Secondary Progressions

The unfolding of the lotus
by Sol W. Jonassen

Often people sit and watch the most exciting transits happen in their own charts, expecting huge shifts and positive changes, only to be left slightly disappointed when the soul mate of their lives did not show up, nor did that career break they were hoping for, and then suddenly, out of the blue, a minor Mercury or Moon transit come by and stir everything up. And it didn’t even touch the natal chart, something that can make us question the validity of astrology. But one thing is certain, the science of astrology is not a one-dimensional study. We need to broaden our vision and uphold a multidimensional approach if we are to truly understand it. One of these dimensions, is the dimension of secondary progressions. Progressions are where we start to dive into the underlying evolution of an individual and we can make sense as to why some transits seem to kick extra hard, while others are like a little whiff barely messing up our hair.

A progressed chart, whether it is directions, secondary, tertiary or minor progressions, are all born from the birth chart, which is the foundational rock that every other movement springs out from. It gives the associations to a flower that blooms and using a more yogic term, a lotus of consciousness that unfolds little by little. It is an inner process of becoming, a natural evolution of the inherent potential that resides in the birth chart. The progressed chart is the map of the natal chart moved on from the time of your birth, making one day equal to a year, or in the case of the tertiary progressed, one day equal to a lunar month.

You can of course use all progressive techniques available, but most astrologers like to stick to one or find a combination that works for them. Some astrologers prefer to work with directions, which is the movement of every planet one degree from the natal chart for each year lived, while others work mostly with secondary progression, which is the progression of one day from birth being the equivalent of one year alive. The Sun will then move only one degree, but the Moon, a faster moving body, will move 12 degrees. And depending on the phase and speed of the other planets, they will move the distance that they would for a day. For both these methods, the whole chart is slowly unfolding, in a hypothetical timeline, gradually revealing a new aspect of the inherent karma and potential in the chart. My personal work is mostly focused on the secondary progressions and for this article, it is this method that we will explore.

The Natal Chart:

The teacher of the famous yogi Yogananda, stated that : “A child is born on that day and at that hour when the celestial rays are in mathematical harmony with his individual karma,” #1) and this is the basic premise upon which evolutionary astrology rests. In other words, there is nothing coincidental with the birth chart, and furthermore, the natal chart also reveals what the evolutionary journey of the individual is all about. The concept of waxing and waning aspects are taken into consideration in order to see whether this is a new experience or if the individual already comes with wisdom and know-how. It presupposes the idea that we reincarnate, and the whole chart is seen through this evolutionary lense. Every planetary pair in the chart, meaning planets that are in aspect to each other, are thus viewed in this perspective.

Dane Rudhyar wrote in his Lunation Cycle: “Astrology can be defined as a technique for the study of life-cycles. Its main purpose (is to establish) the existence of regular patterns in the sequence of events constituting man’s inner and outer experience,» which emphasizes the need to understand that everything is in a constant flux, but that it is not random. With these basic premises set, it then is logical that the study of progressions follows this line of thinking and that we evolve not just through transits, but that there is an ongoing inner process of unfoldment occurring as well, and at pivotal times in our lives, this inner evolution come to manifest as deep and life-changing experiences. It is the well-known idea that when you are ready, it will happen. According to late astrologer Dawn Bodrogi transits show the «what» that happens, whereas progressions show the «why» it happens. The natal chart reveals all that was, all that is, and the potential of what’s to be. Transits acts as triggers for growth, but the progressed chart seen as a reflection of the natal chart, reveals the underlying purpose and evolutionary intention of the soul incarnating.

Jim Carrey and the losing of the Self:

In the winter of 1998 Jim Carrey was cast, despite director Milos Forman’s feeling very resistant, in the movie Man on the Moon, a biographical movie on the deceased comic genius Andy Kaufman. When auditions were done it was impossible for Forman to see how anyone else could play it, so Carrey got the part. Forman hadn’t perhaps given it much thought that Jim, cast to portray Andy Kaufman, was born at the same day as Kaufman himself, making him an obvious astrological choice for the role. Forman, blissfully ignorant of astrology (we assume again) didn’t know that Carrey’s progressed Sun had entered Pisces a few years ago and was crossing his natal Chiron in Pisces, opening his doors of perception to a level that it challenged the whole crew. In this part Carrey completely lost himself, resulting in him coming to set being Andy Kaufman and leaving the set as Andy Kaufman, as if in a psychotic state. In a classical Piscean way, Carrey surrender to the role and let go of control resulting in a very tiresome process, later shown to a larger audience in the 2017 documentary about the making of the film «Jim and Andy».

