Astrology functions as an assessment of temporal quality, but is the archetype of time ruled by any particular sign?

Preface
The wheel of the zodiac is often depicted with Aries on the left, thus keeping it in line with the houses: that is, Aries corresponds to the ascendant and first house, Taurus occupies the second house, and so on.

However, there are some interesting patterns that emerge under other rotations. Rotating the wheel one sign counter clockwise, so that the first house is held by Taurus, we find Cancer and Leo on either side of the nadir, the lowest point of the wheel. This emphasizes the wonderful symmetry between each pair of signs that share rulers:

The exception being, of course, the Sun and Moon which rule one sign each. This might point to a secret identification between these forces, which are typically conceptualized as the most fundamental opposites: consciousness and the unconscious, light and dark, etc. The arcane marriage of these principles is a motif which humanity has been pondering since antiquity. Positioning this syzygy at the bottom of the wheel gives the impression that the other signs spring forth from this coupling as a series of portraits from one luminary to the other; as call and response music, or dance steps. One can say that the entire zodiac functions as a mythological alphabet that elaborates of the riddle of the Sun and Moon.

Time
Under this cosmic lens, let’s examine a feature essential to our experience of the universe: time. Where does time show up in the zodiac? Can any particular sign be said to govern this concept? At the very least, we can draw the strongest general associations between time and these signs:

If you ask astrologers which sign most corresponds to the concept of time, Gemini would be a common and reasonable answer. It is the traditional ruler of clocks and measurements of time, and is said to rule the time-dependent concepts of transit and commuting.

Capricorn is another traditional response, since it rules the schedule, the time table, the restriction of time, the inexorable march of time. Father Time, the bearded old man with the scythe and the hourglass, is one of the most well known personifications of Saturn.

Aquarius is a bit more esoteric in this regard, but perfectly valid. Aquarius is most associated with the concepts of the instant, the moment … suddenness! Moreover, it is the traditional ruler of kairos, the ancient Greek idea of “pregnant time.” From Wikipedia:

The ancient Greeks had two words for time: chronos (χρόνος) and kairos. The former refers to chronological or sequential time, while the latter signifies a proper or opportune time for action. While chronos is quantitative, kairos has a qualitative, permanent nature.

Chronos is a clear attribute of Capricorn, therefore these two notions of time are represented by the two Saturn-ruled signs. These two signs are farthest from our supposed origin-nadir, the Cancer/Leo threshold. Capricorn is opposite Cancer, and Aquarius is opposite Leo. This suits the mythological conception of Saturn as the demiurge, the architect of mundane incarnation, the mechanic of the machinery of the cosmos.

To complete this symmetry, we would hope that Virgo is also associated with time. That way, Saturn-ruled signs can roost up at the dome of time, representing its furthest limits, while Mercury ruled signs can reflect each other as attendants to the atemporal solar/lunar archetypes, initiating those forces into the game of time. Gemini does this job perfectly for the Moon, showing how time is “reflected” in the mind through the image of the clock.

So, is Virgo then one of our rulers of time? Ever humble and self-diminishing, Virgo does not jump out as readily as the others, but it does indeed complete a very crucial and unglamorous role. Any astrologer will tell you that Virgo rules punctuality. That is, the adherence to time. If Gemini is the clock at the train station, and Capricorn is the schedule, and Aquarius is the fortune of sliding through the closing door, then Virgo is the plain fact of showing up on time.

So it is clear that there are affinities between rulerships. The two mercury-ruled signs rule basic, mundane relationships to time: time measurement and time observance. The two Saturn-ruled signs rule the extremes of time: time’s bondage and time’s potentiation. There are also affinities between elements, which we explore later. But there are also delightful parallels between the pairs of signs which share no essential qualities. Consider that Gemini and Capricorn both rule structural, objective attributes of time, summarized by the clock and the schedule respectively. The other pair rules more subjective qualities of time: Virgo corresponds to the season, and Aquarius to the zeitgeist.

Elemental Purports
What does it mean that all four of these time-governing signs are earth or air? At the most obvious level, we should note that in the cultural imagination water and fire are characterized by motion, while earth and air are not. Air is about potentiation; it is the closest element to pure yang. It is the breath, which corresponds esoterically to the pneuma, the coherence of spirit which vivifies matter. It is atmosphere: that which surrounds every atom, and every germ of life, from the smallest bud to the egg of the cosmos. In a sense, pure potentiation means being eternally unborn. It is actually full activity—boundless perpetual motion—or “unlimited wind” in the Vedas—the inexhaustible first word of creation which has no duration, and obviously no equivalent upon the time-dependent material plane.

