Edward Snowden, Whistleblower

Edward Snowden has been much in the news lately.  He is the young man who exposed the U.S. government’s extensive program to spy on the entire American public despite protections that are articulated in the Bill of Rights.  The  the 4th Amendment states:

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.“

Working as an NSA contractor, Snowden saw first-hand how the U.S. government was spying on all American citizens without judicial oversight.  Anything written on a computer with an internet connection, including this post, can be read in real time by someone at the NSA.  Big Brother truly is watching all of us.  Osama Bin Laden may be dead, but his wish to destroy American democracy  is alive and well and being acted out by the very government created to protect the rights of the people.  Under the rubric of protecting our rights, the U.S. government is systematically dismantling the American Bill of Rights.

The Guardian, which published a report on Snowden’s leak, said the following about Snowden’s motivation:

“For him, it is a matter of principle. ‘The government has granted itself power it is not entitled to. There is no public oversight. The result is people like myself have the latitude to go further than they are allowed to,’ he said.

“His allegiance to internet freedom is reflected in the stickers on his laptop: ‘I support Online Rights: Electronic Frontier Foundation,’ reads one. Another hails the online organisation offering anonymity, the Tor Project.”

No government likes to be exposed violating the rights of its citizens and ignoring the Constitution that legitimizes its power.  No doubt the U.S. government will hunt Snowden down and make his life miserable.

News reports have mentioned Snowden’s date of birth (time unknown).  Here is his symbolic chart set for sunrise at this birth location:

Sunrise chart (time unknown) of Whistleblower Edward Snowden

His talent for computers and information technology is reflected in his three planets in Gemini (Mercury, Mars, Sun).  The Mars/Sun conjunction suggests an energetic person who loves adventure, is prone to taking risks, who has a  fighting spirit.  Mars was in Gemini when the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence.  In fact, the ASC of the New Moon Solar Eclipse in August of 1776 at the site of the Continental Congress falls directly on Snowden’s natal Mars, so that this young man has a strong astrological tie to the American Bill of Rights.   With the Sun/Mars conjunction opposed by Neptune, he is likely to be idealistic and willing to fight for what he believes in.

On June 6, 2013, when the leak became public, Snowden’s secondary progressed Sun (at sunrise) was exactly square his progressed Saturn.  Natally, he has Saturn closely conjunct Pluto in Libra, the sign of justice and the rule of law.  Natal Saturn in Libra is exactly sextile natal Neptune in Sagittarius, further enhancing his commitment to freedom and social justice.  Natal Pluto sextile natal Neptune marks a generation dedicated to social change and the protection of human rights, and the close ties of Neptune, Pluto and Saturn to his natal Sun make these issues very personal for Mr. Snowden.

His solar return for June 2012 – June 2013 is striking:

Snowden’s sunrise birth chart with 2012-2013 birthplace solar return superimposed

His birthplace solar return  (for the sunrise chart) has the Sun almost exactly on the ASC, marking 2013 as a highly significant year in which he will live out the promise of his birth chart.  The Sun on the ASC rules the 3rd house of news media.   Mars in Virgo in the 4th of the solar return closely squares his natal Gemini Mars, stirring him to action.   The solar return Moon in Cancer in the 1st house is in partile opposition to Pluto in Capricorn in the 7th.  Most likely this Moon/Pluto opposition represents his strong emotional response and desire to take action (Moon in cardinal Cancer in the 1st) against the government’s abuses of power (Pluto in Capricorn in the 7th).

Astrology and the Bridge Collapse in Washington State

On Facebook astrologer Jeffrey Geist wondered whether the recent bridge collapse in the state of Washington was related to the astrological conditions at the time of the recent earthquakes around the world.  His comment got me wondering, so I looked at the chart.

