Cazimi and combustion are astrological terms that refer to specific conditions of a planet based on its proximity to the Sun. These conditions are determined by how visible a planet is, which relates to the solar phase cycle. The Sun is hot and dry, and any planet that gets too close to it will be affected, for better or worse. Once a planet is within 15 degrees on either side of the Sun, it is considered to be “under the beams.” From our perspective here on Earth, the Sun is blinding — it obscures anything and everything that falls relatively close to it by the sheer power of it’s rays. Applying this to astrology, whenever a planet goes “under the beams” of the Sun, we know it becomes weakened in some way. Oftentimes, this planet takes on some kind of a hidden meaning or can behave in covert ways that don’t fit into the generic stereotypes of planets in signs.
Certain planets are more likely to be under the beams because of their relative distance to the Sun. Planets like Mercury and Venus, which can only be 1 to 2 signs away from the Sun, are frequently under the beams. This happens pretty often, so it’s nothing to stress out about if you have this in your own birth chart. An example of how this can play out is if Venus is under the beams, or more severely combust (which we’ll get to in a minute), you might be more likely to have relationships that occur in secret. There could be some reason you have to hide your relationship status, or you may elope with your partner rather than living those Venusian experiences publicly. This is just one example of how Venus under the beams can play out in real life, but let’s take this a step further and look at combustion.
Combustion is a more extreme version of being under the beams, as it occurs when a planet is within a closer degree range on either side of the Sun. According to Ancient Astrology by Demetra George, Medieval astrologers considered a planet to be combust when it was within 12 degrees on either side of the Sun. The Hellenistic astrologers opted for a 9° orb when determining whether or not a planet was combust.
When a planet is “combust,” it is said to be burned up by the rays of the Sun. The implications of being under the beams intensify, and these planets are said to be in a much weaker state the closer they get to the Sun. Similarly to being under the beams, planets like Venus and especially Mercury will often be combust — it does not mean you’re doomed! It just means that you might have a blind spot when it comes to the topics and houses ruled by whichever planet is combust. For example, if you have Mercury combust in your birth chart, you might not always realize how what you say comes off to others. This would be even more true if Mercury were in or ruling the 3rd house of communication or 7th house of other people. This is something that can be consciously worked on, but it might take more effort than desired.
An important mitigating factor should be mentioned here, as it is said to protect a planet from being under the beams/combust. This condition is called “chariot” and it occurs when a planet is in its own domicile, exaltation or bounds. For example: if Mercury was at 10° of Gemini and the Sun was at 5° of Gemini, Mercury would be considered chariot. This is because Mercury rules Gemini, so despite the fact that Mercury is technically combust — it’s protected by being in chariot. This is an amazing mitigating factor to take into consideration when analyzing a planet’s condition based on visibility.
The third condition we’re going to look at is much more subjectively positive, and it’s called “cazimi.” A cazimi occurs when a planet enters the heart of the Sun, where it is said to be fortified and protected from the scorching heat of the Sun’s rays. Ancient astrologers likened this to having the King’s ear — it’s a position of elevation and support. It gives the cazimi planet a certain level of protection, fortitude and auspiciousness that is quite fortunate for the individual. Cazimi is much more rare than combustion, and even more so depending on what orb you use. Medeival astrologers said that a planet was cazimi when it was within 16-17 arc minutes of the Sun in a natal chart, whereas other traditions allow for a 1 degree orb on either side (with the applying aspect always considered to be stronger than the separating one). From what I’ve seen, cazimis are stronger when they fall within the 16-17’ range, but they’re still in effect within the 1° orb. One example of a Venus cazimi in action is Oprah Winfrey, whose Venus is within just 8’ of the Sun in Aquarius.
Oprah is most well-known for her long-running talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, that skyrocketed her to unprecedented levels of fame and wealth. The 3rd house is where we find things that occur with regularity: podcasts, weekly columns, magazines and you guessed it… television shows. Oprah’s Venus cazimi in the 3rd house means that this is where she will experience the greatest impact of this auspicious alignment. The 3rd house also rules over our early life and learning experiences and Oprah got her start at a local radio station while she was still in high school. From there, she became a news anchor and eventually went on to start her own talk show and subsequent network channel. She also has a very successful radio show on SiriusXM, whose 3 year contract amassed $55 million for Oprah upon signing. From 2002 - 2020, she also had an incredibly successful magazine called O, The Oprah Magazine. All of these successes can be attributed to her wide appeal, unique perspective and the power of her Venus cazimi in the 3rd house.
Venus rules the 6th and 11th houses in her chart, which gives both of these places a major boost. The 11th house is where Oprah has her Midheaven, which speaks to one’s reputation, praxis and legacy. The 11th house is called the place of “Good Spirit” in Hellenistic astrology and signifies one’s audience, fan base, friendships, social networks and social media, greater community, goals and ambitions. With Venus ruling over this place, she powerfully exerts her influence over these topics. Oprah had such a strong fan base that she has been cited as helping Barack Obama win the 2008 election with her endorsem*nt, racking up over 1 million votes for him at a time where he needed it most — talk about influence! Her audience spans a wide variety of platforms, and her website alone garners over 70 million page views per month on average.
Throughout her life, she has been deemed “the world’s most powerful woman” and “the most influential woman in the world” by CNN, LIFE, Time Magazine and Forbes. She has become a billionaire due to her incredible amounts of success and has even had the phrase “The Oprah Effect” named after her. The effect refers to her ability to generate enormous amounts of sales and hype for a person, product or otherwise based on her opinions and reviews. This level of influence is no doubt a result of her extremely powerful Venus cazimi ruling over her 11th house. This is just a brief introduction, but it’s clear to see just how much a cazimi can help an individual obtain an elevated status and success in the parts of the chart it rules over.
Those are the basics of the terms “cazimi,” “combustion” and “under the beams.” If you’d like a more thorough treatment on this subject, I would recommend the book Ancient Astrology: Volume I by Demetra George. It’s important to remember that even if you have a planet under the beams or combust, there are a lot of mitigating factors that can improve the condition of the planet in your chart. If you’d like to learn more about your personal birth chart and whether you have any planets in one of these conditions, you can book a consultation with me here!
Sources:
"About Oprah". Harpo, Inc.
"Oprah Signs XM Satellite Radio Deal". Los Angeles Times. February 10, 2006.
"Oprah Winfrey". Biography. February 17, 2021.
Steven, By (August 6, 2008). "So Much for One Person, One Vote– Freakonomics Blog". The New York Times.
