The Astrology Podcast

In this episode I propose a new theory about the origins of the so-called Chaldean order of the planets, as well as the assignment of the seven traditional planets to the days of the week.

In ancient times, a specific sequence of the planets arose known as the order of the seven-zoned sphere, which goes:

Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

In modern times, this is often called the "Chaldean order", because the 5th-century CE writer Macrobius referred to it as the "system of the Chaldeans."

For a long time, it was mistakenly thought that this meant it came from ancient Babylonian or Mesopotamian astrologers, but we now know there is no trace of it in that tradition.

In Macrobius’s era, the word "Chaldean" had simply become a generic term for "astrologer", so when he refers to it like this, what he really means is "the system of the astrologers."

So, where did this system come from, and when was it introduced?

While historians have long known that this planetary order was popularized during the Hellenistic era, the standard assumption has been that it was first developed by astronomers, or Pythagoreans, or some other group, and then only later incorporated into astrology.

In some academic sources this shift, which radically moved the Sun to the center of the planets, is notably glossed over, largely because scholars don’t really know where it came from or how it happened.

In this lecture, I propose the exact opposite: that this system was actually first popularized, and potentially even invented, by astrologers in Egypt in the 2nd century BCE, starting with the group of texts Hermetic surrounding Nechepso and Petosiris.

From the 2nd century BCE forward, this order became widely adopted across different scientific, philosophical, and religious traditions, eventually becoming the underlying rationale for the names of the seven days of the week.

My primary goals with this episode are to:

1) Demonstrate that this planetary order originated with the astrologers working in Egypt in the 2nd century BCE.

2) Demonstrate that the days of the week which are derived from it also may have originated with these same astrologers in Egypt during that same time period.

This is episode 544 of The Astrology Podcast.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction00:07:36 Early Planetary Orders00:15:58 Plato's Order00:22:32 Eratosthenes & The Hellenistic Shift00:27:00 The Seven-Zoned Sphere00:39:57 Nechepso and Petosiris00:51:33 The Seven-Zoned Sphere as a Conceptual Construct00:52:00 The Hermetic Conceptual Constructs01:24:43 Stoic Philosophy & The Heart01:44:26 Supposed Pythagorean Connection01:48:54 Planetary Significations Derived from the Seven-Zoned Sphere02:21:22 Decans and Monomoiria02:31:56 Planetary Days and Hours02:58:28 Ptolemy's Cosmological Model03:11:07 Concluding Remarks03:23:28 Credits

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In this major new episode, I do a deep dive into the historical evidence for when the Declaration of Independence was finalized on July 4, 1776. There has been a mystery surrounding the birth chart of the United States for more than two centuries, but I recently discovered some new evidence that allows us to triangulate the approximate birth time much more closely than I previously thought possible.

This was a massive research project that I suddenly stumbled into last month shortly after the Mars-Uranus conjunction went exact on July 4. I found new historical evidence showing that Thomas Jefferson regularly recorded the times he took temperature readings outside. This detail led me to re-examine all of the surviving primary sources, including the Journals of the Continental Congress and letters from John Adams. Through this, I conclude that it is possible to achieve much greater certainty about the probable time for the Declaration.

In this four-hour video essay, I present a series of compelling arguments that the birth chart for the US should be set for the late morning of July 4, 1776, giving the country a Libra Ascendant.

Key topics I covered in this episode:

The Astrological Signatures of 1776: A look at how the Mars-Uranus conjunction in Gemini represented the severance and armed rebellion against Great Britain, while the highly auspicious Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Cancer symbolized the union of the thirteen colonies.

Jefferson's Weather Log: How Thomas Jefferson's daily temperature readings help establish a clear timeline of when Congress was in session and taking breaks.

Debunking the Sibley Chart: An explanation of the critical misunderstanding behind the popular Sagittarius rising chart. I show how Ebenezer Sibley actually cast a mundane ingress chart for London rather than a timed natal chart for Philadelphia.

The Gemini Rising Myth: Why a 2:00 AM or 3:00 AM chart is historically implausible and makes for a poor electional chart.

Historical Transits: A preliminary look at how major events in US history, such as the Civil War, the Apollo 11 moon landing, and the stock market crash of 1929, and Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech align remarkably well with a Libra rising chart.

This episode outlines all of my research findings in one place to help advance the long-standing debate over the true astrological chart of the United States.