On Thursday 23 May 2013 the Interstate-5 bridge over the Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Washington, collapsed around 7 p.m. , dumping two cars and their occupants into the water.  Fortunately there was no loss of life.  Apparently a truck crashed into at least one girder.  The accident raised concerns about the safety of the nations ageing bridges. Using google maps, I located the coordinates of the accident:

Latitude	Longitude
48.44378	-122.34118

or 48 N 26′ 38″,  122 W 40′ 28″ In mundane astrology the fundamental starting point is the Aries Ingress chart.  Below is the Aries Ingress chart of 2013 at these coordinates, surrounded by the chart of the accident (set for 7 PM, according to news reports).

2013 Aries Ingress surrounded by bridge collapse 7 pm 23 May 2013 at Skagit Bridge, Mount Vernon, WA.

This combined chart is so striking is hardly needs comment.  Saturn rules the ASC of the ingress chart and conjoins the MC, where it is the most elevated planet.  Pluto lies on the ASC of the ingress chart.

At the time of the accident, Uranus is square ingress Pluto and square the ingress ASC.  The accident ASC has just crossed over ingress Saturn and is tightly conjunct the ingress MC.  Transiting Saturn is exactly quincunx ingress Mars from the 9th (journeys) to the 3rd house (local travel).   Ingress Mars is closely conjoined to Uranus, so that the conjunction receives the quincunx from transiting Saturn.  (Saturn rules heaviness and gravity; Mars rules iron vehicles and accidents; Uranus rules sudden unexpected events.)

Transiting Neptune is conjunct ingress Mercury near the cusp of the 3rd of transport.  Mercury rules the unfortunate 6th and 8th houses.  The transiting Moon  is quincunx transiting Mercury and Venus at the time of the accident.  The Leo MC of the accident (near the ingress 8th house cusp) was triggering the ingress Venus in Aries by quincunx.

Let me stop here.  I’m sure readers will see other symbolism of a transportation accident in the charts.

Earthquakes and the May 20-21 Uranus-Pluto Square

In yesterday’s post I was musing about the supermoon theory and the occurrence of earthquakes.  In looking at Raphael’s mundane astrology, I noticed that he used conjunctions of planets from Mars out as predictive devices.  Raphael was unaware of the existence of Pluto in 1910 and did not give examples of earthquake charts in which he used squares (unless I missed an example in his book).

On the other hand, the major astrological event recently has been the exact Uranus-Pluto square on 20 May 2013 here in the USA, 21 May in the South Pacific.  In the past couple of weeks there has been a serious of significant earthquakes in the South Pacific near Tonga.  In addition, Tem Terrikar noted on Facebook that a quake struck northern California yesterday evening.  This later quake occurred near Greenville and the location of the quake was given as 40.190°N 121.061°W depth=11.0km (6.8mi).

Below are the charts of the recent UR-PL square for Tonga and for the quake near Greenville, California.

Uranus square Pluto at Tonga 21 May 2013

The Sun rules the ASC at Tonga.  Sun conjoins Mars at the MC, opposing the 4th house cusp (the land, the earth and subterranean matters).  Mars rules the 4th of earthquakes and disposes Uranus in the 8th house of death.  Uranus squares Pluto at the cusp of the 6th.  Jupiter rules the 8th, which houses Uranus, and is closely quincunx the 4th cusp.  This is an impressive chart, and one can readily see the symbolism of an earthquake contained therein.  Now for Greenville, California:

Uranus square Pluto cast for Greenville, California, 20 May 2013.

In northern California, the UR-PL square fell on the angles, making it especially powerful in this location.  Pluto conjoins the IC (4th house is associated with earthquakes and the land).  Uranus conjoins the DSC and opposes the ASC of the chart.  Mars, which disposes Uranus, lies in the 8th house near the location of the May 10th solar eclipse at 19 Taurus 31.  Saturn, which rules the 4th, opposes the 8th house cusp (Placidus).   Saturn and Neptune are mutually applying by trine.

Can Earthquakes be Predicted with Astrology?