Carrey’s birth chart shows the potential for madness or enlightenment, sometimes both. Born with Neptune in Scorpio on the ascendant square Jupiter and Mercury in Aquarius on the South Node and Uranus in Leo conjunct the MC and North Node, the chart oozes of creative brilliance, manifested through world wide success as a comic, mimic and actor. However, because Uranus is retrograde and it rules the South Node, Carrey is revisiting past life themes related to Leo, correlating to sense of self-importance and standing in the world. Uranus’ impulse is to break free from restrictions to individual self-expression and when retrograde in Leo, there is a questioning of the Self going on in order to lead the individual back to a more authentic and integrated expression. He is also Capricorn by birth, and at the depth of Capricorn lies a deep, spiritual longing for mastery over body, mind and emotion in order to reach liberation from conditioned thinking and its inherent restrictions on the psyche. It is as if Carrey’s real life mission is to see beyond the glamor of being someone of importance and find the spiritual side of Leo, the innocent heart of the child and true love.

The South Node in Aquarius/North Node in Leo further gives the impression of someone who comes into this world already in a process of individualizing, identifying as an outsider and searching for purpose. There is also the potential of experiencing a certain ego-inflation after fame is achieved. As Carry moved closer to expressing his Leo North Node, he could have easily lost track of all that really mattered. When Neptune is added to the mix, he is being taken straight onto a path of spiritual self-realization whether he wants it or not. Neptune squares the Nodal Axis, so there is likelihood of past life experiences of being completely immersed in success, and losing track of what is healthy and sane in the middle of it all. In evolutionary astrology, planets squaring the Nodal Axis are considered a skipped step, an archetype that lacked proper integration in previous lifetimes, and that requires handling in this.

Pluto is in Virgo in the tenth house, also retrograde, revealing that there is some trouble relaxing into life and surrender to simplicity. The hunger for more power could easily show up in an individual with a 10th house Pluto, especially in Virgo where the need to justify being alive is based on how much one works. The workaholic 10th house Jim Carrey could get lost in his chase for purpose by staying in a position of fame and glory, at first in love with the concept of fame and power, then, thanks to the aspects involving his nodal axis, be severely disillusioned with the whole thing. Neptune square the Nodal Axis and conjunct the ascendant shows an evolutionary need to serve something bigger than himself, something that originates from truth and not illusion. Its position reflects an inner battle between his ego and control and a deeper, spiritual dimension of needing to serve humanity.

Carrey had reached success, yet still found himself at the bottomless pit of depression, subconsciously searching for completion. In his own words: «I have often said that I wished people could realize having all the fame, money and wealth so that they could see that it is not where you are gonna find your sense of completion.» He spent half his life trying to find meaning in becoming someone of importance, only to realize that what he was looking for was actually becoming a no-one. In his natal chart there is an opposition between Pluto in Virgo to Chiron in Pisces, and the extremes of Virgo and Pisces swings from control, perfectionism and hard work, to surrender and being one with life. As it is Chiron that resides in Pisces, the very thought of letting go and letting be could be extremely frightening thanks to a deep seated fear of being utterly lost. Add Neptune to the mix, the idea of being someone without an ego could very well be the very thing he was scared of until he actually realized that it was there he would find healing for his year-long battles with depression.

In Melanie Reinhart’s pioneering book «Chiron and the healing journey» we find this under the section of Chiron in Pisces: «Loss of personal identity through the experience of ecstasy and the feeling of unity with the entire cosmos is probably a strong psychological need for you» #2, so being a no-one could be just the right kind of medicine for Carrey’s chart, It would heal a spiritual wound that potentially had been present through numerous incarnations.

