This term "Cazimi & Combustion" was mentioned frequently throughout my astrology study, in lectures, books, study sessions and group discussions. However, it seems as if each astrologer has a different perspective of the term, making it ever confusing to understand and difficult to read in someone's chart. I guess I’m particularly interested in this concept because I have it: Mars 0º 24’, Sun 0º 27’, Venus 0º 49’ in Cancer 2nd house, and my son have: Mars 2º 32’, Venus 3º 47’, Sun 3º 52’ in Scorpio 2nd house. To further my understanding, I consulted google, YouTube, books, lectures, and study sessions from the Cosmic Academy of Astrology, then compiled my own notes to share.
To summarize: this concept came from ancient/traditional astrology, and used for predictive purposes, such as horary charts. It has very strict rules and guidelines, but it varies from astrologer to astrologer.
Here are few articles on the web:
In the Heart of the Sun - The Role of Latitude in the Definition of Cazimi
by Patrizia Nava
Power of the Sun: Is your Sun Conjunct, Combust or Cazimi ?
Under the beams, combustion, and cazimi
“The bottom line? It all comes down to visibility.”
A lot of times this is the reason for the planet being “Combust”, but I don't buy it. Because when you see the sun in the sky during the day, you won't be able to see the other planets. Similarly, if the sun is in the bottom half of the chart, you won't be able to see it because it’s night time.
*I have found an answer to “Visibility”
According to Demetra George's book, "Ancient Astrology In Theory And Practice", visibility refers to the moment when planets rise or set at the horizon.
When they are so close to the Sun, they cannot be seen when Rising or Setting on horizon.
In the book, it is explained that a planet is considered invisible if it is within 15 degrees of either side of the Sun. However, there is another method that uses different degrees of separation for each planet. Venus and Mars are considered invisible if they are within 8 degrees of either side of the Sun, Jupiter within 12 degrees, Saturn and the Moon within 15 degrees, and Mercury within 19 degrees. Additionally, there is a second set of invisibility by opposition within 7.5 degrees that only applies to Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.*
This video talks about this topic in a way that I can most resonate with:
Conjunctions, Combustions and Cazimis
Combustion
(Roughly orb of the Sun: 17º)
The light of the planet is getting lost as the planet gets closer to the sun —— it becomes invisible
The light of the planet is being taken over by the Sun —— subject to the will of the Sun; planets co-opted by the Sun/planets loosing their own agency and start working for the Sun
If the planets were in their own sign, it would be easier to hold onto it's agency
Cazimi
(Roughly within same degree)
Planets become empowered/super charged by power of the Sun
Carries the power of the king (Sun) ——— something tremendously successful will happen
Thoughts
So, how does this concept apply to modern astrology, specifically the natal chart? It is said that the Cazimi period highlights a native’s "super power", but is this like a superhero-type of power? Does it really manifest in reality? I found an article that talks about celebrities with Cazimi placements; people like Oprah Winfrey possess such power absolutely. However, I don't think this is a "superpower" per se; it's more like the concentrated energy of a unique talent that expressed in brilliant way. Some say that "combustion" and "under the rays/beams" are the most debilitated placements for a planet, but if we look at Oprah's Mercury, which is 10º away from the Sun, it is in the "under the rays" zone. However, I don't think her Mercury is debilitated, and I can't see that there’s only bad conjunctions with the Sun, except for the small Cazimi zone.
Notes
(This section is a compilation of notes that I collected, primarily from my teacher, Heather Eland of Astrology with Heather.)
Since Mercury is very often within at least range of being under the sunbeams, the vast majority of people live with something similar, whereas with Venus there is frequently more distance and thus objectivity. This is part of the nature of Mercury – thought is more tightly bound to consciousness than emotion and it is thus more difficult to gain objectivity on its operations.
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Astrologers have not concluded whether conjunctions which take place at the end and beginning of signs, causing the aspect to be ‘out of sign’, still count as a combustion or even as conjunctions, but my experience is that they do.
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Note that all planets except Mercury and Venus always form superior conjunctions with the Sun, as only Mercury and Venus can form inferior conjunctions. The inferior conjunction is therefore connected with the integration of the poles of the personality, thought and feeling, with the light of our being. If we were living on Mars, then Earth could also form an inferior conjunction with the Sun, and so on.
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Regardless of the exact orb being used, the main point is that the more positive qualities of the planet in question are being “burned away” by the beams of the Sun or hidden from view so they become harder (if not impossible) to access.
The more difficult qualities, on the other hand, seem to be amplified in some way.
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Combustion always indicated something unseen as being problematic for that planet. Something is being burned away or hidden. To build on the previous example, for the Mercury combust native, their challenge is to turn off the mental chatter to access their true brilliance, which is being occulted by the fiery beams of the Sun.
What about Moon?
It’s one of the highest forms of good luck. As far as the time frame goes, a Cazimi Moon is in effect for about a half an hour before the conjunction of the Sun and half an hour after. *Keep in mind that not all New Moons are Cazimi.
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So far the Moon is concerned, it is the natural satellite of the Earth and its distance from the Sun starts reducing after Purnima, and at the time of Amavasya, both the Sun and Moon stay almost the same degree. This is the very reason that the Moon gets combusted when it comes closer to the Sun by 12 degrees and it is also considered inauspicious even it stays away from the Sun by more than 12 degrees. The Moon is considered strong only if it stays away by almost 70 degrees from the Sun. The closer the position of the Moon to the Sun, the more the negative impact. -Vedic
It seems that this is one of those things that you must come to your own conclusion about. So, what are your thoughts? Do you have it in your chart? Please feel free to share your experiences with me! Let's come together to explore the mystery of this placement!
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