Oleksandr Kolesnikov MIDPOINTS, or The Unforgettable Taste of a Doughnut Hole
Midpoints, also known as middle or mean points, are methods familiar to, or at least heard of by, most astrologers. However, attitudes toward this method within the astrological community are far from unambiguous. Enthusiasts of the exotic, who believe that the depth of their understanding of astrology is directly proportional to the number of methods they have studied, feel a warm affection even for midpoints. Yet, in my view, those who burden themselves with countless things they cannot use are wasting their energy in vain. I am closer to the position of astrologers who lean toward classical methods and, at best, might say that “midpoints seek out those who cannot work with planets.” A midpoint is a kind of fictitious point where, more often than not, nothing is actually located. It is the halfway point between two planets, like the hole in a doughnut—what use is it? And yet, agree, a doughnut is not a doughnut without a hole.
Several years ago, I taught astrology in a small Moscow group. It so happened that spare time appeared, which I could use at my own discretion. A desire arose to diversify the experience—my own and the group’s—with some lesser-known approach. Rummaging through my photocopies, I dug up a thick book by American Michael Munkasey, “Midpoints: Unleashing the Power of the Planets,” or “Midpoints: Unleashing the Energy of the Planets.” I must say, at the time I still believed in the high value of every astrological book, even an American one. Impressed by the thickness of the tome, I began reading it with trepidation, expecting to “drop out” of life for at least the next week. But after reading about 40 pages, I realized I would learn nothing new from this book, not even given my limited knowledge of midpoints. The beginning of the book was devoted to discussing the order of calculating midpoints, as well as advertising companies that could do this work for you. Then, in the entire thick volume, the main focus was on providing keywords for combinations of two planets or chart points. In short, the work I held in my hands belonged to the so-called “cook-books,” or “ready-recipe books,” extremely common in astrological literature but, in my opinion, of very low value.
The main drawback of “ready recipes” is that they cannot—and do not—account for the specific unique configuration of each horoscope, including that element of interpretation which Morin de Villefranche called local determination. The essence of local determination can be briefly summarized as follows. A planet in a horoscope has a dual meaning. First, it has a certain universal significance, dependent on its nature (the so-called general determination). For example, Venus naturally signifies love, beauty, values, partnership relations, and so on. Second, each planet in a given horoscope is somehow tied to the system of houses: it is located in a certain house and rules certain houses. It is this tie of the planet to the houses of the horoscope that determines its local determination. And since the houses of the horoscope define the external expression of astrological factors, their direction toward a particular sphere of life, the local determination of a planet acquires greater importance in interpretation than its general determination.
To avoid tiring readers with cumbersome words, let me illustrate this with an example. The same Venus, located in the 10th house of a horoscope, will primarily and most clearly symbolize the career of the chart holder, their bosses, social status, and other matters of the 10th house. Of course, these will inevitably be colored by Venus—for example, relations with superiors will be harmonious—but in forecasting, you should not forget that aspects formed by Venus or involving Venus will first and foremost manifest in matters of the 10th house. Only secondarily (if at all) will the natural meaning of Venus—love, relationships, and so on—come into play.
In books that provide ready-made interpretations of aspects or midpoints, the specific position of planets in the horoscope is, of course, not taken into account, and all interpretations are based solely on their universal meaning. Thus, no matter how skillful such interpretations may be, they are always secondary. Munkasey himself writes that when interpreting midpoints, it is essential to consider the position of the planets forming them, as well as the midpoints themselves, in the houses of the horoscope. But he only writes this—no examples of how to do it are provided—while the entire book is filled with useless combinations of general meanings. Thus, the book gave me little, and I had to prepare for the lesson relying solely on myself.