This is episode 543 of The Astrology Podcast.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction00:05:53 Why July 4, 1776?00:49:31 Historical Evidence for the Time on July 2 & 4, 177601:10:18 The Vote for Independence on July 2, 177601:28:10 Finalizing the Declaration of Independence on July 401:57:05 The Proclamation on July 8 as Supporting Evidence02:03:34 Analyzing the Libra Rising Chart as an Inception Chart02:22:54 Preliminary Analysis of Some Major Events in US History02:50:23 What About the Gemini and Sagittarius Rising Charts?03:26:46 The Timeline and Transits of 177603:57:08 Concluding Remarks04:12:48 Credits

Watch the Video Version of the Episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP1yoSz32Ck

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A deep dive into the astrology forecast for August 2026, with astrologers Chris Brennan and Austin Coppock.

We spend the first hour talking about the astrology behind events that happened in the news in July, and then in the second hour we do a deep dive into the astrology of August.

August is mainly centered on an eclipse season, which begins the first week of the month with a solar eclipse in Leo, and is followed later in the month by lunar eclipse in Pisces.

Early in the month Venus enters Libra, which is the sign that it will later retrograde back to in October, and it begins its shadow degree phase by the end of August.

A Mars-Saturn square begins building mid-month, and eventually culminates on the final day of August at the same time that a Jupiter-Saturn trine goes exact.

This is episode 542 of The Astrology Podcast.

Austin's Website

https://austincoppock.com

Chris' Patreon and Hellenistic Course

https://www.patreon.com/astrologypodcast

https://theastrologyschool.com

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction00:00:51 August Astrology Quick Overview00:03:24 News Segment Begins00:06:01 Iran War Reignites on Mars-Uranus Conjunction00:18:03 Nuclear Stories00:22:35 Three Mars-Uranus Recurrence Transits00:27:25 Mars-Uranus Conjunction Countries00:31:34 Jupiter-Pluto Opposition00:45:14 US Birth Chart00:49:22 Austin Anecdote00:54:44 Chris's Projects00:56:33 Austin's Projects00:57:51 August Forecast Begins01:01:09 Eclipse Season01:09:58 Venus Retrograde Shadow Sign01:19:26 Mars-Saturn Square01:32:35 Chronological Breakdown of July Begins01:33:16 Venus Enters Libra Aug 601:35:51 Venus-Jupiter Sextile Aug 16/1701:40:17 Mars Enters Cancer Aug 1101:43:22 Solar Eclipse in Leo Aug 1201:51:30 Mercury-Jupiter Conjunction Aug 1501:55:56 Auspicious Electional Chart: August 1601:59:51 Mars-Neptune Square Aug 1702:02:35 Venus-Saturn opposition Aug 2102:05:40 Sun and Mercury Enter Video Aug 22 & 2502:06:16 Lunar Eclipse in Pisces Aug 2802:18:53 Mars-Jupiter Trine & Mars-Saturn Square Aug 3102:20:43 Saturn-Neptune & Barbault Basket Reflections02:33:56 Predictive Patience & Seed Moments02:40:22 Wrapping Up02:41:53 Credits

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJeUvRzMwso

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Transcript

A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 542 transcript

Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode

Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

A deep dive into the astrology forecast for July 2026, with astrologers Chris Brennan and Austin Coppock.

The month opens on highly unstable ground, dominated by a volatile Mars-Uranus conjunction that threatens sudden, unpredictable shifts and explosive turns. This erratic energy is ruled by a newly stationary retrograde Mercury, which has just backed away from a conjunction with Jupiter. This combination sets the stage for logistical snafus, technological difficulties, and widespread delays right out of the gate.

Jupiter, having just entered Leo at the end of June, begins to form a tense opposition with Pluto that goes exact around the middle of the month. This highlights major power struggles and the tension between truth and control. This opposition is part of a much larger, momentous pattern of simultaneous outer planet alignments peaking this month. As Uranus completes its first exact trine with Pluto, these planets lock into a complex basket configuration alongside Jupiter and Neptune. This heavy planetary geometry indicates that significant precursor events are unfolding in the background, particularly surrounding rapid technological or military innovations.

We finally see a more positive shift in the astrological weather during the second half of the month. Mars applies to a stabilizing, constructive sextile with Saturn, helping to ground the earlier chaos. Mercury stations direct, clearing up miscommunications, and the Sun makes its triumphant ingress into Leo to form an auspicious conjunction with Jupiter. This cazimi brings a much needed wave of radiant, showy warmth and outward confidence, despite an opposition with Pluto. However, a lingering Venus-Mars square operating in the background introduces an unwelcome element of creative friction and tension in partnerships, pitting the forces of unification against the drive to sever and divide.