I must say that when I read in old texts on mundane astrology that earthquakes are predictable by astrological means, I am very skeptical.  If earthquakes could be predicted with any accuracy and reliability, we would not be surprised by the horrific stories of loss of life in quakes and tsunamis year after year.  A tiny crack appeared in my skepticism recently when I read that astrologer Richard Nolle had at least predicted a likely period for earthquakes in 2013 with his “supermoon” technique.

In scientific terms a supermoon is a full moon that occurs when the moon is at or very close  to perigree, its closest approach to the earth in its monthly cycle.  Because it is closer to the earth, the full moon of the “supermoon” appears significantly larger than average.  A handy calculator for the Moon’s apogee (further distance) and perigee can be found at http://www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/pacalc.html.  On this site you can easily see that a Full Moon occurs on 2013 May 25 and the moon’s perigee occurs on May 26 at 1:46 when the moon is 358374 km away from the earth.  When the moon reaches apogee on June  9 at 21:41 it will be 406486 km distant.  Nolle uses the period immediately surrounding the supermoon (in this case 25 May 2013 give or take a few days) to predict earthquakes and other mundane events.

In fact, a major earthquake did occur in the South Pacific as the supermoon was approaching.  On Thursday afternoon, 23 May 2013 here in the USA, a magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck about 175 miles southwest of Tonga island and about 450 miles southeast of Fiji.  This earthquake followed a 6.5 magnitude quake that occurred twelve days earlier near Tonga island on 11 May 2013  about 218 miles northwest of the capital, Nuku’alofa.  Unfortunately for the supermoon theory, the earlier quake occurred very close to the moon’s apogee or furthest distance from the earth on May 13 at 13:32 at a distance of 405826 km.  Because the two quakes were so close in time and location, they were probably part of the same shifting of tectonic plates near Tonga.  One occurred two days after the moon’s apogee and the other occurred two days before the moon’s perigee, so it’s hard to see a pattern in the moon’s distance from the earth triggering a quake.

Intrigued by the idea of earthquake prediction, I went back and read Raphael’s 1910 volume on mundane astrology in which he devotes several paragraphs to earthquakes.  Raphael pays special attention to ingress charts, eclipses, lunations on the IC, 4th house planets and the conjunctions of the planets Mars through Neptune (he didn’t know about Pluto in 1910) in making earthquake predictions.  Raphael gives two examples in which the chart for the conjunction of Mars to an outer planet at the location of the quake was predictive.

With Raphael in mind, I noticed that a Mars/Uranus conjunction occurred on March 23rd shortly after the Aries ingress of the sun.  I wondered if the chart for this conjunction cast for Tonga would be predictive of a Mars/Uranus event, such as an earthquake.  Theoretically the conjunction should fall on an angle, especially the IC, to have such significance.  Here is the chart for this conjunction.

Mars/Uranus conjunction in Tonga 23 March 2013, just after the Aries Ingress and preceding the May 2013 earthquakes.

The chart was quite surprising and made me think that maybe Raphael was on to something.  The Mars/Uranus conjunction falls almost exactly on the ASC.  Pluto (which Raphael did not know about) conjoins the MC and squares the Mars/Uranus conjunction.  Saturn conjoins the 8th house cusp.  No doubt Raphael would have seen an impeding earthquake or other natural disaster looming in the chart during the springtime.

I did not have time to look at all the factors Raphael considers in earthquake prediction, but this chart was quite impressive.  It is probably significant that these two earthquakes (of May 11 and May 23) occurred during the period when the following astrological events took place:

10 May 2013:  Solar eclipse at 19 Taurus 31.

21 May 2013:  Uranus square Pluto from 11 Aries 14 to 11 Capricorn 14.

25 May 2013:  Lunar eclipse at 4 Sagittarius 08.

Brighella as the Page of Swords

On a recent vacation in Italy I got to see many of the medieval and Renaissance paintings which inspired the creation of the tarot in northern Italy during the early 1400s.  This trip inspired me to take out my Medieval Scapini Tarot deck and study it more carefully.  Although I had owned this deck for some time, it had never particularly appealed to me and I had only given it cursory attention.  After a visit to the museums of Italy, this deck took on more significance and I am quite impressed by the details in the cards and the skill of the artist in portraying the meanings handed down by Etteilla and the Golden Dawn.

