In Norse astrology, Frigga (represented by the planet Venus) is one of three planets that indicate the quality and nature of our love life. The other two planets are Freyja (Sun) and Thor (Mars). Frigga represents the home and family. Frigga signifies the part of us that wants marriage, children, a loving family, a comfortable home, and refuge from a hostile world. Frigga helps determine how we establish a household and joint life with a long-term partner.

Because Frigga has an affinity with the Night East house of Norse astrology, we also look to that octant of the solar circle for a description of our long-term partnerships and domestic environment.

We face a paradox when studying the effect of Frigga in Norse horoscopes. Frigga is the planet of privacy, especially that of the home as a refuge from public affairs. Given her role, we will expect to find Frigga in a weak or subdued position when we consider the lives of public figures.

We begin by analyzing the Norse charts of two European heads of state, German chancellor Angela Merkel, and French president Nicolas Sarkozy. For Merkel, we find Frigga in Ansuz, the rune of the subtle wind transcending barriers. Ansuz is helpful in other contexts, but not for the personal commitments of Frigga. In addition, Frigga is in her weakest house, the Day West house, realm of public affairs. The position helps Merkel appear a mother figure to the German people, but it is not conducive to a personal family. Odin (Moon), the wanderer, is in the Night East house, accentuating the lack of domestic commitment.

For Nicholas Sarkozy, we find Frigga locked in Isa, the rune of cold, immobile ice. She has no major aspects to other planets, and only a weak aspect to Freyja. This cold and rigid environment is accentuated by the Norns (Neptune), the planet of obstacles, in the Night East house. In addition, we find the planet of societal institutions, Tyr (Saturn), in the Night East house. This position has the same effect as Merkel's Frigga in the opposing Day West house - the domestic environment is overwhelmed by public commitments. From these aspects, we can understand how his father abandoned him, how his schoolmates taunted him, and his three marriages.

We also find a debilitated Frigga in the chart of actress Marilyn Monroe, who had three marriages and three divorces. Here we find Frigga in the intellectual airy rune Mannaz, preventing her from forming long-lasting relationships. Frigga is in the Day house, which gives prominence to her feminine qualities, but works against a comfortable private life. There are no planets in the Night East house.

Mexican painter Frida Kahlo has a more challenging Frigga. Her Frigga is in the very public Dagaz, rune of transformation, transcendence, and cataclysm. This aspect alone explains her stormy, passionate relationship with Diego Rivera, whom she divorced, then remarried. It also explains how she made her home into a sanctuary for publicly controversial celebrities such as revolutionary Leon Trotsky. Like Monroe, her Night East house is empty. Kenaz, the rune of trials, testing, and reshaping, is primary in her Night East house.

Copyright (c) 2011 Alt Horoscopes, LLC

Franz Josef Stern has studied Greco-Roman astrology for over 30 years, and the Norse mythos for over 15 years. He offers Norse astrology for individuals seeking psychological and spiritual knowledge from a Northern European perspective. Through Alt Horoscopes, LLC, Franz Josef Stern offers alternatives for those dissatisfied with conventional astrological disciplines.

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One of the more enlightening aspects of Norse astrology is studying how the planets affect human history. We see this most vividly in the slow-moving planets. The Norns, who are represented by the planet Neptune, defined the two world wars of the 20th century.

As Neptune lies at the outer edge of our solar system, so do the Norns represent the limits imposed on our lives. The Norns signify the role of inexorable fate. They are the boundary beyond which we cannot pass, a past or burden that we cannot abandon. They represent those aspects of our environment which we cannot control.

The Norse Norns and Greco-Roman Neptune share the attributes of darkness, withdrawal, and mystery. But they differ in several respects. Neptune is the planet of illusion, of living in a fantasy world. The Norns tolerate no illusions. Rather, they unveil the reality of our lives. Neptune represents the dissolution of boundaries, whereas the Norns emphasize and reinforce those boundaries. With Neptune, we lose our sense of self, while the Norns enhance and sharpen this sense.

World War I (WW1) was defined by the presence of the Norns in Uruz, the rune of untamed might, unconscious forces of life, and the will to live. WW1 started upon their entry into this rune, and ended upon their exit. Millions of soldiers and civilians lost lives and property in WW1. After the war, Europe no longer dominated world affairs, and European colonial empires began to break apart. The political map of Europe was redrawn to benefit repressed nationalities. Forces that had been suppressed for decades, even centuries, finally broke loose when the primal powers of Uruz were released upon the world. Mere human institutions were unable to contain the transcendent vitality inherent in Uruz. WW1, like Uruz, demonstrated that the veneer of civilization is thinner than we believe.