Carrey said about his role as Kaufman: “It was definitely an important moment in the process where I found myself subjugating Jim Carrey for Andy Kaufman and Tony Clifton (one of the characters that Kaufman often portrayed). And then at the end of it, looking for Jim Carrey again and having trouble finding him. And at a certain point, I realized, ‘Hey, wait a second. If it’s so easy to lose Jim Carrey, who the hell is Jim Carrey?”

Someone born with Mercury on the South Node in Aquarius ruling Pluto in Virgo and Moon in Virgo could feel on a deep level separated from life, too much in their head and isolated from feeling a sense of unity, and the Gemini Moon is renowned for cracking jokes and making fun, but often runs pretty quickly from deeper emotions. The North Node in Leo speaks of a longing to feel the heart and to love deeply, so being someone who so easily could disconnect and approach life from a mental realm, being present and available to deep love, could feel miles away. So it was almost a spiritual gift that Carrey’s progressed Sun came to Pisces in -95. Carrey would have 30 years of his life now lined up with the Sun in Pisces, in many ways the total opposite of the Capricorn-Leo-Virgo energy that is present in his natal chart and that so loves control. If Shri Yukteswar’s words are true, this was not a random destiny, this was something the soul already had timed.

Progressed retrogrades

Looking at Carrey’s previous progressions we find one particular part of his journey stands out. Carrey was born ten days before Mercury went retrograde, which means that he would experience a progressed Mercury retrograde in his formative years. Mercury is an important factor in adolescence as it is the natural ruler of Gemini and the 3rd house. The Gemini archetype is the part of the journey of life where we integrate with the immediate surroundings and culture we are born in. When Mercury, ruler of this archetypal experience, goes retrograde by progression in youth, this natural process of integration is challenged. This is the astrological birth mark of someone who has set out to find their own path and who needs to isolate from the surrounding culture in order to get there. When Carrey was 7 years old it stationed on 22 degrees Aquarius and he started making faces in the mirror, discovering his talent for impressions. Mercury went retrograde when he was 10 and at the age of 15 he went on stage for the first time with progressed Moon in Sagittarius opposing his natal Moon in Gemini, ruled by Mercury.

He did not have any luck before 1981, and by that time progressed Mercury crossed his progressed Sun in Aquarius, a pivotal part of the Mercury retrograde journey. Also, this was just ten months after a progressed New Moon, possibly the biggest progressed event to look out for in general. But let us linger a bit on the Mercury retrograde phase leading him all the way through to his breakthrough with Pet Detective Ace Ventura in 1994, filmed as Mercury was about to go direct by progression and him being sent straight into world fame as the progressed Sun opposed his Uranus in Leo and the transiting nodes squared the progressed Sun-Uranus.

Once progressed Mercury retrograde begins, the individual is sent on an inner journey to find their own voice and when it is over, something manifests from that particular journey that is related to what the individual found inside over the 20-24 years it stayed in retrogradation. It is a challenging journey, but there is a reason why an individual chooses to be born just before a Mercury retrograde phase and experience their whole youth being cut off from consensus culture. For Carrey, being born with Mercury in Aquarius on the South Node, this was not just about re-discovering talents that he was born with, but it was also about challenging the cerebral attitude that stopped him from being as spontaneous (Leo North Node) as he desired. To act is to lose oneself in a character, something Carrey has done well, but reflecting upon that Mercury retrograde journey he embarked on, it is fair to say that he practiced, and also found it frustratingly difficult. And yet, even if his natal chart shows someone who is willing to work hard to succeed, the success itself doesn’t mean that Carrey would feel that he truly lived his chart. In many ways, his success could also reveal a lingering yearning for warmth, love, depth and intimacy due to the surreal contrast of it all. Unless Carrey finds a way to live his ascendant in Scorpio, showing a need to connect on an intimate level and move deeper into relationships, something will always be missing from his life. The ascendant is always showing the way to the future. Carrey is in many ways not destined to live in his head, but rather pushed to find a new way to express his deepest emotions. The Scorpio ascendant births a character of depth and psychological mastery, not only jokes, fame and funny faces.