Below, I will share what came of it. For readers unfamiliar with midpoints, a few words about their definition are in order. The idea is very simple: find the coordinates of the point located halfway between two planets. Say, Mercury in the horoscope is at 16°38′ Pisces, and Uranus at 21°59′ Leo. Let us find their midpoint. First, we need to convert the positions of the planets into absolute longitude, i.e., determine their position on the ecliptic without regard to zodiac signs. 16°38′ Pisces = 11 × 30° + 16°38′ = 346°38′ 21°59′ Leo = 4 × 30° + 21°59′ = 141°59′ Then, as always when finding an average value, we add the positions of the planets: 3°9′ = 488°37′ 488°37′ ÷ 2 = 244°19′ It is easy to determine that the absolute longitude value of 244°19′ corresponds to the point 4°19′ Sagittarius.
Planets are located on a circle, and one can “travel” from one planet to another along both the larger and smaller arc. And either distance can be divided in half. As a result, for any two planets, we always obtain a pair of opposite midpoints. In our case, the Mercury–Uranus midpoint is located at 4°19′ Sagittarius and 4°19′ Gemini. Usually, the point on the shorter arc is considered the main one—in this case, 4°19′ Gemini—but in reality, they are inseparable, since if any aspect is formed to one of these points, an aspect completing the first to 180 degrees will also be formed to the other. Midpoints are denoted by the symbols of the planets forming them, separated by a slash. In the text, it is more convenient to use the first letters of the planets’ names, so our midpoint will be denoted as Me/Ur.
If you decide to determine midpoints, you need to find them for all important points of the horoscope, and this is quite labor-intensive work. Say, if you use 10 planets, the Lunar Nodes, Ascendant, and Midheaven, the number of point pairs will reach 78. No wonder the American author advertised astrological computer services. Yet almost all astrological computer programs available today calculate midpoints, and if you do not have one, perhaps your friend does. And if all else fails, there are no real difficulties in these calculations—only patience and interest are required.
Yet calculating midpoints, like any astrological calculation, is still only half the battle. Interpretation is crucial. But can one interpret 78 point pairs? Of course not, nor should one try. Not all midpoints have equal significance in a horoscope. To identify the most important ones, a stage is needed that can be called weighing or sifting midpoints. There are several signs that give midpoints additional weight:
1. Conjunction of a midpoint with a planet or another important chart point. By important points, we mean the cusps of angular houses, the Lunar Nodes, as well as other factors depending on your tastes and inclinations. It is not harmful, for example, to use Chiron, the Black and White Moon, though only if you understand the meaning of these factors well rather than relying on template interpretations. Some may wish to consider the Vertex or the East Point, Arabic Parts, and so on. Do not forget about fixed stars, especially important ones such as Regulus, Sirius, Spica, Algol, and a few others.However, one should not forget about the differences in the significance of horoscope factors, which will be discussed further. As is the case throughout the work with midpoints, it is hardly worth using an orb greater than 1 degree. 2. The conjunction of several midpoints, especially if they all fall into the same degree of the Zodiac. 3. One must take into account the fact that planets and horoscope points have varying degrees of importance. Say, the Sun in the interpretation of any horoscope plays a more important role than Pluto or the Lunar Nodes, or even Chiron for that matter. At the same time, if Pluto is exactly conjunct the Ascendant, it is far more significant for understanding the person’s personality than if it is located elsewhere. It is hardly possible to give advice for all occasions here, but I will propose an approximate distribution of horoscope factors by weight level. Accordingly, a midpoint formed by the highest-importance factors will “weigh” much more than one formed by tertiary factors.
a) Highest-weight factors: the Lights (Sun and Moon), Ascendant, Midheaven, Ascendant ruler.
b) Important factors: personal planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars). Factors combined with the Ascendant and MC. Descendant and IC. Lunar Nodes. Perhaps the Vertex and the East Point. MC ruler.
c) Medium-weight factors: social planets (Jupiter and Saturn). Perhaps Chiron.
d) Less important factors: higher planets (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto). Fixed stars. Lots, various kinds of fictitious points (Black Moon and White Moon, trans-Neptunian planets). Asteroids.
However, this classification is very conditional and depends on the context of interpretation. For example, if you are interested in a person’s social orientation, then the social planets will move to a higher class; studying psychological issues or spiritual development paths will require increased attention to the higher planets, and so on.