The rune Uruz straddles the end of the Greco-Roman sign Cancer, and the beginning of Leo. A Greco-Roman forecast of Neptune's passage through these signs would have been a pinnacle of culture, peace, and aristocracy. Artistic Neptune is exalted in pacifist Cancer, and solar Leo emphasizes monarchy and unified empire. The reality was just the opposite - elitist societies overthrown by war.

World War 2 (WW2) was defined by the Norns in Kenaz. Unlike WW1, WW2 was a clash of ideologies, and conflicting visions regarding the nature of humanity itself. It augmented the power of government, and raised the specter of humanity's annihilation. Kenaz is the rune of the forge, by which we remake ourselves between the anvil and hammer. Kenaz is the rune of the underground grave mound, yet also of the torch of enlightenment. The world order, as humankind itself, was transformed through the trials of his rune.

The rune Kenaz overlaps the end of Virgo, and the beginning of Libra. Virgo and Libra are perhaps the most refined, delicate, and civilized of the Greco-Roman signs. A traditional forecast for humanity would have been a flourishing of art, culture, and learning, and a turning away from the horror and brutality of war. Neptune in its Virgo detriment emphasizes pragmatism over unrealistic dogma, and Venusian Libra indicates the triumph of diplomacy. Few would describe WW2 as practical or cooperative.

But what of the future? As of today, the Norns are in Sowilo, the rune of indomitable will and victory. This is a weak position for them, and it is harder for them hinder humankind's progress. But their next rune is martial and authoritarian Tyr, and we may expect difficulty when they depart Sowilo.

Copyright (c) 2011 Alt Horoscopes, LLC

Franz Josef Stern has studied Greco-Roman astrology for over 30 years, and the Norse mythos for over 15 years. He offers Norse astrology for individuals seeking psychological and spiritual knowledge from a Northern European perspective. Through Alt Horoscopes, LLC, Franz Josef Stern offers alternatives for those dissatisfied with conventional astrological disciplines.

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Norse and Greco-Roman astrology differ in their interpretation of the planets, houses, and runes (signs). Given its foundation in Northern European and heathen tradition, Norse astrology provides better spiritual and psychological insight for individuals of Northern and Central European heritage. Because it generates stable house definitions regardless of birth latitude, it is also more appropriate for those born more than 30 degrees north of the equator.

Planets - Perhaps the most striking difference between Norse and Greco-Roman astrology is how they describe planetary energy. Norse astrology uses the gods and goddesses of the Norse pantheon, and, unlike Greco-Roman, Norse is equally balanced between male and female. The most important planets are Odin the Moon and Freyja the Sun. Female planetary energy manifests itself with Mercury representing Skadhi, Venus representing Frigga, and Neptune representing the Norns. Male planetary energy manifests itself with Mars representing Thor, Jupiter representing Freyr, Saturn representing Tyr, and Uranus representing Loki (who sometimes assumed a feminine form). The northern and southern declinations of the Moon represent Heimdal and Hel. In Norse astrology, the planets have strong affinities to the houses, but a lesser relationship to the runes. In contrast, Greco-Roman planets have strong affinities to the signs (rulerships), but little relationship to the houses.

Houses - An equally compelling difference is the definition of houses in Norse astrology. In contrast to the arbitrarily-placed Greco-Roman houses, Norse astrology uses the eight solar houses of ancient heathen and pagan tradition. The meaning and placement of these eight houses is intuitive and clear. The eternal dimensions of day vs. night and self vs. other define how the houses function within our natal horoscope. The Night-West house is affiliated with the Norns, the Night house with Skadhi, the Night-East house with Frigga, and the East house with Freyja. The Day-East house is affiliated with Thor, the Day house with Freyr, the Day-West house with Tyr, and the West house with Loki. Odin, the eternal wanderer, has no house affiliation.

Runes - Norse astrology uses 24 equal-sized runes to define the planets' positions along the ecliptic. In addition to providing greater detail, they are a better description of the cosmic forces that influence our 21st century lives. These runes form an alphabet of universal archetypes by which we can explain the attributes of our world, and our selves. In contrast, Greco-Roman astrology tries to depict these forces through the symbolism of sub-human animals. The runes are eternal, for they are independent of the millennial drift of constellations.

Norse astrology is a superior alternative because of the gender balance of its planetary energies, the intuitively clear meaning of its houses, and its stable and archetypal runes.