Scapini uses the dramatic figure of Brighella to illustrate his Page of Swords.  I must admit that I was not familiar with this character from Italian literature, so I looked him up.

Brighella from Italian Commedia dell’arte.

Like Harlequin, Brighella is a native of 16th century Bergamo.  In theatrical productions Brighella offered to open his “little box of cunning to better server those who pay me.”  He was known for his traps, tricks and deceptions.  Sometimes he was portrayed as a quack street vendor, claiming to have discovered the philosopher’s stone and selling amulets guaranteed to prolong one’s life.  Other times he called himself the “patron saint of lovers” and offered his services as a matchmaker and mediator of broken love affairs (a precursor to the modern marriage counselor).

The Encyclopedia Britannica describes Brighella as “a roguish, quick-witted, opportunistic, and sometimes lascivious and cruel figure.  Originally one of the comic servants, or zanni, of the commedia, Brighella was a jack-of-all-trades whose loyalty as a soldier, hangman’s varlet, assassin, or gentleman’s valet could be easily bought.  Because of his almost sentimental view of love, though, the young lovers could trust him.”

Brighella’s name probably derives from the Latin word briga, meaning contention or tumult.  As a dramatic character, he was constantly getting involved in contentious and tumultuous situations.

Etteilla calls the Page of Swords a spy and views him as a curiosity seeker who, when reversed, indicates the unexpected and the need for impromptu speech to save the situation.   The Golden Dawn calls this Page the subtle and dexterous “Princess of the Rushing Winds” who, when ill dignified, indicates frivolity and cunning.  Waite regarded the Page of Swords as a card of vigilance, spying and indiscretion, signifying someone who will pry into the querent’s secret affairs.  Brighella seems to fit the bill for all of these traits.

Wikipedia seeks to understand something about the origin of Brighella’s character traits:

“… he often was portrayed as a member of the middle class such as a tavern owner: his character could be adapted to whatever the needs to the scenario might be, just as Brighella himself is adaptable to any circumstance.  …  As in a stereotype of those who have risen from poverty, he is often most cruel to those beneath him on the social ladder; he even goes so far as to kill on occasion.  … in France, the gentilified Brighella eventually culminated in the character of Figaro, known from the plays and operas.”

“He’s a masterful liar, and can make up a spur-of-the moment lie for any situation.  He is an inveterate schemer, and he is good at what he does.  If his plans failed, it was almost always out of luck on behalf of the other characters.  When he’s a servant, he will either serve his master devotedly or look for every opportunity to ruin and take advantage of him as he happens to see fit—whatever will gain the greatest advantage for himself and himself alone.  He is fond of money, but spends it rapidly, and tends to be especially fond of the drink.  To quote Duchartre again: ‘Brighella believes in no one but the hangman, he respects nothing and loves nothing but his own pleasure.’  In fact, he has few good qualities save for his ability to entertain the audience.”

“His character is usually from uptown Milano or Bergamo, and in the original Italian would often speak with the local accent.  He could be very witty and fond of wordplay.  He is also an accomplished singer, dancer and musician, and sometimes would play the guitar on stage.”

Page of Swords from tarotbonkers.blogspot.com

Tornado devastates Moore, Oklahoma

The major event in yesterday’s news was a devastating tornado in Moore, Oklahoma.  Dozens of people died and the final mortality report is not yet completed.  A funnel cloud was spotted forming in the sky near Moore about 2:52 PM, touched down about 2:53 PM, and “roped out” about 3:36 PM CDT.  Although I am not an astro-meterologist, I was curious about what the charts for this time period might reveal.  Here are the charts for the beginning and end of the tornado:

Tornado reported by police to have touched down at 2:53 PM CDT in Moore.

