Herbal medicine in the Black-American community has a rich legacy. In the villages of West Africa, herbal medicine was a cornerstone of securing the health of the community. Herbs and ritual were essential in maintaining a connection to the origin points of life in the Spiritual World, allowing the healer to treat problems in the material world at the source. During enslavement, our ancestors maintained this knowledge (usually in secret) while developing a close relationship with the unfamiliar land they were now part of. Native people provided botanical and spiritual knowledge of the plants that grew on and near plantations which allowed our ancestors to treat the conditions they faced. Our relationship with herbs began to break down with the Great Migration, as our predecessors left the rural south to seek refuge and economic opportunity in the industrial cities of the North and Western U.S. Additionally, there was an effective campaign to discredit and misrepresent herbal medicine as inferior and primitive to drugs marketed by the medical/pharmaceutical industry. Despite this, many of us are returning to the wisdom of our or ancestors to revitalize our relationship with herbs and plants to restore our health and vitality. 

To demonstrate some of the core techniques of ancient astrology, we will examine the birth chart of Diana Ross, focusing specifically on pivotal moments in career and family life. The aim of this demonstration is to show that astrology is not only about the psychological model (which is the scope of modern principles), but goes further by indicating specific times when an event will occur in the life of the native and speaks to the conditions of their life. We will examine the Triplicity lords of the sect light and the Lord of the Ascendant.

Diana Ross was born in Detroit, Michigan on March 26th, 1944 at 11:46 PM. This is night chart, which makes the nocturnal sect prominent (Moon, Venus, Mars, and in this case Mercury.) We begin by investigating the triplicity lords of the Sect Light to determine the overall fortune of the native in regards to her support from others and access to resources.

By night, the first triplicity lord of Taurus is the Moon and the second is Venus. The first triplicity lord governs the first half of life and the second triplicity lords governs the second half. The Moon is dignified by exaltation, triplicity, and sect in Taurus, well placed in the fortunate and angular 7th house as well as conjunct the angle. The Moon is also between the aspect of the benefits (Venus and Jupiter), a condition known as enclosure, while being inspected by the malefic (Mars and Saturn). Due to these factors, we judge the Moon to be in excellent condition.

Next, in looking at the condition of Venus, the only essential dignity is exaltation in Pisces. However, Venus is advancing to the angle of the IC and well placed in the 5th house of "Good Fortune", which is the house of Venus' joy and well suited to the artistic, creative endeavors of Diana Ross' career. Unlike the Moon, Venus sees both Mars and Saturn from the square aspect, yet she dominates them both (being in the 10th sign from the malefic's). Both triplicity lords of the Sect Light are well placed by house and sign which, according Vettius Valens, "forecasts a fortunate and illustrious nativity." With both the Moon and Venus in good condition, this indicates that Diana Ross has great "imminence" or in plain English, she's is bound to have excellent support from others and access to plenty of resources throughout her life.

After establishing this, we turn our attention to the domicile lord of the ascendant. When strong and well placed, the lord of the ascendant offers all the best qualities of the ruling planet. When weak and poorly placed, the native struggles with challenges relating to the house in which it is placed and the planets it witnesses.

Scorpio rises over the eastern horizon, designating Mars as the ruler of the Ascendant. Mars is placed at the very last degree of Gemini, the 8th sign from Scorpio. Unlike the Moon and Venus, Mars is in a difficult position. By house, Mars is in the "idle place", where fears, anxiety, and distress are prominent. Furthermore, Mars is without dignity and co-present Saturn, the malefic contrary to sect, adding further stress and pressure to Mars' condition. This took on concrete manifestation for Diana around the age of 7, when her mother became ill with tuberculosis (both planets activated by an 8th house profection year for Diana, Mars also rules the 6th house of illness, Saturn rules the 4th house of parents brought together in the 8th house of despair/death/worry). This formative experience of being faced with the mortality of a parent shaped her intense drive to forge a secure future for herself and her family. However, Mars has a saving grace in the form of the dominating superior square of Venus in Pisces, which tempers and provides a release point for the ascendant lord to channel its efforts. This connects Diana's artistic talents (Venus) with the drive and determination (Mars) to excel in the cutthroat industry of music and entertainment.