What is a Cazimi in Astrology? A look into Ecstasy and Mysticism
When a planet makes an exact conjunction to the Sun, this is known as a cazimi — one of the key steps in a planet’s cycle around our solar system. When a planet is cazimi, it is purified by the heat of the Sun, and raised to a level of great power. Cazimi comes from the Arabic kasmimi, meaning “in the heart” (of the Sun). In this article, we will take a deep dive into the meaning of cazimis, the revelations and ecstasy they can bring, as well as their larger cultural meaning.
Cazimi: Definition & Cycles
Let’s start with a bit of astronomy: in our solar system, all planets revolve around the Sun. As observed from Earth, they form different patterns that astrologers observe and draw interpretations form. A cazimi, or exact conjunction of a planet to the Sun is one part of this larger cycle. Let’s dissect it:
When a planet gets within 15° of the Sun, or less than half a zodiac sign, the planet is thought to be “under the beams”, and is no longer visible. For example, if the Sun is at 28° Leo and Venus is at 18° Leo, Venus is under the beams. This condition is thought to represent hidden activities, things done in secret and away from the public eye. If you don’t want people to pry into your business, you could do something when Mercury is under the beams!
Next, we have combustion. A planet is “combust” when it is within 8°30’ of the Sun. This is when things get less fun. Traditionally, combustion is thought to be an affliction, meaning that a combust planet is weakened and impeded. In practice, someone with a combust Mercury in their chart could for example struggle with burn-out, overworking themselves or anxiety. This doesn’t mean that it’s the end of the world! But simply a tool among others to understand how a planet works.
A cazimi is the culmination of this cycle. After conjoining with the Sun, a planet will start another cycle of combustion, being under the beams and then re-emerging from the rays of the Sun. It is an important moment of re-birth, and can bring about closure and fresh beginnings.
A planet is considered cazimi when it is within 1° of the Sun. Some older sources, such as Abu Ma’shar who discusses the concept of cazimi in detail gives a stricter range and says that a planet is cazimi within 17 minutes of arc (0°17’). I personally use the 1° orb range, but encourage you to experiment and see for yourself — in some charts, this still manifests as combustion.
For example, in Blake Lively’s chart (pictured below), Mars would be considered cazimi within both ranges as it is less than 0°04’ of the Sun. Venus, on the other hand, would be considered cazimi only if you use the 1° range (and the fact she isn’t in the same degree as the Sun).
The Meaning of Cazimis
Now that we know how to identify when a planet is cazimi, what does it mean?
Cazimis are a very liminal space. They last merely a couple days to a couple of hours. Fleeting, yet essential moments, as the planet is thoroughly transformed as it conjoins with the Sun. Think of some key moments in your life: your first kiss, the first time you got a job or promotion, graduation, the moment you met your best friend or first love… Those moments are so brief, mere seconds or minutes, yet they come to define the months and years that follow in such a key way.
When a planet is cazimi, it undergoes a degree of extreme heat in the heart of the Sun, and becomes “purified” as a result. Cazimis remind me of heating a metal at such a high temperature that it becomes white, thus changing its properties — making it more malleable and workable. The cazimi changes and reveals the qualities of a planet, allowing it to move into a new cycle. The intensity is painful, but necessary to reveal the qualities that the planet will need to move forward.
According to medieval astrologer Abu Ma’shar, a cazimi planet indicates “good fortune”. The process of purification that takes places during a cazimi is extremely auspicious as it “raises up” the planet and makes it powerful and strong — but it is also a painful process. On a personal level, cazimis indicate a moment of differentiation. We must shed what no longer belongs to enter a new chapter of our lives; but shedding is never painless. Change and transformation, as necessary and good as they may be, always bring their load of discomfort and struggle. Cazimis remind us that we must be brave and welcome change, however challenging it may be, with an open heart to also receive its full blessings.
In many ways, cazimis remind me of those rites of passage practiced all over the world where the person who is coming of age must run over burning coals. A highly spiritual moment, the initiated gains strength and is fortified as their body suffers. In many cultures, fire is thought to be a purifying agent that burns impurities and allows an object’s most dignified essence to ascend towards the sky. This is why we burn incense or offerings as a mark of reverence to divinities. During a burning coals ritual, the fire doesn’t have enough contact time to burn to the flesh, but still enough to be painful. In reality, what would be the most painful for the person undergoing the rite would be to… wait. If someone is paralysed by fear and cannot run forward, they will get burned. Such is the process of the cazimi: the only way is forward, and overcoming temporary, material pain leads you to uncovering riches you otherwise would not have perceived.
Firewalking in Sri Lanka (picture by Aidan Jones, see sources).
Cazimis can lead us to moments of clarity, and open up the way towards new possibilities. Even if the moment itself is painful or not great, it gives way to a world we could not have accessed if the cazimi had not given us the tools to do so.
Now that we have a better understanding of what a cazimi is and what it does, I would like to go on a different path and think about the larger context of cazimis — what do they mean in our lives? What kind of feelings does a cazimi convey, and how can we make sense of them in our own lives?
Cazimi as Ecstasy
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Sources:
Abu Ma’shar. The Great Introduction to Astrology, Vol. 1. Ed. and trans. Burnett, C. and Yamamoto, K. Brill: Leiden, Netherlands. 2019.
Aidan Jones from Oxford, U.K. - “Fire Walking”, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3398267
Ecstasy of Saint Teresa [Gian Lorenzo Bernini] Image 1. Sartle. (2020, July 22). Retrieved June 4, 2024, from https://www.sartle.com/artwork/ecstasy-of-saint-teresa-gian-lorenzo-bernini