Copyright (c) 2011, Franz Josef Stern

Franz Josef Stern has studied Greco-Roman astrology for over 30 years, and the Norse mythos for over 15 years. He offers Norse astrology for individuals seeking psychological and spiritual knowledge from a Northern European perspective. Through Alt Horoscopes, LLC, Franz Josef Stern offers alternatives for those dissatisfied with conventional astrological disciplines.

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By studying the movements of the slow-moving planets, Norse astrology brings perspective and insight to human history. Norse astrology allows us to analyze the rise and fall of communism in Europe, and, more vividly, the fate of the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall divided East and West Berlin for over 25 years, and was perhaps the most striking example of the how antagonistic ideologies prevented the free movement of people during the 20th century Cold War.

The Norns (Neptune) represent the limits imposed on our lives. The Norns signify the role of inexorable fate. They are the boundary beyond which we cannot pass, a past or burden that we cannot abandon. They represent those aspects of our environment which we cannot control.

Tyr (Saturn) represents our sense of law and order, of how society should be structured. He signifies the demands society makes of us, and what we, in return, demand from society. Tyr indicates the necessary rules that we follow, and expect others to follow. When conflict arises, or when we confront challenges, it is Tyr who assumes responsibility. Tyr is our sense of impersonal justice, holding all men and women to the same standard. As stern as this may appear, Tyr also presides over teamwork and self-sacrifice.

When the Berlin Wall was raised in August 1961, the Norns were entering Hagalaz, the rune that they are most closely associated with. Everything about the Norns is emphasized here - restriction, implacable fate, hard, unyielding structure, impersonal hostility to life. The restrictive power of the Norns crystallized into the Wall, which became both a symbol of government tyranny and defiance against that tyranny.

The Berlin Wall fell (November 1989) when the Norns left Jera to enter Eihwaz. The slow organic growth of Jera led to the Wall's annihilation in Eihwaz. Eihwaz, rune of death and mystery, brought the Wall to an end, uniting the West and East as Ygdrassil unites Asgard and Midgard. At its fall, there was no ceremony, and no forethought. Just a celebration that a hated prison had suddenly disappeared.

Other planets also exhibited their power during German reunification. Tyr was in conjunction with the Norns in Eihwaz, and contributed to the orderly civil process by which two nations merged into one country. Though the two peoples had been at cold war for generations, under Tyr, they immediately merged into one, with well-defined roles and duties. This allowed a united Germany to achieve internal order and prosperity, and the assimilation of East with West.

The conjunction of the Norns and Tyr moving from Jera to Eihwaz also heralded the wider movement of communism's fall in Eastern Europe during 1989. Pressure in the social order had been building for decades (Jera). Then, upon the joint Tyr/Norns entry into Eihwaz, external barriers dissolved, and the inherent civility of the peoples involved allow them to create new countries in bloodless revolutions.

We see the roles of Norns/Neptune and Tyr/Saturn in 20th century European history. But Greco-Roman astrology would be hard-pressed to explain their pivotal position. Jera overlaps the end of Sagittarius and the beginning of Capricorn. Eihwaz is in the middle of Capricorn. Capricorn, of all Greco-Roman signs, represents the power of governmental authority. Saturn is at his greatest strength in Capricorn. Its position should have indicated an entrenchment of state power. But Eihwaz reflected the reality. As the Norns and Tyr moved into the rune of dissolution, the oppressive control of government collapsed. The Norse perspective was the better perspective.

Copyright (c) 2011 Alt Horoscopes, LLC

Franz Josef Stern has studied Greco-Roman astrology for over 30 years, and the Norse mythos for over 15 years. He offers Norse astrology for individuals seeking psychological and spiritual knowledge from a Northern European perspective. Through Alt Horoscopes, LLC, Franz Josef Stern offers alternatives for those dissatisfied with conventional astrological disciplines.

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In Norse astrology, Freyr (represented by the planet Jupiter) is one of three planets that indicate success and accomplishment in life. The other two planets are Tyr (Saturn) and Thor (Mars). Freyr dispenses wealth to humankind. He shows the ease or difficulty by which we acquire money and property. He indicates how effectively we work our will in the world - how we influence people, institutions, and events to bring us prosperity. In addition, he indicates how involved we become in affairs of the world.

Because Freyr has an affinity with the Day house of Norse astrology, we also look to that octant of the solar circle for our success, achievements, fame, and worldly involvement.