That plane is brought to us in part by earth, the closest element to pure yin. It is easy to understand how “pure passivity” is not comprehensible within time—easier than the concept of “pure activity” which we looked at previously. There is only ever the appearance of stillness in our perception; never an object which is actually fully static. The signature “movements” of matter may be entropy and decay.

We should also understand the conventional elemental associations with the astrological attitudes: cardinality is “like” fire; fixidity like earth; mutability like air. Therefore these time signs are:

• The airy part of air (Gemini)
• The airy part of earth (Virgo)
• The fiery part of earth (Capricorn)
• The earthy part of air (Aquarius)

So earth is implicated in three of these, and air is implicated in three of these. The only exception to air is the fiery part of earth; earth in its cardinal aspect. This means it is the apparent, self-projecting aspect of earth; earth with its essence on display. Capricorn governs, if you’ll remember, the bondage aspect of time, and the sign that is the most common answer to the naive question of time rulership.

The only exception to earth is the airy part of air: Gemini. This is notably the second-most common response to the question of time rulership. And, as we have seen, together Gemini and Capricorn account for the objective qualities of time. Here’s a weird one: if Gemini and Capricorn are the most obvious rulers of time, perhaps that is partially due to the subjective quality of our time, which is so concerned with, and aware of, objective qualities!

Or maybe it is the fact that the subjective qualities of time are defined by contradiction, and thus more difficult to understand in any age. After all, what is the “earthy part of air” and “the airy part of earth”? There does seem to be an especially elusive mystery about Aquarius: the concept of kairos, but also of the wish, and of heaven. What are we to make of the fact that Aquarius is “familiar to the alien”? Or the fact that it is associated both with the moment and with “timelessness”? We have seen air as pure potentiation, necessitating boundless movement; how could there be a “fixed” expression of such a principle?

In contradiction to the most “alien” sign, Virgo is typically tagged as the most mundane sign. The relative anonymity of Virgo is also contrasted with the radical idiosyncrasy of Aquarius. And its tradition-mindedness would appear also to chafe against Aquarian novelty. Yet let us remember what these signs share: they given definition to the subjective attributes of time. We mentioned that Aquarius holds both the uniqueness of the moment, and the unchanging eternal, but Virgo holds this mystery too. Virgo’s anonymity comes from a deep, intuitive understand that we are all the same. That is why the goddess and the virgin go by so many names. In fact, they necessitate that many names, because the multiplicity of the expression is part of the expression. Virgo is the scattering of the atoms; matter in full possible diffusion. The secondary ruler of Virgo, besides mercury, is not one planet but an abundance of asteroids. Virgo knows both “I am a link in a chain” and also “I am this link.” What is punctuality but specificity? What is a unit of matter but a detail? Virgo knows both, “This season has come before,” and also, “This summer is this summer.”

Summary
The wind of Gemini is the wind that blows in the quality of time, existing in some unknowable potentiation beyond this world. Capricorn is the slow-burn of matter upon which quality plays, and is thereby bound. Virgo rotates the wheel, perpetuating the cycle through its incremental movement. The rotations are then recognized by their quality of motion. Aquarius imagines the wheel stopped, glimpsed in gestalt, and the wheel is recognized by the quality of its stillness. Cumulatively, these four archetypes collaborate to describe the terms of the dance through which psyche extends itself into its many other guises.

Chart rulers (in the houses)

The chart ruler of a natal chart, is the planet that is ruled by the ascendant. Since the ascendant is also associated with the soul’s purpose, the chart ruler is a very important planet, since it takes action for the ascendant and therefore rules the chart. So, where your chart ruler falls is quite important, and the same for aspects to it.

