Draconic astrology has become a hot topic with the emergence of Victor Olliver’s excellent and extensive book. Highly readable, sensible, clear in explanations, stuffed with examples, it humanises and grounds what could be a fairly arcane technique to pin down soul purpose in a life.
A draconic chart shifts the position of the North Node to zero Aries and moves all other planets by the same number of degrees while keeping the original houses. I pay little attention to complaints that techniques in astrology don’t make sense. There’s no rationale for Solar Arc or Progressions or indeed transits for that matter but they work. The Royal and celebrity examples in the book make a great deal of sense with Victor’s lucid descriptions of the natal (tropical) and draconic charts. He is very definite that the natal chart is the foundation chart and isn’t superseded by the draconic.
However it’s an area of astrology that needs study before making comment so this will have to be a very preliminary thoughts-in-progress post. I’ll put up a couple of examples below from the book. And hope along the way others will pitch in when they have read the book and it can be returned to on a later post.
I have two hesitations about the subject. The first is that you can get confused (more than usual) by getting recommended to this technique or that and there are a truckload of possible choices out there. At some point an astrologer, while keeping an open-mind about what might be useful to fill a knowledge gap, has to refine down what they work with. Otherwise they drown in too much information.
The other is self-centred, since au naturellement, I headed first for my own chart. Where Prince Charles shifts from a Scorpio start in life to Draconic Libra; Karl Marx from Taurus to Aries; and Queen Victoria from Gemini to Taurus, with changes in elements and triplicities, I don’t. The shifts in these individuals are elegantly and insightfully described in the book.
In my case I shift from Virgo to Taurus with a strong Air element in both; and 12th house moves to 8th house with a strong 9th house in both. So Earth Air stays as is with a leaning towards more fixed – and hidden becomes more hidden in house terms. I’m just not sure how to interpret that. Plus the Draconic and Natal charts in synastry aren’t as clear cut as in the examples given, certainly as far as conjunctions are concerned. In an odd way my 8th house Draconic element makes sense to me especially Chiron conjunct Algol in the 8th though I’m not sure I could articulate what. Anyway it is early days so will require more pondering.
Prince Charles has his Draconic Jupiter conjunct his 4th house natal Scorpio Sun = family brings bounty and success. His Draconic Uranus in his 10th makes him a trailblazer.
Britney Spears Draconic Jupiter Pluto sits in her natal 10th for mega-success; as does Nelson Mandela’s Jupiter Pluto. Oprah Winfrey’s Draconic Jupiter is conjunct her natal 8th house Pluto – for the Midas touch.
I think I’m confused already so will stop. All too new and will take time to absorb.
There’s a free calculator if you want to try your own chart.
https://horoscopes.astro-seek.com/draconic-chart-astrology-calculator
Also on astrodienst: https://www.astro.com/astrology/aa_article210601_e.htm
Virgoflake, you have my complete sympathy! I commend you for your resilience and hope that you find happiness and contentment, whatever life throws at you!
Your kind words have touched me, Linda. Thank you x
Believe me, I’m as tough as old boots these days!
I’m messing around with this, and lunch break is almost over! Anyway, I was interested to see that Emmanuel Macron’s Draconic Mars at 28 Capricorn is conjunct his natal Ascendant. The celebration for his presidential win was held in the Champ-de-Mars, Paris.
There’s also some fascinating synastery between Macron and Napoleon Bonaparte – both natal and draconic.
“I seem to have a lot of drama happen around me while I just want to potter about quietly in the garden.”
Louisa – I totally agree with your remark! I don’t have a draconic filled with oppositions however, but realise much of my inner self is better described by the draconic chart. My natal chart is full of drama and intensity, which has frequently cropped up in the life around me – a flatmate suddenly became dangerously delusional and rapidly developed severe mental health issues for example. They were a quiet, well-educated, teetotal person before this. A colleague was murdered in mysterious circumstances. A neighbour’s home was raided by dozens of police plus an armed response unit – in quiet suburbia…..etc. etc.
Once I saw my draconic chart, I almost heaved a sigh of relief. Yes, there’s been plenty of drama in my own personal life, as reflected in the natal, but I’ve always loved just chipping about, reading, or walking.