Our first Norse horoscope is for actor/governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In Schwarzenegger's chart, Freyr is debilitated in the Night West house. In addition, Freyr also has a trine from self-reliant Skadhi. But Schwarzenegger's Freyr is in one of the most difficult runes, Hagalaz, which represents both rigid structure and unexpected disruption. There are no planets in the Day house, and the house's primary rune, maternal Berkano, is not conducive to worldly success. All aspects point to hard work, not luck, to achieve success. And it was with that hard work that a German-speaking immigrant was able to become a world-class body-builder, businessman, actor, and governor.

For others, a more powerful position of Freyr made for easier success. For entertainer Michael Jackson, Freyr is in Wunjo, the rune of harmony and wish-fulfillment. His future in entertainment was assured by being born into an entertainment family, and by the company of other African-American entertainers. Wunjo also indicates the pleasure that his entertainment brought to his audience. However, like the examples above, Freyr is again in the Night West house, and moreover, is in conjunction the Norns, planet of both destiny and restriction. We see how he was almost fated to greatness, yet this success was also a factor in his undoing.

For actress and model Marilyn Monroe, Freyr is in glorious Sowilo, rune of the solar wheel, lightning, and the magical will. The effect of Sowilo can be as transient as it is overwhelming, and that aptly describes her meteoric rise in fame, and her sudden death. This effect is accentuated by Freyr's conjunction with Odin (Moon), the eternal, restless traveler. Two female planets in the Day house, Frigga (Venus) and Hel, made her a world model of femininity.

Copyright (c) 2011 Alt Horoscopes, LLC

Franz Josef Stern has studied Greco-Roman astrology for over 30 years, and the Norse mythos for over 15 years. He offers Norse astrology for individuals seeking psychological and spiritual knowledge from a Northern European perspective. Through Alt Horoscopes, LLC, Franz Josef Stern offers alternatives for those dissatisfied with conventional astrological disciplines.

Learn more about Norse Astrology!
Get your own Personal Norse Horoscope!

In Norse astrology, Tyr (represented by the planet Saturn) is one of three planets that indicate success or accomplishment in life. The other two planets are Freyr (Jupiter) and Thor (Mars). Tyr represents our sense of law and order, of how society should be structured. He signifies the demands society makes of us, and what we, in return, demand from society. More specifically, he shows the role of business, organizations, law, contracts, and government in our lives. Unlike, the Greco-Roman Saturn, Tyr does not represent limitation or constriction. While Saturn represents isolation, Tyr represents involvement with external organizations, and how they may assist us.

Because Tyr has an affinity with the Day West house of Norse astrology, we also look to that octant of the solar circle for the role of law, business, and other societal organizations in our accomplishments.

Of the Norse natal horoscopes that we discuss here, we see Tyr at his strongest in the charts of two heads of government: Angela Merkel, current Chancellor of Germany, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Governor of California. In Chancellor Merkel's chart, Tyr is in the pleasant and harmonious rune Wunjo, indicating ease when working within large bureaucracies. Tyr is close to the zenith, in the Day house, which indicates success within large organizations. Frigga (Venus), the planet of family, is in the Day West house, making her a mother-figure within Germany. A sextile of Frigga to Tyr emphasizes this identification. Ansuz, rune of magic, wind, and communication, is the primary rune in the Day West house, which gave her the power to gently break through barriers. This rune helped her transcend the barriers of a life in the DDR (East Germany), and made her the first female chancellor of Germany.

The Tyr of Governor Schwarzenegger is more dynamic. Here we find it in Thor's rune, Thurisaz, indicating powerful breakthroughs in business and government. Schwarzenegger, barely speaking English, emigrated from Austria to the USA, creating businesses, becoming an actor, and entering politics. Tyr is in conjunction with Freyja (Sun), making this involvement more individualistic and person-oriented. Tyr, however, is in the Night East house of family, which indicates a volatile mix of family and publicity, of domestic vs. public duties. Elhaz, rune of striving toward heaven, is in the Day West house, emphasizing his struggle for the best.

Another interesting placement is that of Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales. Here we find Tyr in Perthro, the most random and fickle of runes. This is an apt description of her position within the staid hierarchy of the British government and monarchy. Tyr was also in the East house, the house of self, so that she became identified with those very institutions. The feminine planets Frigga and Hel (southern declination of the Moon) emphasize her role as wife and mother in the royal family. Her Day West house contains both powerful Thor and disruptive Loki (Uranus), which encouraged her to willfully upset the establishment. Ansuz in the Day West house helps her artfully evade societal conventions.