Suppose you have successfully filtered midpoints and identified several configurations worthy of your attention. Now you need to understand what they mean, or at least with which life processes of the chart owner they are associated. Theoretically, the houses in which the pair of planets forming the midpoint are located should be mentioned in the interpretation. Of course, the universal meanings of the planets must also be considered, but it is the semantic framework of the houses where the planets are located that matters.
Let’s say Uranus and Mercury, for which we calculated the midpoint above, are located in the 10th and 5th houses, respectively. Let’s try to briefly outline the interpretation pattern. Uranus in the 10th house: instability and unusualness in social status, career. Problematic relationships with superiors due to a desire for freedom and lack of constraints. I am giving rather superficial interpretations here, since my goal is only to show the working scheme. Mercury in the 5th house: creative thinking. Unconventional approach. Adventurism. Combining the meanings of the planets, we can imagine, for example, a kind of adventurer who always seeks trouble for himself.
Next, one would theoretically need to consider the house where the midpoint falls, or rather the pair of houses where the pair of midpoints falls. In this case, we are talking about the 2nd–8th house axis, from which we could conclude that the adventurous qualities of the person under study manifest either in the financial sphere or regarding certain resources—personal or collective. However, interpretations here can be very diverse, and I did not set out to delve into them.
But there is something I must emphasize: in my experience, the house into which the midpoint falls is significant only when the midpoint is simultaneously conjunct with any planet. If this condition is not met, then when the midpoint is “activated,” the houses where the pair of planets forming the midpoint are located are primarily highlighted. For example, in our case, the chart owner’s 2nd and 8th houses are completely empty, and as you will see later, these houses are barely felt in the events that occurred.
Let me return to the midpoint lesson I decided to prepare for my audience. The general focus of the course made it quite easy to develop the theory in the form I presented to you. However, in astrology, theory is unthinkable without practice, and it was necessary to select a practical example of working with midpoints. The most logical approach would be to consider the “activation” of a midpoint in the horoscope of any person and compare the events that occurred with the theoretical interpretation. But which example should be taken? It is usually customary to study the lives of celebrities, but in reality, we know very little about them, especially if we are interested not in their image but in factual information. In short, I decided to use my own horoscope as an example—after all, who could remember all the details of events better than I?
I began by studying transits to my midpoints. I took the one that was most interesting and delved into my memories. The results were so striking that even now, several years later, I would like to share them. While examining my horoscope for midpoints, I identified, among others, the following configuration. The midpoint of Mercury and Uranus is at 4°19′ Gemini (you have already understood that I am referring to my own horoscope). Also at 4°58′ Gemini is the Venus/Mars midpoint. And at 4°33′ Gemini is the Lunar Nodes midpoint. Nearby, though strictly speaking not in conjunction, is the Vertex (3°13′ Gemini). I will not interpret the Vertex in this article, but I will say that the proximity of the Vertex adds even more weight to the accumulation of midpoints.
I decided to focus my research on this configuration. The configuration itself falls into the 8th house. Uranus is in the 10th house in Leo, Mercury is in the 5th house in Pisces. Mars is in the 9th house in Cancer, retrograde Venus is practically conjunct the Descendant (at a distance of 2.5 degrees) in the 6th house in Aries. The North Node is on the cusp of the 11th house in Virgo, and naturally, the South Node is on the cusp of the 5th house in Pisces. The house system is topocentric.
Midpoints are “activated,” or begin to manifest vividly in a person’s life, mainly when planets or angular cusps transit, progress, direct, etc., through them. In principle, aspects to midpoints are also considered significant, but in my opinion, conjunctions are immeasurably more important than any aspect.
I opened the ephemeris and began looking for an interesting transit to the configuration that interested me. My attention was drawn to Uranus, which in January 1982 entered the orb of conjunction with my midpoints in Sagittarius (earlier I mentioned the equivalence of the pair of midpoints opposite each other). That was indeed a very interesting period of my life. Thanks to a strange whim of fate, I was then in my penultimate year at a military missile academy (perhaps some readers have already begun to sense the symbolism of the planets forming the midpoints).