The chart ruler(s) for every ascendant:

Aries asc —> mars

Taurus asc —> venus

Gemini asc —> mercury

Cancer asc —> moon

Leo asc —> sun

Virgo asc —> mercury

Libra asc —> venus

Scorpio asc —> pluto (traditionally mars)

Sagittarius asc —> jupiter

Capricorn asc —> saturn

Aquarius asc —> uranus (traditionally saturn)

Pisces asc —> neptune (traditionally jupiter)

(for me personally, i tend to relate to traditional planets more, so definitely check that out too if your rising sign also happens to have a traditional ruler)

Chart ruler in….:

(for aspects with your chart ruler, look for conjunction first, since those have the most influence)

1st house/aries/aspect with mars: Your faith is in your own hands, and you are the person that can makes changes to your own life, you’re the leader. You’re quick and active in the way you approach life. You’re aware of yourself, but maybe a little too much sometimes. Try to not always be the fastest, taking things slow is okay too.

2nd house/taurus/aspect with venus: You value stability, comfort and security in life. You’re focused on your purpose and want to get there the ‘right way’, but remember that all ways are the right one, since it’s your life, mistakes happen. You might not always be motivated, but don’t let that influence your self image.

3rd house/gemini/aspect with mercury: Curiosity, knowledge and restlessness describe your soul’s purpose pretty good. You approach life quite active, but also very observing. Don’t forget to stay true to yourself in conversations, since your views on life can be quite versatile and easily influenced by others.

4th house/cancer/aspect with moon: This is a great indicator for a true homebody, even when your chart ruler is an active planet like mars. You like to build a safe place for yourself everywhere you go. You might also value animal lives a lot, or just other living things in general. With your chart ruler here, you are a very giving person, but don’t forgot yourself!

5th house/leo/aspect with sun: Your energy mainly goes to your hobbies, since this placement makes you very creative. You like expressing yourself and it motivates you to achieve your goals. You might also like to be pointed out or get complimented, but make sure you don’t rely on it, you are also good enough without that reassurance.

6th house/virgo/aspect with mercury: Your job and life goals can be on your mind quite a lot. Physical activities stimulate you, just like food/diets, since you can be quite body-aware and it helps you build confidence. You are a very helpful person and will do everything to help others, but please don’t forget yourself, you matter too.

7th house/libra/aspect with venus: Any kind of relationship and bonding with other people is very important for you. You can have a hard time figuring out what your goals and purpose are and might rely on others to figure it out. Build some confidence in the unknown to be more independent.

8th house/scorpio/aspect with pluto(/mars): You tend to always read the room, you can be private and sometimes even mysterious. The psychology of life really appeals to you, since you can feel very misunderstood yourself. You are self-aware, which you use to change and sometimes even transform yourself. You are likely to be drawn to the unknown.

9th house/sagittarius/aspects with jupiter: You like to have freedom and to teach and learn. You’re outgoing and a dreamer who is willing to travel and make new experiences, good and bad, to get to your goal. Since you’re an idealist, don’t overestimate your goals, because that might leave some self-consciousness in your abilities.

10th house/capricorn/aspects with saturn: You have strong desires and goals in life and feel like your reputation and the things you’ve accomplished are important. You like recognition for your work and tend to come over as professional. This all makes you a strong person, but don’t forget that it’s good to be soft too at certain points of life.

11th house/aquarius/aspects with uranus/saturn: You like to have people around you with the same vibes and these bonds are important for you. Equality and freedom is also something you want to achieve throughout your life. You’re quite social and outgoing, but in the end, you prefer deep bonds.

12th house/pisces/aspects with neptune/jupiter: your approach on life can be shy, intuitive and sensitive, which makes it hard and overwhelming to be around people sometimes. You’re always seeking for a higher something and meaning of others. That can make you anxious and lonely, because not everybody gets you. Try to remember that eventually you will find your place in the universe, but it takes time.

when the sun passes through leo, it returns home.

it enjoys being in an environment where mi amour brings fresh orange juice without the pips because they respect leo’s wishes. anddddd it’s not too big of an ask.

pillows are pumped and preened into perfection. there’s lots of mirrors, too. big enough to squeeze a few more people into this collage for memories, and to catch allllllll of this skin.

the people who are considered privileged enough to own a key to this kingdom, keep coming back because they recognise that they’re getting to be around someone who pretty much is the same ball of fun behind closed doors.

and it’s nothing to complain about at all.

but more so, admire.

all the sun wants to do is emanate rays of creativity, confidence, determination and warmth.

and leo never really liked the cold.

so, it must be written in the stars, or something.