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Everyone has probably heard that old familiar sports
term: "Out-of-bounds!" Regardless of the sport involved,
these words mean that the ball or player has gone beyond
the limits of the established field of play. Could a
similar dynamic be impacting the planetary play on the
field of your birth chart? You bet! Out-of-bounds planets
can take us beyond the established limits of thought
and action. They can signify extraordinary genius or
point to volatile and aberrant behavior.
This article will explain the principles involved in
out-of-bounds dynamics, show how these planetary elements
can operate in a person's life and discuss ways to interpret
how these natal energies will manifest.
How Planets Go Out of Bounds
Out-of-bounds planets involve two dynamics: declination
and the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the apparent
path of the Sun in its yearly motion across the sky.
Of course, in reality we know that it is not the Sun
that is moving, but rather the Earth that is orbiting
around the Sun. Thus, the ecliptic is actually the plane
of the Earth's orbit. Usually when we speak of astrological
coordinates - for example, "My natal Saturn is at 14°
Virgo" - we are giving the planet's position in geocentric
celestial longitude. This measurement, which is part
of the ecliptic coordinate system, expresses the planet's
distance along the ecliptic from 0° Aries as viewed
from Earth. However, in addition to this system which
uses the ecliptic as its reference point, we also have
what's called the equatorial coordinate system which
uses the Earth's equator rather than the ecliptic as
its plane of reference. Declination, which measures
the angular distance of a heavenly body north or south
of the celestial equator, is part of this equatorial
system.
An easy way to comprehend declination is to simply
imagine the parallels of latitude on a terrestrial map
extended out into celestial space. The latitude lines
that are projected in this way beyond our planet's surface
are called parallels of declination in the equatorial
coordinate system. If you think of the Earth's equator
extending out into space to create the celestial equator
at 0°, the parallels of declination involve those coordinates
north or south of this plane. (1)
Due to the tilt of the Earth on its axis, the Sun's
path varies in declination between about 23°27' north
of the equator at the Tropic of Cancer (summer solstice
in the northern hemisphere) and 23°27'south at the Tropic
of Capricorn (winter solstice). (See the Diagram at
the end of this article.) When a celestial body goes
beyond this maximum declination of 23°27', either north
or south, it is considered out-of-bounds. In that position,
the planet is outside the boundary limits of the ecliptic
plane - that is, beyond the plane of the Earth's orbit
around the Sun. The exact maximum declination of the
Sun, which varies slightly by seconds from year to year,
is now actually a little less than 23°27'. (2) However,
even at 23°27'01", a planet is just beginning to go
out-of-bounds without much noticeable effect. Because
of this and the fact that many ephemerides and computer
programs only give declination in degrees and minutes,
I find it easier and more measurably significant to
simply use planetary positions of at least 23°28' declination.
Because the Moon and inner planets achieve higher declinations,
they are the ones more frequently considered in working
with the out-of-bounds phenomenon. (The asteroids can
also go out-of-bounds; however, they won't be specifically
mentioned in this article.) Uranus and Pluto go out-of-bounds
less frequently and stay there for longer periods. (3)
Saturn and Neptune have practically the same declination
as the Sun while Jupiter only goes a few minutes beyond
23°27'. The Moon, on the other hand, can reach a declination
of almost 29° every 18.6 years when the North Node is
near 0° Aries. Mercury achieves a declination of 27°.
Mars can usually only reach 27° too. However, in 1907
Mars got out to 28S54. On rare occasions, Venus will
also reach 28°. (4)
I've found that generally the higher the degree of
declination, the more pronounced the effect of the out-of-bounds
planet will be, whether this is expressed in terms of
greater accomplishment for the native or in some type
of abnormal behavior.
Part two: The influence of Out-of-Bounds
planets
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©Copyright, 2001 Pamela Welch
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Pamela Welch, M. A., is a heartfelt astrologer,
psychotherapist, and healer who is author of The Energy
Body Connection. She has been a student of astrology
for thirty years and consulting professionally for eighteen.
Her consultations specialize in helping you cooperate
consciously with your planetary energies in order to
manifest the true Spirit essence within you. In addition
to maintaining a successful counseling practice in Denver,
Colorado, Pamela teaches spiritual development and energy
healing classes and is currently working on her second
book, Light Ascending: Chiron's Path of Healing and
Initiation.
She can be reached at astrolojet@aol.com
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