Studying was studying, but it was a romantic time (Venus/Mars; in addition to their natural meaning, Venus is on the Descendant, and Mars is the ruler of the 7th house). My girlfriend worked at a military hospital and held the rank of sergeant (Venus in Aries in the 6th house, Mars in the caring sign of Cancer, which is also the ruler of the 6th house). She was a Cancer by solar sign (again, Mars in Cancer). You can imagine that I was not exactly focused on my studies at the time. But the session was approaching, and I had to complete lab work. One of the exams (Mercury in the 5th house) during that session was particularly dreadful. It was related to secret communication systems (Mercury in Pisces) of a missile complex (Uranus). The fact that Uranus is in Leo (in detriment) is also interesting, since the missile complex we were being trained for was a rather ineffective weapon, serving mainly as a means of political intimidation (Leo, 10th house).
For this exam, I had to memorize enormous wall-sized diagrams, and the study group trembled with fear. As for me, I was not particularly worried, since I even loved exams, took them first and almost always without any problems. One day, I was sitting in the dormitory, thinking about anything but the undone lab work.A friend of mine (Mercury) comes over and suggests going to hand them in. I reply that they’re still not completed and there’s nothing to hand in. But it turns out that everyone has nothing to hand in, yet before the session the professors completely lost their vigilance and you can easily hand in a lab report by slipping in an empty form filled only on the cover page. Now I already know that adventures involving deception (Mercury in the 5th house in Pisces) are categorically forbidden to me and always punished. But back then I was only just learning that lesson. I did as my friend advised and deceived the professor, despite the respect I felt for him. Soon after, the head of the department (Uranus in the 10th house) decided to check the submitted lab reports himself. He’s a big boss and didn’t go through all the work. He picked one at random. You’ve already guessed which one it was. The scandal was loud. For the first time in my life I was barred from an exam, given the chance to take it only during the winter holidays along with the repeaters. And the study group, already frightened, was threatened with stricter questioning. As a result, the group — that “society” in which I lived — declared a boycott against me (Uranus in the 10th) and refused to speak to me (Mercury in the mute sign of Pisces). At that time Uranus was transiting exactly the midpoint of Mercury/Uranus, and the Venus/Mars theme temporarily receded into the background (though Mars is in the 9th house of higher education and also relates to the matter).
Things continued to develop in quite an interesting way. I won’t point out the most striking manifestations of planetary symbolism; try to notice them yourself. For the first time I didn’t go on holiday with everyone else, but I still wasn’t allowed to take the exam, forcing me to “prepare” — meaning mostly waste time pointlessly. They didn’t know I had Uranus in the 10th house. I wrote a report: asked to be expelled for academic failure (in reality, that was completely unrealistic), left it on the head of the course’s desk and, overcoming a tall fence, went home — without vacation documents. In time, the head of the course called my father and guaranteed that I’d be given the chance to take the exam. I returned to the college, and in Moscow at the station I “ran into” a patrol. They asked for my vacation documents. In desperation I handed the patrol chief my permanent discharge papers, which are invalid in Moscow. He studied them carefully and with satisfaction returned them to me. It’s hard to believe, but I was free and continued on my way. Eventually I got my “A,” and the first act was over.
Uranus had passed through Me/Uranus and was approaching Ve/Ma (I hope you’ve figured out the abbreviations). A friend invited me as a witness to his wedding. It’s interesting to recall, in connection with the role of witness, what Jacob Schwartz once said about the rulers of retrograde Venus: apparently they outlive all their friends but themselves have difficulty getting married. So I’m a witness. And every witness has a witness. She came from far away (Mars, ruler of the Descendant, in the 9th house) and by Sun she is Cancer (Mars in Cancer). Uranus was approaching Ve/Ma; a sudden sympathy was about to turn into something more… The wedding was on March 7, and on March 9 Uranus turned retrograde, never completing the conjunction with Ve/Ma, and the witness went back to her Kiev. I never saw her again. But the Uranus transit of the midpoint of the Lunar Nodes occurred, the course of my life changed significantly, and I was no longer the same as before.
