A stellium is a fairly common phenomenon in astral configurations, yet very powerful, which consists of a planetary cluster of 4 or more Planets in Conjunction in the same sector of the sky, with an orb more or less extended in degrees. In terms of influences of the Astrological Elements, we can consider the presence in the totality of a sign is 30°.
In other words, such a sector is highly valued in proportions that often tend to be underestimated.
The difficulty in terms of astrological interpretation of a stellium is therefore obvious because of the multiple influences involved, sometimes inducing confusion and difficulty in differentiating between energies, since they are as if “welded” together.
It’s frequent, because of their small distance, that a stellium includes the personal planets Sun, Mercury, Venus, reinforcing the psychological importance of the configuration of the planetary cluster.
Analysis and interpretation of a stellium
A stellium is thus to be directly related to the Astrological Aspect of the Conjunction : power, unity, synthesis, fusion, complementarity, sharing, but neutrality, it’s colored according to the energies of the Planets involved, potential difficulties of integration and channelling, crystallization.
To better understand, let’s imagine a hypothetical stellium in a birth chart to give you an idea of the enormous implications of this kind of configuration :
Conjunction Sun/Moon (New Moon), Mercury, Venus, Uranus, Neptune in Sagittarius on the Ascendant and the 12th House
As much to say that Sagittarius and Fire are extremely valued, as well as its ruler Jupiter who also turns out to be a ruler of the stellium.
The house with the stellium is also of particular importance and can give tones to the personality according to its analogical sign, for example here the 12th House : the expression of individuality can be done under a certain Pisces tendency.
The analysis of the Rulerships is extremely complex because this stellium implies :
- Sun : 8th House by domicile, 4th House by exaltation
- Moon : 8th House by domicile, 6th House by exaltation
- Mercury : 7th House and 9th House by domicile and exaltation
- Venus : 6th House and 10th House by domicile, 3rd House by exaltation
- Uranus : 2nd House by domicile, 11th House by exaltation
- Neptune : 3rd House by domicile, 2nd House by exaltation
This stellium contains in the space of only a few degrees much more than half of the astral energies of the birth chart !
The dominant fire/sagittarius/jupiter is thus expressed on 4 personal planets, on the Ascendant, plus 2 transpersonal planets, within one or even 2 houses.
Let’s imagine that in addition to being placed at the level of an angle (Ascendant, Descendant, Midheaven, Imum Coeli), the stellium also includes the Black moon or the Lunar Nodes, or even in Intercepted Signs, that can reinforce or nuance its interpretation.
The “Frames” of the stellium can also give precious indications on its expression.
Identifying the dominant planet of a stellium is not always easy, far from it, because each planet has or can have implications on several levels.
It all depends on the astrologer’s intuition and training, he or she will assign importance to the sun, to the proximity of the ascendant, to the rulership of the midheaven (or of the ruler of the ascendant or other Rulerships), to a tighter Orb of conjunction, etc…
One stellium planet will be able to systematically activate harmonious things, while another will bring more dynamic and stressful things into resonance.
Especially since the astral dominants can also be brought to evolve over the course of life…
The best way to determine a dominant if you are studying your chart is to make your own empirical analysis of the energies involved.
This type of chart is therefore very marked, very “typical”, very accentuated, which may at the same time, depending on the rest of the birth chart, create an imbalance in the other astrological elements.
Do not believe, however, that the “void” is useless and has no interpretation. See my article on the interpretation of the Void in astrology, a stellium means de facto at least 3 other points of release of energies in opposition (Gemini sector) and in square (Virgo and Pisces sectors).
It’s moreover necessary to study the stellium according to the generic Cycles, in particular by placing each planet in its relation to the others according to whether it is in a increasing separative phase or in a decreasing applying phase.
All the stellium will therefore clearly have repercussions at the level of social relations, especially in a Synastry. The stellium being “the” sensitive point which will count enormously in all comparisons of charts.
If the stellium is in harmony in the comparison, the major part of the chart is harmonious. If it’s in tension in a stressful configuration, it will “stretch” the entire chart and the relationship accordingly.
Be careful, this does not necessarily mean that a stressful position will be “harmful” to the relationship, nor that the harmonious position will be “positive”, there can be different forms of complementarities.
In the same way, in the evolution of the birth chart over the course of life, with the necessary transformations that can be identified in the astrological forecasts, the stellium will act in a very specific way.
As much as, in a “star configuration”, the astral energies are exploded at the 4 corners of the chart and therefore distribute all the influences in time and space, as much schematically with the stellium the cross is well marked : the exact degrees of the stellium, those in Squares and the Opposition, here the whole Mutable cross.
The Transits will be very sensitive, very dynamic, and will give “great highs” and “great lows”, because at each activation all the sectors of the chart evoked are activated and “blink” by resonance truly like a Christmas tree.
- Let’s imagine in our example, when Jupiter passes over the stellium : expansion, harmony, renewal, euphoria, idealism… over 1 year !
- Let’s imagine Pluto on the stellium now : ULTRA deep and radical changes in the totality of the personality, multiple factors of evolution in all sectors of life come to the surface… very complex projects in perspective over several years.
When no aspect directly involves the stellium, an apparent calm reigns but we must not forget that the “storm” is not far away.
In fact, these periods of calm should in the absolute more serve as “integration and adaptation time” between 2 evolutionary phases.
The calm being a phase of introversion, introspection and analysis, the storm being a phase of extroversion and exteriorization of the powerful energies contained in the stellium.
The Solar Return will also be able to indicate the ways in which the stellium energies are updated and reconfigured annually.
The fast and regular transits of the Moon in relation to the stellium can give you precious indications on how you live this astrological configuration in clusters. It would be interesting to keep an Astrological Diary on these important evolutions caused by the Moon (conjunctions, squares, oppositions).
For the secondary progressions, everything will depend on the planets involved in the stellium, as well as the order in which they are in birth chart.
Logically, a conjunction of slow planets will evolve little in its direct influence over the years, whereas fast planets will give more details and more important evolutionary perspectives.
Thus in the example, the progressed sun will be able to activate Neptune around the 20th year and produce a true deep, radical, philosophical, mystical evolution, a spiritual refinement…
The stelliums are thus very complex to analyze among all the astral configurations, they are very important. No astrology software can have the necessary finesse to dismantle all the interrelationships easily. Nevertheless, they deserve to be studied in a specifically thorough way.
Celebrities with a stellium
If you wish to push the study of the stellium, you will find in these charts enough to develop various analyses :
Teilhard de Chardin, Bruce Lee, Sigmund Freud, Joseph Goebbels, René Descartes, Mick Jagger, Victor Hugo…