Many students are interested in a variety of timekeeping techniques, both ancient and modern.
An ancient astrological synchronization technique is Zodiacal Liberation.
Vettius Valens wrote about zodiacal liberation, often abbreviated as ZR; He described this technique as “The distribution of chronocratures beginning with luck and with Daimon.” While it was not a widely used technique, Rhetorius also briefly mentioned it.
Valens’ name for this technique is a bit complicated, but it describes what happens in this technique: the time periods are spread over various lengths starting from Lot of Fortune or Lot of Spirit (also known as Daimon).
A Time Lord timing system
In Zodiacal Releasing, which is a time lord system, different time lords or guiding planets are identified for different chapters or time periods of your life.
Additionally, different houses and their associated influences become significant during various chapters of your life.
Today I’ll use Julia Child’s chart as an example and we’ll look at Fortune releases.
To begin, look at the sign and house location of the Lot of Fortune in your chart.
Your first release period will be tied to the unique time period associated with the sign in which you have Fortune.
After that amount of time passes, you will move on to the next sign in zodiac order.
The technique continues like this, moving from sign to sign at predetermined points. (I’ll share more about this in a moment!)
Understand your release periods
Your experiences in each period of liberation will be influenced by the nature of the sign, the quality of the house, including its themes, angularity and the planets located here, as well as the condition and placement of the sign’s ruler, wherever it is in the chart.
The influences of the luminaries, the Sun and the Moon, are considered, plus those of the malefics, Mars and Saturn, as well as those of the benefics, Venus and Jupiter.
You will also take into account the location of the Spirit Lot and whether a liberation sign/place has a connection to natal Fortune.
While it can have many layers, especially when giving meaning to this technique, the essence and basic mechanics of Zodiacal Releasing are simple. This technique moves around the chart, sign by sign, from a specific starting point.
How long does each Zodiacal liberation period last?
There are four levels of release periods. The longest release period spans years, between 8 and 30 years. These are known as Level 1 or L1 periods. This is what I’m going to show you today in Julia Child’s chart.
Level 1 Zodiacal Liberation periods mark longer chapters and periods in life.
Next are the Level 2 or L2 periods, which cover months, between 8 and 30 months. They are useful in regular practice to highlight medium length schedules.
Finally, there are Level 3 and Level 4 periods, L3 and L4, which cover shorter periods, such as weeks and days, that can be used to gain more detail or to refine timing.
The minor years of the planets and the zodiacal liberation
Continuing with the Level 1 periods, the duration of each sign or period of liberation is tied to the minor years of the planet that rules the sign through which you are liberating.
| Moon | Mercury | Venus | Sun | Mars | Jupiter | Saturn | |
| Minor | 25 | 20 | 8 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 30 Here/ 27 Chap |
If you are in a period of Gemini L1 liberation, look to ruler Mercury and its younger years to see how long that period will last. Mercury’s minor years are 20, so any Gemini Level 1 period will last 20 years.
Software programs like Solar Fire and Astro-Seek.com will also be able to calculate your ZR periods for you.
Let’s look at an example with Julia Child.
I love using Julia Child’s chart for this technique as it is a great tool to show how and why her success, especially in cooking and food, what she is best known for, came later in life.
Julia Child has Fortune in Aries in her natal 11th home.
Aries is ruled by Mars. The minor years for Mars are 15. The first Level 1 of Child’s Fortune period is 15 years, which will be the first 15 years of his life.
This period will be influenced by it 11th house, where Fortune is placed, and by Mars, the ruler of this period.
Around the age of 15 you move on to the next sign and the next Level 1 period, which is Taurus and therefore guided by Venus.
The minor years of Venus are 8, so from approx. Between 15 and 23 years old, he is in his Taurus L1 of the Fortune period. This lands in your natal twelfth house.
The condition of Venus, in Virgo in the fourth house, with Mercury and Mars, would help describe your experiences during this time.
