In the sky now, as is often the case, a couple of the visible traditional planets are very close to the Sun — within 15° to be exact, a condition known in astrology as being “under the beams.” When this happens, planets are invisible to the naked eye as the Sun rises in the morning, overshadowed by its rays.
Having a planet that is under the beams is very common — many, if not most, charts have at least one. Yet, being under the beams adds an additional layer to the interpretation of these planets. This week we’re going to peer briefly into what it means for a planet to be under the beams.
Vanishing Planets & Dramatic Reappearances
Imagine gazing every day at the heavens and watching the dance of the visible planets in the sky. Mercury, or Venus, say, rises just behind the Sun, but then, suddenly one day, disappears, as it passes through the brightness of the Sun, as viewed from Earth. Some days pass, and then the planet makes a dramatic “heliacal rising,” emerging from the beams of the Sun, a separate entity once again.
This phenomenon, which beautifully illustrates the observational nature of traditional astrology, is a normal part of the visible planets’ synodic cycles as they traverse the ecliptic around the Sun.
Mercury and Venus never stray far from the Sun; Mercury is only ever 28° and Venus 48° at their greatest elongation from the Sun. The other visible planets have longer cycles and generally don’t meet up with the Sun more than once a year, as the Sun makes its way through the zodiac.
Thus, it’s relatively common to have Mercury and Venus under the beams but somewhat less common to have the other traditional planets — Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn — in that condition.
The outer planets, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, are invisible to the naked eye and therefore don’t ever go under the beams since they’re always invisible. (Uranus may be barely visible rarely, but I digress).
Overall, planets that are under the beams are said to be weakened, symbolized by their invisibility in the sky, though there are ways in which this can be mitigated, both in the chart and over time by, you know, living life (see below).
Hidden Things
In interpreting any sort of astrological chart, planets that are under the beams take on an additional layer of signification that relates to their state of invisibility in the sky. Whatever they signify — communication for Mercury, relationships for Venus, etc. — is interpreted as having a hidden or secret nature of some kind.
A classic interpretation for having Venus under the beams (within 15° of the Sun even across sign boundaries), for example, is that the chart native may have relationships that are secret or hidden. The exact nature of how and when this plays out in their life will vary depending on the chart.
The most common planet to be under the beams is Mercury, which spends a good deal of time within 15° of the Sun. At first glance this might see odd — what would be some hidden mercurial things that many (most?) people might experience?
One of Mercury’s significations is money, in the sense of banking and the exchange of money on a daily basis (as opposed to the windfalls, largess, or “big money” that Jupiter can signify, or the “lady luck at the gaming tables” aspect of Venus). Many people have some version of “something hidden” regarding money in their lives, even if it’s just not talking openly about how much they make, owe, or need.
Similarly, communications, letters (in the olden days), emails, diaries, an unfinished screenplay in a desk drawer, or just. . . secrets are all be examples of hidden mercurial things that could relate to Mercury being under the beams. Looking at the placement and condition of Mercury in the chart can reveal more about how this might play out.
Heliacal Rise
If a planet that is under the beams emerges out from under the rays of the Sun (that is, if it puts at least 15° between it and the Sun) within seven days, the planet’s dramatic heliacal rise, a literal rebirth from invisibility into visibility, underscores its importance in the chart.
A planet that makes a heliacal rise within this timeframe casts its significations in a thematic way over the life of the chart native, just as the planet dramatically reappears in the sky, drawing our eyes and attention.
The easiest way to see if a planet that is under the beams makes a heliacal rise within seven days is to look at an ephemeris (astro.com has a downloadable ephemeris) and calculate the number of degrees the planet is from the Sun within that timeframe. If you have astrology software with a chart animation feature (such as Solar Fire or Astro Gold), you can click through the next seven days and see if the planet emerges from under the beams or not.
Of Chariots and Protection From the Sun
There’s one main mitigating factor to having a planet under the beams in a natal chart, namely if the planet is in its own domicile, exaltation, or bounds (subdivisions of each zodiac sign ruled by various planets).
If this condition is met, the planet is said to be in its “chariot.” Just as it’s depicted in the classic Rider–Waite–Smith tarot deck, a chariot traditionally had a covering that kept its rider shaded from the Sun:
For example, if Mercury is under the beams but is in Virgo, its sign of domicile and exaltation, it’s said to be in its chariot and protected from the beams of the Sun. The same would be true of Saturn under the beams but in Libra, its sign of exaltation, or Mars at 20° Gemini, under the beams but in its own bounds (that is, in the bounds of Mars within Gemini, which are from 17° to 24° Gemini).