The Progressed Moon:

The most important aspect the progressed Moon makes is to the progressed and natal Sun, the progressed and natal angles, and to the natal Moon (the lunar return). The progressed Moon travels 27-28 years to return to the natal Moon and it is a cycle of becoming the natal potential seen in the birth chart. Every important step the progressed Moon makes reflects an important phase of great inner growth and realization. The first Lunar return happening around the year 27-28 coincides with the Saturn return. This marks a time in ones life where we reach maturity and we move into life with a sense of direction. We understand that we are co-creators in a good, ol’ Saturnian sense. At the second lunar return around the age of 53-4 we are more focused on finding what makes eternal sense. It comes right after the Chiron return, the wakeup call to midlife and the changes we go through hormonally and psychologically and we realize we are not going to live forever. It is always important to note the aspects the Moon makes in the natal chart before looking at the progressions. The progressed aspects mirroring natal aspects always carry immense weight. (This goes for all the aspects in the chart, not just those of the Moon.)

Carrey was born with a waxing Moon in Gemini quincunx to Mars. This Moon-Mars energy comes into full play when he gets his first paid gig in 1979 and the progressed Moon cross his Mars. From the moment the Moon cross his ascendant when he is 12, until it reaches his North Node and opposes progressed Mars and world fame in 1994, he is driven by an incessant willpower to make it, no matter what. The natal Mars-Moon quincunx shows a restless mind with an emotional abundance that needs to find expression. It shows the need to find an outlet for all his energy and the stage provided ample opportunity to do just that. However, lurking in the background of such intense and restless energy lies also a tendency for mood swings and depression, and the quincunx aspect is often related to health, and since his Moon is in Gemini, mental health. He was also diagnosed as a child with ADHD and adding the layer of natal Mercury in Aquarius to the Moon-Mars energy, a high-strung nervous system is absolutely a challenge, and despite Carrey channeling it well, he still suffers from the shadow side of this natal aspect.

The movie «Eternal Darkness in a Spotless Mind» shows this rather dark side to Carrey’s persona. The movie remains a timelessly poignant exploration of heartbreak, loneliness, and humanity’s innate desire for emotional connection, and it was filmed in the last, waning square in the second soli-lunar cycle when the progressed Moon in Sagittarius squared his progressed Sun in Pisces, at that time also opposite his Pluto, the ruler of his ascendant. The Carrey we meet in this movie differs from the previous movies, and it is a more raw, vulnerable and honest testimonial to his persona.

These last squares soli-lunar progressed aspects often involves a sort of spiritual crisis and urges the individual to let go of previous ideas of how life should be. Producer of the film, Anthony Bergman said about it: “Everything was so chaotic in that way. People were thrown into the scene in a way that didn’t allow them to compose. It’s a very different type of role that Jim had. He’s a real perfectionist. It was ‘how do we destabilize it so he can’t prepare, so he can’t do the Jim Carrey thing? Jim didn’t like that»

Transiting Jupiter was by the time of shooting moving retrograde over Carrey’s north node in Leo, adding to the push towards letting go of control and let the heart express itself in a more raw and spontaneous manner. Director Gondry allegedly urged Carrey to not let go of the depression related to the recent breakup with Renee Zellweger, a breakup where he himself felt like he was being erased. The whole thing is so reflective of Carrey’s innate urge to release himself from his own mind and experience a sense of innocent bliss again. And again, the astrology does not fail us. Carrey is being pushed into a Piscean experience, both through his movies and in his life.

At the second progressed New Moon in Pisces in 2010, Carrey’s career was turned down several notches and he took up painting, and in 2017, at his second progressed Lunar Return, the Netflix movie «Jim and Andy» was released, giving fans a glimpse of the reason behind what was seen as eccentric behavior and spiritual madness. As of now he is currently doing very little compared to what he did, but he has spent the last decade promoting mental health, being a very outspoken critic of Hollywood fame. As of April 2022, at the age of 60 and just in time for a perfect progressed Moon conjunct Uranus, he stated: «I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough.» How about that for a Leonian realization? Looks like our favorite comedian found his inner peace eventually. And the astrology is as usual, nothing but magical to observe.

#1 An autobiography of a Yogi: Chapter 16
#1: Melanie Reinhart, Chiron and the Healing Journey, page 170