Thanks Jane, that’s an interesting way of looking at it. I suppose it’s about perception – if you were the delusional flat mate you perhaps wouldn’t be aware of any drama/intensity, to be aware you had to perceive it from an external source (the flat mate)?
Thanks Tara – it was complicated at the time, and fighting for weeks to get help from their rather ‘posh’ family and doctor was a nightmare. I don’t know to what extent this person realised what was going on – but it did involve several frightening episodes where they took off all their clothes in the street outside the flats, and also in a station. We were so worried about the danger of this, apart from anything else. Transiting Pluto was conjunct my Draconic Mercury at the time, transits to my natal were various sextiles/trines from Saturn and Uranus. No Pluto or Neptune. The rest of life at that time was going well too.
Similar Jane but I was a child and teenager. Growing up was chaotic because of my elder sibling. We had violent outbursts, suicide threats, knife held to my mother’s throat, weapons waved about and on one occasion I returned from school one day to find a chaotic and dangerous situation at home and I had to call the Police. My boundaries were all over the place growing up. So my draconic chart turns this muddy Libran into all fire and air but with a Taurus Sun with a crowded moon/mars/Mercury/Neptune Gemini/3rd house and an Aries Pluto/Uranus/Venus in the first.
Like everyone, I am reading the book and checking out Draconic charts.
My natal’s only Earth is Pluto at 0 Virgo… a Cancer Sun and lots of fire and air!
My Draconic switches to heaps of Earth!!!!…. dr. Sun conj. natal Saturn… etc…
That was interesting.
Plus… checked out another Draconic chart where all planets were opposite themselves. This person is in her early 60’s and is utterly miserable. Angry, blaming her Mother for everything, never in a relationship.. it goes on. I have to admit that, intuitively, when I saw her synastry of the 2 charts, it made a kind of sense!
Thanks Marjorie. Funnily enough last week I caught up with ISAR’s session with Victor on this book from Feb of this year, it was really interesting to hear him talk through it. ISAR is great value membership overall for the content. I’m on the fence about draconic so far. I know due to my NN at 29 Virgo I am pretty much all opposites in draconic. Someone asked VO at the end of the session about this and he said it made for a difficult path in life because of a sense of constantly balancing opposite. It shifts all my Scorpio placements into Taurus which makes sense in that I seem to have a lot of drama happen around me while I just want to potter about quietly in the garden.
That’s interesting. Someone I know well has a flipped Draconic too. And mine is partially so.
I’ve asked Victor for a Draconic reading so I might get a better handle on it. Will report back once I get it.
Gosh Marjorie, well done for being so open. I can’t wait to read your take on it. Thank you.
That is interesting, thank you Louisa. I have lots of placements in opposite signs, if not exact oppositions by degree, due to a Libra north node.
As well as being a 7th house Sun, I have the ruler of my ascendant and the ruler of my Moon conjunct the descendant, so this contrary thing was already there. Additionally my dr. Moon is the same degree of Leo as my trop.Mars, as well as the dr. Sun being conjunct my trop.Ascendant, so it’s hard to isolate it all and I may be a very poor example! I will read everyone else’s comments with interest.
Thank you Marjorie for the article and link. This is the first I have heard on the subject and will now buy the book.
I was wondering about my natal chart when I received a cancer diagnosis in October when Sun, Venus and Mars were conjunct in my Libra 4th house. I COULD make it fit but it didn’t seem right.
Using the Draconian chart this date conjuncts my natal Sun and Mercury in a Libra 12th house….makes much more sense. Keen to explore more now. Thanks again Marjorie.
In a biwheel using Janus astrology program, compare Harry’s Tropical chart to Meaghan’s Draconic Chart.
Click on link https://i.postimg.cc/1XnGKxKq/Harry-Meagan-Biwheel.jpg
Secondly, compare Meaghan’s Tropical chart to Harry’s Draconic chart…..see the interaspects.
Meaghan’s Tropical Asc conj Harry’s Draconic Sun. Her Tropical MC conj his Dracocnic Chiron.
Thirdly, compare Harry’s Draconic chart to Meaghan’s Draconic chart…..see the interaspects.
Harry’s Draconic Sun conjuncts Meaghan’s Draconic Chiron. His Draconic Dsc conj her Draconic Venus.