Having a planet in its chariot mitigates the condition of being under the beams a great deal. However, I do observe in practice that it’s wise to recognize that the planet is still technically invisible, even if it’s in its chariot. It’s significations may still be somewhat hidden though there will likely be better protection and integration in the planet’s functions (probably because planets in their own domicile, exaltation, or bounds are strengthened in general through having some type of essential dignity).
Combustion and Cazimi
If a planet is even closer to the Sun, within 8° on either side (even across sign boundaries), it is said to be “combust,” which is an even more extreme version of being under the beams.
This close to the Sun, the planet is thought to suffer from extreme combustion and weakening from the rays of the Sun. If it’s not mitigated by being in its chariot, a planet may be very weakened (though there are other mitigations that can help, such as reception or helpful testimony from a benefic).
The negative effects of combustion disappear for a brief instance when the planet reaches a cazimi, the English version of an Arabic term signifying the “heart of the Sun,” or an exact degree conjunction with the Sun. Medieval astrologers narrowed the window even more, defining the cazimi as within 17’ (or minutes — this is the second number after the degree position).
In the heart of the Sun, a planet is protected from its beams. It’s no longer weakened, but strengthened by the solar energy of the unadulterated Sun. It becomes powerful.
In the current sky. . .
At the time of writing, Mercury in Libra is within 2° of the Sun in late Virgo, which means that Mercury is both under the beams and combust (not to mention retrograde!). In Libra, Mercury isn’t in a sign of its domicile or exaltation, and it’s in the bounds of Saturn (outer ring of the chart). Thus, it’s condition isn’t mitigated.
Soon after this, however, on the 23rd, Mercury retrogrades back into Virgo, its sign of domicile and exaltation, passing through its cazimi as the Sun enters Libra in a kind of cosmic switcheroo. The sign shift improves Mercury’s condition quite a bit, providing it with a chariot for the rest of its retrograde journey.
Similarly, in this chart Venus in Virgo is also under the beams at 21° Virgo. She’s 8° from the Sun, so heading soon into a state of combustion. She’s not in her domicile or exaltation, and is in the bounds of Mars, so there’s no chariot for her at this time.
Venus’ condition improves dramatically on September 29th, when she enters her domicile of Libra, where she will be in her chariot. Even though she’s quite close to the Sun during all of October, she’s protected from beams by being in her own domicile, signifying a more constructive time for relationships and the arts. Venus has her cazimi on October 22nd, when she meets up the the Sun at 29° Libra, a powerful moment of clarity and insight on the relationship front.
We could interpret the condition of these planets currently (or very recently) as contributing to a sense of confusion, tied into Mercury’s retrograde (Mercury is the ruler of both the Sun and Venus in Virgo), indicating perhaps that we don’t have the full picture in terms of communication or relationship topics. Mercury’s cazimi on the 23rd likely brought a moment of clarity, at least on the communications front. And the fact that both planets soon shift into signs which provide them with chariots means that things will likely feel less dissipated as their status improves.
Influencing the Sun
Planets that are under the beams or combust, particularly if they lack protection via chariot, can be frustrating, especially early in life. The parts of the chart that they rule and their general significations may seem to manifest in haphazard, inconsistent, or weakened ways, despite our best efforts in those areas.
However, over time, something interesting happens, which speaks to the power of life experience and the ways that we can and do evolve. Over time, the planet under the beams influences the Sun; in effect the Sun takes on some of the significations of the planet, incorporating its energies into its solar functions of manifesting the higher self of the chart native.
Thus, if someone has a combust Mercury, they may struggle with mercurial functions earlier in life, and in the areas of life ruled by Mercury. But, over time, improvement is possible, as Mercury fuses its nature with the Sun1.
However close your planets are flying to the Sun, here’s Paul Winter with Icarus:
Thanks for reading! Also, it’s last call for 10% off a consultation for bookings made in September.
There are other traditional astrological techniques that factor into the evolution of planetary placements over time, such as secondary progressions, in which the planetary movements of every day after birth represents one year of life. Over the course of a long life, a combust natal planet can gain enough distance from the Sun to emerge out from under the beams (or, conversely, a natal planet that isn’t under the beams, can go under the beams, which represents the opposite scenario, of an area of relative strength perhaps unravelling).