This late July window ultimately serves as a temporary lull, and a calm before the storm. By early August, we swiftly transition into eclipse season, bringing weighty major endings and beginnings to the forefront, just as Venus enters the shadow sign of its upcoming retrograde phase.

This is episode 541 of The Astrology Podcast.

United Astrology Conference

https://uacastrology.com

Austin's Website

https://austincoppock.com

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction00:00:53 July Astrology Quick Overview00:03:57 News Segment Begins00:04:51 Venus-Jupiter Conjunction Stories00:05:13 First Trillionaire00:08:49 Spielberg Disclosure Day00:13:45 Marriages00:16:25 Iran-US peace deal00:20:31 Zelda Remake00:22:07 Beer Shortage00:24:04 Venus-Pluto Opposition00:26:50 Mars-Uranus Stories00:27:06 Venezuela Earthquakes00:29:47 AI Companies Authorized00:35:03 Lebanon agreement00:36:17 Nuclear news on Mars ingress00:38:36 Wrapping up news segment00:41:43 United Astrology Conference00:46:04 July Forecast Begins00:47:06 Mars-Uranus Conjunction00:59:34 Mercury Retrograde01:02:11 Outer planet alignments01:09:07 Jupiter-Pluto opposition01:25:23 Sequential breakdown of the month01:25:46 July 1: Mars-Uranus Overview & Sun-Saturn Square01:26:55 July 7: Neptune Stations Retrograde in Aries01:29:45 July 9: Venus Enters Virgo01:31:33 July 12: Mercury Retrograde Cazimi01:33:08 July 14: New Moon in Cancer01:35:58 July 15-18: Uranus Sextile Neptune & Trine Pluto01:39:35 July 19: Mars Sextile Saturn01:41:21 July 20-21: Jupiter-Pluto Opposition & Outer Planet Aspects01:50:54 July 22-23: Sun Enters Leo & Mercury Stations Direct01:51:52 July 24: Venus Sextile Mercury01:54:44 July 25: Neptune-Pluto Sextile01:55:04 July 26: Saturn Stations Retrograde & Lunar Nodes Shift Signs01:57:33 July 27: Sun Opposes Pluto01:58:55 July 28: Venus Square Mars02:02:29 July 29: Sun-Jupiter Cazimi & Full Moon in Aquarius02:04:31 Electional Chart for July02:07:42 Wrapping Up02:17:39 Credits

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ0uN2QpczA

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Transcript

A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 541 transcript

Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode

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Astrologers Chris Brennan and Patrick Watson explore the ancient timing technique known as Babylonian goal year periods, which can be used to identify repeating transits and events over very long spans of time.

Recovered from the astronomical diaries of Mesopotamian sky watchers in the first millennium BCE, these periods demonstrate how the visible planets repeat their exact zodiacal placements and phase relationships with the Sun over predictable intervals.

Our discussion breaks down the math behind these synodic cycles and highlights how repetition is the ultimate key to prediction in both mundane and natal astrology.

By examining compelling historical case studies for each of the traditional planets, from the 1929 Wall Street Crash to major breakthroughs in modern communication technology, we show how tracking these ancient cycles allows astrologers to identify profound historical recurrences and project future events with stunning accuracy.

This is episode 540 of The Astrology Podcast.

Patrick's Website

https://patrickwatsonastrology.com

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction00:01:02 What are Babylonian goal year periods?00:08:52 The story of recovering these ancient periods00:10:42 Donald Trump's birth chart and the 2024 election00:19:29 Historical context: Mesopotamian sky watchers00:34:00 The math and synodic cycles behind the periods00:47:14 Repetition is the key to prediction00:49:44 The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse00:55:41 Mars goal year examples00:56:19 The 1929 Wall Street Crash and the 2008 Housing Crisis01:15:26 Mercury goal year examples01:21:14 The first video broadcast, cell phone call, and 5G network01:38:16 Venus goal year examples01:41:08 How the 8-year Venus cycle perfectly tracks Nintendo's history01:43:32 The Academy Awards and broadcasting fiascos02:03:55 The Seneca Falls Convention and the 19th Amendment02:21:19 Jupiter goal year examples02:45:12 FDR's Lend-Lease Act and Biden's Ukraine aid package02:48:05 Saturn goal year examples03:00:12 Intimations of the outer planets?03:15:44 The 1,151-year ACT periods03:22:08 Concluding thoughts

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmOUA9qQTvk

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Transcript

A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 540 transcript

Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode

Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3: