Finding Your Overtones
The links below are designed to help you determine your Mercury, Venus, Vesta and Mars Overtones. The overtones are the archetypal energy of Mercury, Venus, Mars and Vesta at the beginning of their synodic cycles and is the main theme being integrated in the collective psyche of humanity for the entire cycle and becomes an additional signature to know in relationship to your Mercury, Venus, Mars and Vesta. This is also why the sign one of these planets is in when the cycle begins determines the overtone for the entire cycle.
Mercury overtones are calculated by the sign Mercury is in when it stations direct (often different than the sign it was in when it stationed retrograde). So be sure to look for the day Mercury goes direct before you were born when looking for your Mercury Overtone.
Venus overtones are calculated by the sign Venus is in when rising as a Morning Star. Said another way it is when Venus reaches 10 degrees from the Sun in the Morning Sky before sunrise, also called Heliacal Rise. To find your Venus Overtone look for the time Venus rises 10 degrees before the Sun (during retrograde) before your birthday.
Mars and Vesta overtones are calculated by noting the sign they were in when they reached exact opposition to the Sun. Mars or Vesta rise in the East as the Sun sets in the West when in opposition to the Sun. This is when Mars is brightest and when Vesta may actually become visible under dark skies. Astronomers call this Achronycal Rise – when a planet is opposite the Sun. Mars and Vesta overtones can be found in the tables (Mars/Vesta-Sun Opposition) on the date just before you were born. If the dates falls after you were born, then choose the one before.
Here are links to two articles written by Daniel Giamario back in the 1997 explaining the discovery of how these synodic cycles of Venus and Mars fit into the Shamanic Astrology paradigm, providing a basic understanding of overtones and the synodic cycles.
A Shamanic Investigation of Venus – Original Article 1997
A Shamanic Investigation of Mars – Original Article 1997
The Following Tables provide an easy way to look up your personal Venus, Mars, Mercury and Vesta Overtones
Mercury Synodic Cycle Tables 1915 to 2063
Venus Synodic Cycle Tables 1916 to 2063
Mars Synodic Cycles Tables 1916 to 2063
Vesta Synodic Cycles Tables 1920 to 2022
Special thanks to Matthew James for updating the tables for Mercury, Mars and Venus originally created by Cayelin Castell in the mid-1990’s. Also thanks to Erik Roth for providing the details for the Vesta Synodic Cycles.
What is a brief explanation of “overtone”. Thank you!
Hoping the explanation above now explains the overtone! If not let me know?
Hi
so
for Mercury do we calculate the time it went direct after our birthdate?
and for the others we take the Heliacal Rise and the Achronycal Rise of the year of our birth no matter if it was before our actual birthdate?
thank you!
Hi Nina, to answer your first question you would calculate the Mercury Direct (the closest one) prior to your birthday. In regards to the Heliacal Rise (Venus in Retrograde, separating 10 degrees from the Sun) and Achronychal Rises (Mars-Sun Opposition), you would choose the rises that are prior to the birthday, but it could be a different year. As long as it is before the next heliacal rise or achronycal rise.
PS
there is an explanation for VESTA at the bottom of the chart, but not for Mars or Venus
( for instance there is no Achronycal Rise of Mars in my birth year 1953)
Ah, got it! Thank you for noticing that. I can upload a couple of teaching forms on Mars and Venus showing how to find your overtone right now actually 🙂
Hi Erik,
wonderful, thanks very much!