetary axis, as there are also other pertinent

midpoints. These midpoints interact with each other as they radiate their

energies to the individual.

 

Here is an example of how a second planet lying directly on a planetary axis

might affect the outcome:

 

SU = VE = SA/NE = AS/PO = ZE/PO = ME/MA

 

SU

 

VE charming. even-tempered. congenial.

 

SA/NE cautious. distrustful.

 

VE=SA/NE Uncertainty in a longterm relationship.

 

AS/PO prudent. insightful. judicious.

 

SA/NE=AS/PO Healthy skepticism.

 

ZE/PO mentally alert. persuasive. has clearly-defined goals.

 

AS/PO=ZE/PO Intellectual or ideological persuasion of others. Enjoyment

of discussions.

 

ME/MA quick to react. decided. implements ideas.

 

ZE/PO=ME/MA To carry out and implement one's ideas.

 

Here we have combined the interactive midpoints. Since they affect the Sun as

well as Venus, they are noticeable at both levels. For any given question we

can formulate a specific approach to the planets in order to answer where free

choice lies in determining their manifestation. Thus we elucidate the various

potential manifestations. The intuitive sensing of the astrologer will assist

others in seeing these options.

 

As we return to the original hospital scenario, we can compare it to the

approach to the planetary axes in other charts. The astrological factor at the

center of the axis largely determines the priorities of the moment.

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