Harry’s Draconic Moon conj Meaghan’s Draconic Asc.
There are more…..do the biwheels.
Hi Martha, thank you for your fascinating post – that’s a lot to go through!
I had idly wondered whether, given how much detail exists on them, the Royals would be useful to look at – for instance is there some draconic/karmic signature denoting suitability to reign throughout the ages?
Keep up the good work!
Thanks for this Marjorie, especially since I don’t have much time this week. I am also a draconic Taurus, with my draconic Sun not being far off my tropical ascendant (someone else to be hit by the eclipse I guess!).
I have only really looked at draconic charts previously with synastry, but not for quite some time (years) so thanks for the prompt to have another look.
My draconic ascendant is Libra, like my north node. It’s same degree as my father’s Mars, and my draconic descendant is in Aries, same degree as my eldest child’s Mars – so that’s kinda weird, the two generations on each angle! My husband’s draconic descendant is conjunct our eldest child’s ascendant.
Draconic angles really seem to correlate with the tropical and draconic placements of family, so maybe another useful thing to check in chart rectifications
My draconic Venus is in the tropical 12th, so a bit different to the tropical position which is closely conjunct the descendant. There are also lots of crossovers with my husband, including Sun/Venus conjunctions both ways.
I’ve been interested in draconian astrology for a few years now. I’m still not sure how exactly to interpret it, but I always always notice precise conjunctions and oppositions in synastry, and transits. I also strongly identify with my Draconic sun in Capricorn which seems to complement (and precisely squares) my natal Venus mars in the 10th house. People are always surprised to hear I’m actually a Pisces sun.
This was super speedy reading Marjorie! And yes, more pondering is definitely required. As Jennifer says:
“connections between natal and Draconic charts in synastry; especially when it wasn’t clear in the cross natals. Intriguing stuff!”
has also fascinated me in my early whizz through others’ draconic charts. A hugely important relationship I had was always a bit of a puzzle when it came to the synastry. But my new draconic chart’s connections with their natal are really quite astonishing and meaningful.
And re an earlier post on the Astro health topic, and my puzzlement about Mercury’s involvement in those sudden health related events I’ve experienced….Draconic Uranus is conjunct natal Mercury. Uranus does not aspect Mercury natally. So I’m guessing tropical transits to the natal chart may set off the Draconic planets. I suspect it all makes perfect sense on a quantum level where things like neutrinos can arrive somewhere before they’ve left somewhere else. Well, you know.
Hope everyone keeps experimenting with this, I think it offers new insights. And what a very readable, clear, and heartwarming book it is.
Jane, having read Marjorie’s and your comments, I’ve just ordered the book! We could all do with a bit of clarity and heartwarming at the moment. Thanks.
I hope you enjoy your draconic journey, Andrew! I remain amazed by the synastery revelations I’ve found so far. Definitely, for me, something soulful going on in this technique.
Jane, you’re very kind.
I just came across Pam Crane, who wrote an earlier book The Draconic Chart. Loads of interesting stuff on revpamcrane.weebly.com
This is turning into a whole new voyage of discovery for me.
Hi Marjorie, Is it possible (and does the question have relevance) to ask the question are there people who also have a Draconic Jupiter Pluto sitting in their natal 10th who have not experienced significant levels of success?
The conversion yields, for my natal chart, the familiar pattern of planets I’m used to, but with my 4th house sun/Pluto conjunction now in disquieting Scorpio. Not sure what to make of it. I’ll plow on further.
Thanks a lot Marjorie
Look forward to your further insights. I get an essence that seems to come through from the Draconic Sun, like an undertone, for me anyway. What is really interesting too is seeing connections between natal and Draconic charts in synastry; especially when it wasn’t clear in the cross natals. Intriguing stuff!
Thank you very much for introducing this subject Marjorie.
As always with astrology, one is never sure whether some approaches really add to the knowledge base, or merely increase the kind of nebulousness which is open to derision and ridicule and therefore undermines the whole subject.
However, as you say, just because there’s no logic behind something doesn’t mean it isn’t valid. The proof is in the pudding!
Really looking forward to your further comments, and those of your regular, and very knowledgeable contributors.
p.s Do you ever rest?!