#esoteric ruler

Vulcan was a theorized planet debunked by Einstein’s theory of relativity. It was thought to be orbiting between the Sun and Mercury and rightfully named for the same God from whom Volcanoes get their name. Not only did the name fit for the heat the little planet would experience in such close proximity to the sun, but it would seem to go on to play out the The myth of Hephaestus, Vulcan’s Greek counterpart. The theoretical planet came from an attempt to determine a phenomenon that Einstein later explained with his theory of relativity. Though irregularities in the orbit of Uranus was explained by Neptune, a supermassive object like the Sun can bend the space and time around it, altering the path of light from it. Vulcan was proved to not physically exist as a planet, but that didn’t stop astrologers proposing him as the esoteric ruler of Taurus in the 1950’s.

Following the mythology of Hephaestus, it’s unsurprising that he was given a false planet- the hidden planet. 

Several times, Hephaestus was open to the venusian values of Taurus: working hard to create beautiful and functional commodities, collaboration, mediation, and a general search to find value inside himself that can be reflected in his work. Almost as often, he is met with Martian opposition- both the warlike Aries side as well as the vindictive Scorpio-esque dark side. Hera birthed him out of spite to Zeus having Athena, and abandoned him because he wasn’t as beautiful she or the rest of the gods. Aphrodite didn’t give him a chance because of her vanity. Yet Haphaestus was still able to come out on top with creative cunning, crafting devices to capture both Hera as well as Aphrodite for answers. This suggests creativity in the face of adversity- using one’s own unshakable sense of value to manipulate the world around them into acceptance. Hephaestus made many incredible pieces for both art and war, including the arrows of Eros (Cupid, who was the son of he, or more likely Ares, and Aphrodite), Athena’s shield and the first woman, Pandora, to name a few. He had the artistic reciprocity to parallel Athena’s headstrong teaching. Though they are both patron gods of arts and humanities, as well as siblings (not by blood- they both were asexually reproduced), Athena was more greatly admired. He was dismissed, although his accomplishments are as great as Athena’s, because of his disfigurement. It didn’t help his case that he brooded on how unlucky and unlovable he was, making it hard to listen to him as well as look at him. It ultimately took Dionysus’s wine- influence of Venus in the vein of its esoteric ruler, Pisces- to drag humbled Hephaestus on the back of a mule to Olympus, to enlightenment of accepting his inner demons.

Vulcan shows traits in his esoteric home, Taurus, with these Libra-Scorpio obstacles. As a youth, he sat on his anger at the gods for forsaking him as he dwelled in the underworld until he erupted on Olympus; His volcanic anger explains the old adage “beware the fury of a patient man,” as he can plot revenge cold enough to compete with Scorpio. Taureans will let their emotions build to the breaking point before they say anything- and when they do, it’s an explosion of their frustrations. This is what they learn from their sister Scorpio, to relate to their emotions and convey them to others on a regular basis, most often executed in the exalted moon sign Taurus. In the beginning, everyone avoided Hephaestus for his looks but that was only half the reason- he was equally unpleasant to talk to as he was to look at. He had to accept and release the emotions he brooded on in order to ascend from the underworld with Dionysus from the darkness of conscious suffering to unveil the unconscious wonder of one’s own soul- sacrificing the bull for prosperity of the land and people. At the Esoteric, soul level, Taurus realizes that when one door closes, another opens. They can manifest life with their own determination. Subconscious in Taurus energy, Vulcan wants desperately to suspend his problems in the air to demand answers, but eventually he realizes that that can only get him so far. It took introspection under the influence of Dionysus’s wine for Hephaestus to realize that he was the only one truly holding himself back from accepting and forgiving the pain of the past in order to overcome his sorrow and come out stronger. Vulcan, and deep inside Taurus, has to let go of his past hardships and release his pain, instead of just stubbornly identifying with it, in order to heal and express himself unfiltered. They can then release Hera (their emotions) from her suspended state, and allow the creative energy of life to live out its natural cycle, preserving it and not just the fruits of such. Accepting and understanding the Scorpio cycle of death and rebirth gives relief from a bitter, tamasic taste in ones mouth and opens the palate up in ways one never imagined. In this way, Vulcan can leave the Fixed Cross of material attachment and enter the Mutable cross, knowing that energy is neither created nor destroyed but recycled into forms that deserve equal respect as they bring growth and prosperity in their own rights. A project to perfect is a necessity for Taurus, as this releases the tension from Vulcan’s hammer so that he doesn't bring it down later in life, after Taurus has sacrificed his creativity for more mundane reasons. Though Taurus often attempts to reach its polarity through sacrificing its inner world, rather than physical, if they don't tend to that inner world then their gains are hollow and they find themselves emptier than ever.

To find Vulcan in a chart: Click here to go to the extended chart selection on Astro.com. In the line to enter additional chart points, above the ‘click here to show chart’ button, enter ‘h55’ and click to show chart.