Astrologers had been awaiting 20 May 2013 because it was the date of the exact square of Uranus in Aries to Pluto in Capricorn, a fairly rare astrological event.  The non-lunar transits for the day were:

Transits in Moore, Oklahoma on 20 May 2013.

In the above chart the angular (most powerful) planets are Moon in the 1st, Jupiter in the 10th, Uranus in the 7th and Pluto in the 4th.  Significantly, the 4th house is associated with weather in mundane astrology.  Here the 4th house cusp lies in Sagittarius ruled by Jupiter which lies in detriment in Gemini (a sign associated with wind) near the MC.  Jupiter is also afflicted by a sesquisquare from transiting Saturn earlier in the day.  The funnel cloud formed as the MC over Moore Oklahoma came within 2 degrees of transiting Jupiter.  The tornado touched down when the MC was 1.5 degrees away from Jupiter.  The MC at Moore conjoined Jupiter at 2:59:30 PM CDT when the devastation had already begun.

Having looked at the ruler of the 4th of weather conditions, let’s turn our attention to planets in the 4th.  Pluto in Capricorn is the only occupant of the 4th house.  Pluto is stressed by the impending exact square from an angular Uranus in Aries.  This is an extremely powerful aspect.  Pluto is also stressed by a quincunx from Mercury in Gemini in the 9th.  Mercury is quite powerful in this chart because it is the ASC-ruler and MC-ruler and lies in the sign it rules, Gemini.  In addition, Mercury disposes Jupiter, ruler of the 4th house of weather.  Needless to say, the symbolism points to a bout of very bad weather.

Years ago Barbara Watters wrote: ”Saturn falling in the 4th house may indicate a housing shortage. Pluto there may indicate vandalism or crime waves affecting property; serious afflictions to the 4th from combinations of Uranus, Neptune and Jupiter may indicate loss of property through storms, floods, earthquakes…” (bold mine).  In the above chart Jupiter opposes the 4th house cusp, Uranus squares 4th house Pluto, and Neptune squares Mercury which in turn quincunxes 4th house Pluto.  Neptune is disposed by Jupiter.  All in all, the 4th house is highly afflicted and meets Watters criteria for loss of property through storms, floods, earthquakes…”

Funnel cloud in Moore, Oklahoma 20 May 2013.

Here is the chart for the end of the tornado:

Tornado dissipates or “ropes out” at 3:36 PM CDT.

The tornado dissipated as the ASC and MC both changed signs.  The ASC moved from Virgo to Libra and the MC moved from Gemini to Cancer simultaneously at 3:35:19 PM CDT.  The weather service reported that the funnel cloud “roped out” at 3:36 PM.  Mercury was no longer the ruler of the ASC or the MC at that moment.  Beneific Venus now ruled the ASC.  The Moon now ruled the MC, closely conjoined the ASC, and trined the Sun at the very end of Taurus.  The Sun in Taurus had exactly trined the ASC over Moore at 3:35:09 PM CDT.  With all these favorable astrological aspects in effect shortly after 3:35 PM, the storm came to an end.

Hellenistic Theology and the Exaltations of the Planets

In my previous post I presented a hypothesis that the joys of the planets were a reflection of the religious worldview of Alexandrian Egypt.  It occurred to me that the exaltations of the planets in Hellenistic astrology might have a similar origin.  This post contains speculations about how the planets might have been assigned to signs where they were considered exalted.

We begin with the Thema Mundi, the hypothetical horoscope of the solar system at the time the earth was created.

Thema Mundi, birth of our solar system, from Hellenistic astrology.  Cardinal signs occupy the angles with Cancer rising, Aries at the MC, Capricorn at the DSC, and Libra at the IC or bottom-most subterranean point of the chart.