You would then continue to the place of Gemini, where the release will last 20 years, then to Cancer, where the under 25 years of the Moon give a longer period, then to Leo, with the under 19 years of the Sun setting the timeline, and finally to Virgo, where the under 19 years of Mercury set the timeline again.
- First L1: 15 years Aries (Mars). August 15, 1912-May 29, 1927
- Next period L1: 8 years Taurus Venus. May 29, 1927-April 17, 1935
- 20 years old, Gemini Mercury. April 17, 1935-January 2, 1955
- 25 years old, Moon in Cancer. January 2, 1955 – August 24, 1979
- 19 years old Leo Sol. August 24, 1979 – May 16, 1998
- 20 years Virgo Mercury. May 16, 1998 – (December August 2004)
As a tool for identifying different fragments or longer chapters of life, Zodiacal Release can be insightful and insightful.
Child’s became popular and successful for her books Mastering the Art of French Cooking, as well as her television series between 1955 and 1979, while she was in her Fortune period level 1 cancer.
To understand why this period can be so crucial, there are two important pieces of information you need. (post continues after photo; keep scrolling)
Angular signs to fortune
Signs/houses that are angular towards Fortune can be especially notable. This is a sign/house that forms a square or sign opposition to natal Fortune. Also notable is the sign/house in which Fortune is placed.
Signs/houses that are angular to Fortune are more active and potentially opportunistic than they might initially appear, especially if they are successor or cadent houses in relation to the Ascendant.
A house can be juicier than you think if it has this angularity with respect to Fortune.
For Child, who has Fortune in Aries, any release that reaches another cardinal sign (Cancer, Libra, Capricorn or even Aries itself) will activate this angular potential of Fortune.
Cancer is the fourth of your Fortune in Aries, and the second house of Cancer supports this activation of angularity.
(You may also notice that the ruler of the Cancer period, the Moon is in Libra, which in turn is angular to Fortune, adding more potential and energy to this time.)
Releasing to the Lucky Place of the Spirit
Another important interpretive piece you need is related to Lot of Spirit or Daimon. This lot speaks to your purpose, the type of work or company you are also deeply connected to.
The child has the Lot of Spirit in Cancer in the second house.
When the release of the Child of Fortune reaches the second house of Cancer, two things happen.
The release of Fortune intersects with the potential of the Lot of Spirit, which can be fortuitous AND has arrived at a sign that is angular to Fortune.
Two powerful impulses are activated during the Cancer release period, highlighting the timeline between ages 43 and 67. This becomes a period in which Child really makes his mark, connecting with the work he had always wanted to do.
During this period, Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol 1 and 2 are published and their summer television special 1rench Chef is broadcast, which becomes a regular series lasting a total of seven years.
Final thoughts and summary
Of course, Child had a life and career before and after this timeline, so it’s not to say that he did nothing when these influences were not active, but rather it is notable that his efforts led to more surprising and impactful results during this period.
Zodiacal Liberation can be a helpful guide to highlight more active and productive seasons in your life. Of course, you can also highlight more challenging periods.
Here is your detailed guide to identifying your fortune release periods:
- Start on your lot of fortune
- Note the minor years of the planet that rules the sign in which Fortune is located. That’s how long your first Level 1 period will last.
- Look at the following zodiac sign from the place of Fortune. How long do the minor years last for the ruling planet of that sign? That is the length of your second Level 1 period.
- Repeat until you reach the Level 1 sign for your current age.
- Note when your Level 1 period is in an angle sign to Fortune.
- Please note if/when your Level 1 period the Spirit Lot sign arrives.
Have you worked with Zodiacal Releasing? Which Fortune period L1 are you in now?
If you are curious to know more about Zodiacal Liberation, my four-part training will help you. You can learn more or start learning today.
The post How to Work with Zodiac Release: Fortune Release with Julia Child appeared first on Astrology by Kelly Surtees.
