Shining Light on Cazimi, Combust, Chariot, and Under the Beams

Rebecca M. Farrar, M.A.
4 min readApr 8, 2023

Astrology has several terms to describe when the Sun and a planetary body come into close contact. Hoping this post can shed light (sorry for that easy pun) on the astrological terms and differences between Cazimi, Combust, Chariot, and Under the Beams.

All of these alignments refer to the proximity of influence and a planetary body’s ability to be more or less visible with its own energy when near the Sun. These terms tend to be related to more traditional astrological lineages and also take into account whether something is moving toward the Sun, losing its light, or moving away, after being charged by it.

According to astrological beliefs, a planet is considered to be losing strength and becoming more constrained as it moves closer to the Sun, resulting in a decrease in light. When the planet is in exact conjunction with the Sun, it has the least amount of light, and its ability to act is slowly diminishing.

On the other hand, as the planet moves away from the Sun, it is believed to gain strength and become more powerful, resulting in an increase in light. This increased power gives the planet more ability to act, making it more empowering.

If we think about the center of our solar system the Sun, as something approaches it may be a bit overwhelming, and then as it makes contact reaches a pinnacle and then integrate its light. With this reasoning, similar to a full moon, when the planet opposes the Sun and is farthest away…

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Rebecca M. Farrar, M.A.

Enchanted with Earth & Ether | M.A. Philosophy, Cosmology, Consciousness | Archetypal Astrologer & Writer | www.wildwitchwest.com