The joys of the planets are the houses where each planet seems to “rejoice” or have the most fun.  The exaltations of the planets are the signs where each planet seems to have a great deal of power and receives the most respect and acclaim (to exalt something is to lift it up for admiration).  If the Thema Mundi is accepted as the root or most fundamental horoscope in astrology, then the logic for assigning exaltations might go as follows:

1. The angles of the chart, which correspond to the cardinal signs, are the most powerful points in the chart.  The four most powerful planets or major forces in the universe (Sun, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars) should each get an angle.  Early astrologers gave most weight to the ASC but realized from experience that the MC was also quite powerful.
2. In Egypt the cult of sun worship was linked to the divinity of the Pharoah.  In Egyptian worship, Horus is the rising sun who rose from the dead every morning, Ra is the powerful noon sun, and Osiris (god of the dead) is the dying or setting sun.  Thus, the sun was linked to the three angles on or above the horizon.  It made sense for the exaltation of the sun to be one of these three positions.  Because exaltation is a position of great honor and visibility before the public, the noon position is the best choice.  Noon corresponds to the MC or middle of heaven, which is fitting for the powerful sun god.  Thus, the sun is exalted in Aries at the top of the Thema Mundi.  In the Golden Dawn system of tarot, the supreme secular ruler, the Emperor trump, is associated with the sign Aries, the exaltation of the sun.
3. Due to the Greek influence, the king of the gods, Zeus/Jupiter, was on an equal footing with the sun and deserved one of the angles not already occupied by the sun.  The sun occupies the midheaven by exaltation.  The most prominent angle after the MC is the ASC, so it becomes the place where Jupiter is exalted.  In the Thema Mundi the ASC lies in Cancer, which is regarded as Jupiter’s sign of exaltation.
4. The two most powerful life-affirming planets, the sun and Jupiter, occupy the MC and ASC by exaltation.  It makes sense to assign the remaining angles, which lie opposite the MC and ASC, to the two malefic life-negating planets, Saturn and Mars.
5. Saturn, who was associated in Christian times with Satan the King of Darkness, is exalted at the bottom of the chart, which is the darkest most subterranean point.  In Egyptian mythology the sun dies at the DSC, descends through Hades at the bottom of the wheel, and then ascends to be reborn at the ASC at sunrise.  It makes sense to assign Saturn, so opposite in qualities to the sun, to the IC region, whose sign in the Thema Mundi is Libra – the exaltation of Saturn.
6. Mars is the god of war and is most exalted in battle.  Fights with open enemies eventually became associated with the 7th house.  The most exalted feat of Mars is to kill an enemy or to die heroically in battle and descend as a heroic warrior into the underworld.  Mars is also of the color red, like the sunset.  Thus, Mars is exalted at the DSC, which corresponds to Capricorn in the Thema Mundi.  Capricorn becomes the exaltation of Mars.
7. The Moon is the spouse of the king and belongs next to him in the heavens.  With the Sun exalted in the 10th house, the Moon comes after him in the 9th to be exalted.  The 9th house of the Thema Mundi corresponds to the sign Taurus, which becomes the exaltation of the Moon.
8. The benefic goddess Venus deserves a place on honor in the heavens where she can be exalted.  The houses 9, 10 and 11 are the highest houses, most associated with heaven (or Mount Olympus).  The 9th and 10th houses are already taken by the moon and the sun, leaving the 11th house for the exaltation of Venus.  Perhaps the emperor at the top of the chart has his wife (the Moon) on one side of him and his concubines (Venus) on the other side.  It is possible that Venus came to be confounded with Pallas Athena, who was the goddess of law, justice, philosophy and higher learning because the 9th house became associated with such things.  The 9th house of the Thema Mundi corresponds to Pisces, which is the exaltation of Venus.
9. Mercury as the psychopomp is one of the few gods who can travel to Hades and return to daylight.  As the conveyor of the souls of the dead, he is exalted on the road to Hades (the 3rd house), which lies between the gates of Hades (2nd house) and Hades proper at the IC (4th house).  The sign corresponding to the 3rd house in the Thema Mundi is Virgo, which became the exaltation of Mercury.  In addition, the 3rd house eventually came to represent travel and communications, both functions of Mercury.  Chris Brenner pointed out in his lecture that Mercury also represents siblings and early on in Hellenistic astrology the 1st house (where Mercury rejoices) was associated with siblings, which were later assigned to the 3rd house, corresponding the sign of the Thema Mundi where Mercury is exalted.

