This year marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of Maurits Cornelis Escher, the famous artist who played with mathematical principles, reflection and perspective in his work. Last weekend your astrologer enjoyed visiting the Escher exhibition in The Hague that was set up in connection with those 125 years. Not only does Escher play with mathematical principles in his work, almost everything is black and white and the theme of the (closed) cycle returns again and again, which set in motion some astrological reflections. Because black and white and mathematics is Mercury and cycles have to do with the Nodal Axis. Was that also visible in his radix?
Mercury essence
Let’s start with the planet parts, the very powerful energy essences that, when they make a conjunction or opposition with a radix factor within two degrees of orb (also via antiscion!), indicate a central theme in a life. Conjunct the Sun / Lord 1 is the Mercury point, Escher connects directly with the pure Mercury essence! Furthermore, the Saturn point falls in opposition to the Venus point, the essence of austerity connects with the essence of beauty. Escher hardly used color and always kept it sleek.
Royal
Not only is Lord 1 (“the person in his life”) directly connected to the Mercury essence, but also as a planet Mercury dominates his horoscope. The planet of mathematics and black and white is very strong in its own sign, is the dispositor of boththe Luminaries and is conjunct royal Aldebaran! Aldebaran is the Eye of the Bull, the myth of Taurus theme is reaching the origin through the material form, Escher searches everywhere for the secret behind appearances. The black and white is also Yin-Yang or Sulfur-Mercury, the male-female polarity on which the entire cosmos revolves. The so central Mercury is in opposition to the austere Saturn which is in the fifth house of creativity on royal Antares.
Mirror
Another central theme is reflection and cycle. Astrologically, the Nodal Axis is the great symbol of the cycle and the Pars Fortunae, the soul’s hunger, is conjunct the South Node. But the totally stunning thing is that via antiscion this PF-South Node conjunction is conjunct that dominant Mercury!! And an antiscion is… a mirror point. Look at his painting Magic Mirror, which is a direct representation of the antiscion. It is not surprising that Escher became famous with so much strength and talent, his Sun in the eleventh house on mighty Betelgeuse contributes to this, as does Mars / Lord 5 of creativity which is in the tenth house of the profession. Lord 5 is in reception with the aesthetic Venus on mighty Procyon and via mirror point on the Moon, planet of reflections! And if that isn’t enough, his Lunar Mansion, his central life myth is Al Thurayya, the Many Little Ones…