An enlightening comparison can be made between actress Elizabeth Taylor and Diana Spencer. Like Spencer, Taylor's Tyr is not only in unpredictable Perthro, but also in the East house, with inspirational Ansuz again in the Day West house. But unlike Spencer's Tyr, Taylor's Tyr forms no aspects to other planets. As such, she never moved in the halls of government as did Spencer. True, Taylor married into politics (Senator John Warner), but she never took advantage of this position.

Copyright (c) 2011 Alt Horoscopes, LLC

Franz Josef Stern has studied Greco-Roman astrology for over 30 years, and the Norse mythos for over 15 years. He offers Norse astrology for individuals seeking psychological and spiritual knowledge from a Northern European perspective. Through Alt Horoscopes, LLC, Franz Josef Stern offers alternatives for those dissatisfied with conventional astrological disciplines.

Learn more about Norse Astrology!

Get your own Personal Norse Horoscope!

In Norse astrology, Thor (represented by the planet Mars) is one of three planets that indicate success and accomplishment in life. The other two planets are Tyr (Saturn) and Freyr (Jupiter). Thor is the power to triumph over adversaries and obstacles. He represents our willingness and capacity for hard work, especially physical effort. Thor signifies our ability to break down barriers. He shows our willingness to confront challenges. Though there are similarities between Norse Thor and Greco-Roman Mars, on the whole, Thor is a more pro-social archetype than Mars.

Because Thor has an affinity with the Day East house of Norse astrology, we also look to that octant of the solar circle for the effort, struggle, and confrontation necessary for success.

Our first Norse horoscope showing the role of Thor is that of the Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo. For her, Thor is in the rune of death and transfiguration, Eihwaz. Moreover, Thor is in debility, the Night West house, the house of weakness and secrets. And as if this were not enough, Loki (Uranus), the planet of disruption (and creation) is in conjunction with Thor. All of this illustrates the hardships (polio, childhood accident, chronic pain) that she had to endure. Yet with Thor's might, she strove against this fate, and produced stunning artwork. Thor is by far the most aspected planet in her horoscope. Her Day East house contains three feminine planets - Freyja (Sun), Frigga (Venus), and the Norns (Neptune), all of which emphasize the revolutionary feminist quality of her work. The primary rune in the Day East house is Dagaz, the rune of transcendence and transformation, showing how she transformed herself through her art.

The Thor of French president Nicolas Sarkozy is less encumbered. Here, Thor is in Ehwaz, the rune of cooperation, adaptability, and mobile energy, and that is an apt description of how he rose through the ranks of his party to become president. Thor is in the West house, the house of opposition and conflict, and Sarkozy is no stranger to opposition. In some ways, his very actions provoke enemies. Thor is in conjunction with the restless, ever-searching Odin (Moon) and idealistic, striving Heimdal (northern declination of the Moon), and this adds to subtlety of his energy and efforts. His Day East house contain Thor's rune, Thurisaz, which emphasizes all the attributes of Thor. The Day East house also contains bountiful Freyr (Jupiter), which grants success to his efforts, and disruptive Loki, which inflames controversy.

The Thor in entertainer Michael Jackson's horoscope is both powerful and subtle. Thor is on the cusp between Laguz (the life force, subconscious, concealment) and Ingwaz (masculine energy absorbed by the feminine). We see the force of Thor manifest itself both with refinement and vigor in his performances. Moreover, Thor is in the East house of self, so Thor's force is part of his very being. The trine of Frigga, which presides over the family, indicates the important role that his family played in developing his talents. Odin, the seeker, is in the Day East house, indicating that he always sought new techniques and styles, and the primary Day East rune of Ehwaz shows the tight coordination of his efforts.

In the three horoscopes described above, we see a lack in the Greco-Roman interpretation of Mars. For Frida Kahlo, Mars is in his exaltation in Capricorn. This should have indicated worldly power. But rather, her efforts were constantly obstructed, and she achieved recognition only after her death. For Nicolas Sarkozy, Mars is in his rulership, Aries. This makes him strong enough, but it indicates an abrasive and abrupt style, which could never have served him well in French politics. And for Michael Jackson, Mars is in his detriment in Taurus. We would expect lassitude and dullness from this position, but his performances were just the opposite.

Copyright (c) 2011 Alt Horoscopes, LLC

Franz Josef Stern has studied Greco-Roman astrology for over 30 years, and the Norse mythos for over 15 years. He offers Norse astrology for individuals seeking psychological and spiritual knowledge from a Northern European perspective. Through Alt Horoscopes, LLC, Franz Josef Stern offers alternatives for those dissatisfied with conventional astrological disciplines.

Learn more about Norse Astrology!

Get your own Personal Norse Horoscope!