Here is a diagram from wikipedia of the exaltations of the planets placed within the frame of the Thema Mundi:

Finally, there may be a relationship between the exalations and the Chaldean decans.  Using Solar Fire I created a diagram of the Thema Mundi with the Chaldean decans such that the house lines pass through the middle decans of each sign of the Thema Mundi:

Chaldean Decans and the Thema Mundi

Note that the middle decan of Taurus, Aries, Capricorn and Libra all belong to the planets that are exalted in those signs.  Jupiter was considered to be exalted in the Ascendant, so Mercury is not exalted in Cancer whose middle decan it rules.  The middle decan of Pisces belongs to Jupiter, who is already exalted at the ASC, so it is given to the other benefic Venus so that she can be exalted.  The middle decan of Virgo belongs to Venus, but she is being exalted in Pisces, so Virgo is given to Mercury the psychopomp for his exaltation by the dead souls.

As an aside, Alexander the Great, who considered himself divine, called himself the King of Kings.  Most likely he was born with the sun in Leo (probably on 20 August 356 BC).  The British Museum has a coin which displays Alexander with rams’ horns symbolic of the ram-god Ammon (or Amun) Zeus, the king of the gods.  One has to wonder whether this is also a reference to the sign Aries where the Sun is exalted.  The goddess Athena on the reverse side of this coin may correspond to Venus in Pisces in the diagram of exaltations of the planets against the backdrop of the Thema Mundi.  The priests of Hermes Trismegistus who recorded the Thema Mundi would have been intimately familiar with the life and legends about Alexander the Great.  Here is a quote from the museum’s website:

“Early in the third century, Lysimachus began to produce stunning silver and gold coins. On the obverse (front) of the coins is a head of Alexander with the ram’s horn of the Egyptian god Ammon. On the reverse (back) is the goddess Athena, seated, and a Greek legend which translates ‘Of King Lysimachus’. “

“The reference to Ammon is from the story of Alexander’s expedition to Siwa Oasis after his conquest of Egypt. The priests of the shrine of Ammon there greeted Alexander as the son of Ammon and the rightful Pharaoh of the land of Egypt. This link to the god Ammon was understood in Greek terms as equivalent to Zeus, and the deity was often known in Hellenistic times and later as ‘Zeus Ammon’.”

Another interesting coincidence is that this coin was first minted around 305 BC.  The year before (in 306 BC, around the time of Alexander’s 50th birthday) there was an arrangement of planets in the heavens that replicated the Thema Mundi except for the position of the Moon.  Below is this chart in the sidereal zodiac with the sun at the same position as Alexander’s sun in his rectified tropical birth chart.

Chart for the time of Alexander the Great’s 50th birthday which replicates the sign positions of the Thema Mundi, except for the Moon.

Another site tells us that Alexander was considered a son of the Egyptian sun-god Ra after he visited Memphis in Egypt.  Memphis was “one of the most important places in Egypt’s religious life: here was the temple of Ra, the sun god who protected the pharaoh. It was perhaps in this city that Alexander accepted the titles of the Egyptian ruler. From now on, the priests wrote about him as the Horus, the protector of Egypt; king of Upper and Lower Egypt; beloved by Amun; the chosen one of Ra; the son of Ra, Alexander.”

Thus, Alexander was related to both the Sun and the Ram.  The Sun, of course, is exalted in the sign of the Ram at the top of the Thema Mundi.

Alexander the Great, bust from Delos (at the Louvre)