Later Uranus turned direct again and on November 28 passed through Ve/Ma. Interestingly, shortly before that, on November 4, I got married. My wife had been the witness at the wedding of my second friend, which took place in August when Uranus turned direct, and I, accordingly, was the witness. The wedding where we met took place in Tolyatti, quite far from my place of residence (Mars in the 9th house, ruler of the Descendant), and by Sun my wife is Scorpio (a watery Martian sign — doesn’t that resemble Mars in Cancer?).
Between our meeting and our wedding, two and a half months passed, of which we actually saw each other for a maximum of three weeks. And what do you expect from Uranus?
[Later addition: In reality, the story of my marriage echoed the problem with the exam. When I was about to go file an application at the registry office, we, as was customary in our study group, held a banquet — “we were drinking the bachelorhood away” (I can’t point out the symbolism of the planets everywhere: the text is simply stuffed with it). Late in the evening, in our heated state, we couldn’t think of anything better than to leave the dormitory and march in formation through the college, singing. For first-year students such an activity would be natural (meaning singing in formation), but for a pre-graduation course it was an absolutely unthinkable and extravagant act. Of course, somewhere in the shadows, behind the trees, by an amazing coincidence the head of the course was standing and watching our parade. Immediately the course was ordered: “Kolesnikov is not to be allowed out” (and I was supposed to leave early in the morning). The result: another climb over a tall fence and a trip to Tolyatti without vacation documents. When you study the symbolism of past events, sometimes you just shudder.]
To summarize. The events in my life that coincided in time with Uranus transiting the midpoints of Me/Uranus and Ve/Ma vividly correspond to the symbolism of Uranus itself and of the other planets forming the midpoints, and not only in symbolism but also in the local determination of these planets. Moreover, Uranus’s movement clearly indicates the main stages of the events. Meanwhile, the transiting Uranus did not form aspects to my natal Mercury, Venus, or Mars. The scale of life changes is such that it can be linked precisely to the manifestation of the outer planet. In short, for me midpoints worked very convincingly, and later I repeatedly confirmed their effectiveness when analyzing the horoscope.
Sometimes midpoints indicate what isn’t noticeable in the configuration of traditional factors. For example, there was such a case. My favorite dog was about to give birth, and I played the role of midwife. For various reasons the birth was very difficult; the lives of both the puppies and the dog herself were at stake. When everything finally ended safely, I looked in the ephemeris. The previous day had been incredibly intense, yet the transiting chart was completely unremarkable. But on August 1, 1992, Mars, according to the ephemeris, moved from 3°32′ to 4°12′ Gemini, occupying the 8th house of my natal chart. To the symbolism of the midpoints located here, discussed above, we can only add that Mars rules the 6th house of pets in my chart, and Venus is in that house. Doesn’t that remind you of the connection between Mars, Venus, and the 6th house of my favorite dog?
So, in my opinion, midpoints work, and sometimes they work wonderfully. Can I say that this is the only and unique approach to horoscope interpretation? Of course not. There are countless methods, and each is good in its own way. The astrological reality we study is so diverse that it’s impossible to predict in advance which method or group of methods will prove most effective. That’s why I prefer to simply keep the midpoint method in my toolkit, neither absolutizing it nor diminishing its worth. In my view, the midpoint system in the horoscope is somewhat like aspects, only implicit, since it forms connections between factors that might otherwise not be linked. Analyzing midpoints is therefore important when the chart contains unaspected or weakly aspected planets, because then the midpoints will suggest how to avoid stagnation of energy in the area of the unaspected planet and the problems associated with it. Other implicit connections between planets include parallels, antiscia, and receptions.
Another area of application for midpoints is synastry. Sometimes classical methods don’t reveal a strong connection between people. But once you identify the most important midpoint clusters, you may suddenly notice that one partner’s Ascendant falls into a dense cluster of the other partner’s most important midpoints.Empty houses in the horoscope can turn out to be significantly more meaningful in forecasting if they contain important midpoints. And in general, when you feel that traditional methods are insufficient for understanding a problem, why not try the midpoint method? Practice shows that it yields very good results. Alexander Kolesnikov
