In my previous article I described the Vertex axis as a ‘doorway’ that gives access to other realities.   The doorway of the Vertex axis can open to many different worlds.  It can describe that which delights, that which gives a touch of magic to life as well as that which can bring terror and horror.  The Vertex axis tends to intensify anything with which it has contact.

For an example of the more difficult manifestation of this doorway let us look at the chart of little Jenny who was horrifically beaten most of her life and murdered by her teenage mother when she was 2 years and three months old.  She was born on January 15^th 1983 2.15 pm MST in Las Cruces NM.*

(click chart to enlarge)

Jenny had her Vertex in Scorpio, indicating very intense life experiences.  It was conjunct Saturn, the ruler of her 8th house as well as co-ruler of her 10^th house of one parent.  The Vertex was also conjunct its ruler Pluto and this made up a midpoint structure of Saturn = Pluto/Vertex.    One can deduce from this combination that Jenny’s life experiences might not be very easy and could perhaps be very unpleasant.

On the date of her death Solar Arc Saturn was conjunct natal Vertex and transiting Pluto was conjunct natal Saturn, both activating these most difficult energies.  It is also interesting that the natal antiVertex was conjunct the Alcabitus, Placidus and Porphyry house systems’  Part of Death and this was triggered by Solar Arc Saturn, ruler of the 8^th house.

The Function of the Vertex axis

Just as the 4^th and 10^th houses and their rulers often describe the parents and the 7^th house and its ruler the partner, the Vertex axis and its rulers tend to describe the doorways to the next level of our evolution and the means by which this can happen. The contacts it offers are frequently intensely personal and activate deep levels within us that we may not have been aware of previously.  They can touch your soul.

For example: when his Vertex axis was being activated a curious business man went to a meeting where people were practising a hands- on method of levitation, but this man was unable to levitate- he just couldn’t ‘lift off’.  A wise person observed that his heart energy wasn’t working at all and rubbed that area of his body, the man then levitated up to the ceiling.  He said he had never felt love until then, he had no idea such a feeling existed.

Planets in close contact with the Vertex axis will often describe people, life forms, ideas and objects that have a profound effect on you or are instrumental in opening new doorways of perception for you.   I mention life forms because people have described angels, ghosts, spirits, animals, trees, mountains and many other life forms as part of their extraordinary Vertex axis experiences.  From listening to these peoples’ stories I have come to the conclusion that the Vertex axis can bring intensely shamanic experiences at times.

To illustrate the possibilities of a planet in close aspect to the Vertex lets observe the chart of respected astrologer Noel Tyl who was kind enough to publish this article in his Analytical Techniques section in April 2009.

He has his Vertex in Scorpio which will give very intense experiences in life, in the 5^th house it would suggest these experiences are with love, children, sport and creativity.

As Noel rediscovered the quindecile aspect and has powerfuly presented its validity to the astrological community, I was fascinated to find that he had a quindecile aspect between his Vertex (destiny) and Uranus (astrology).   The quindecile to Uranus would give particular emphasis on Uranian types of people in these fields who are friends (Uranus in the 11^th house)  and skilled in higher mind pursuits (Uranus ruler of 9^th house).  These people would enthral and fascinate Noel, particularly if they also have Uranus strongly placed in their natal chart. They would open new doorways, new realisations and new possibilities for Noel.

For further emphasis Noel’s Uranus is quintile Venus, the ruler of the anti-Vertex.  The quintile aspect would give a creative thrust involving these associations.

For even further emphasis there is a septile pattern involving Venus-Neptune-Pluto, making a midpoint structure of  Venus = Neptune/Pluto.   Contact between both ends of the Vertex axis and/or their rulers usually strengthen the power of this ‘angle’. Neptune is ruler of the MC, bringing this configuration into career focus.

Activation of the Vertex axis.

This can be a bit of a puzzle to research because many of the experiences given by the Vertex axis are very private and can be so unusual people hesitate to speak of them.

As his biography has given clear information, to illustrate an unusual activation I will use the chart of Uri Geller (20^th December 1946, 2.00 am, Tel Aviv, Palestine). Since the publication of this article on Noel Tyl’s site people have contacted me to say Uri has been exposed as a fake.  As my own personal experiences convince me he isn’t I will still use his chart.

Uri has his Vertex in Gemini, indicating a destiny involving communication and perhaps an involvement with matters connected to the air element.  His Vertex is in the 8^th house suggesting access to very deep areas.   The North Node is conjunct the Vertex, indicating that he would have powerful and destined contacts with groups of people.  Uranus is conjunct the Vertex, indicating that he has access to unusual energies, particularly electrical energies as the Vertex axis is probably the electrical axis of the body and Uranus rules electricity.  This makes up a midpoint structure of Vertex = Uranus/Node.

At age four he had a mysterious encounter with a sphere of light that was eye-witnessed by a retired Israeli Air Force Officer.  At that age his Solar Arc North Node was conjunct natal Vertex and his Solar Arc Vertex was conjunct natal Uranus, activating the potential shown in his natal chart.  I don’t have the date for this event but would expect the Vertex axis would have also been triggered by transits and/or lunations at that time.   Further development of his skills would be shown by subsequent activations of his Vertex axis, but these are not published in his biography.

Relationships and the Vertex Axis

As has been shown by the above examples, the Vertex axis is not specifically oriented to romantic relationships.  It covers all kinds of experiences that can involve life forms of various kinds.  The one consistent factor is that these all open the mind or soul to encompass quite profound fields in the human dynamic, whether it its spiritual, emotional, mental or physical depends upon the condition of the Vertex axis and the planets with which it is in touch.

However, I and many other astrologers have noticed that profound experiences involving relationships can and do happen when the Vertex axis is triggered.  Passion, love and hate are emotions that reach the core of a human soul.  The rules of society rarely mean anything at all when these emotions are alive and people have radically changed their lives for better or worse during these times.

Powerful and destined experiences in relationships are particularly likely if you have your natal Vertex axis in the 5^th-11^th (love) or 7^th-1^st (partnerships) or in Leo-Aquarius or Libra-Aries. The Vertex in the 8^th house or Scorpio-Taurus gives incredibly intense and deeply felt experiences.

You will find people  are particularly magnetic for you if they have their Vertex axis straddling your Ascendant-Descendant or your 5^th-11^th cusp.

Combined charts will often tell a clear and powerful story as well, particularly Davison charts.

The intense experiences the Vertex axis can bring into your life can be just for a moment  or last for a lifetime, but  because these experiences have touched your soul, you never forget the person and circumstances involved.

Copyright (c) Alice Portman 2009

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