Timing and cycles
Under the Beams
Direct answer
Under the Beams describes a planet close enough to the Sun to be obscured by solar light, but usually not as tightly enclosed as combustion.
Under the Beams is a traditional condition of solar obscuration near the Sun.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Transits & Cycles
- Related
- Birth Chart, Zodiac, Transit
Under the Beams is a traditional condition of solar obscuration near the Sun.
The orbit map distinguishes physical bodies, calculated points, and symbolic cycles where possible.
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The fifteen-degree limit
Under the beams, or under the rays, is the widest step of the ladder: up to 15 degrees from the Sun, with the planet weak within 12 degrees in Abu Ma'shar's Judgments. Al-Qabisi compares a planet under the rays to a prisoner. Among Abu Ma'shar's eight properties of a superior planet are its being 15 degrees from the Sun for Saturn or Jupiter and 18 for Mars, and its being hidden within 15 degrees.
- Heart of the Sun (cazimi, united): within 16 minutes in longitude and latitude, like one seated with the king.
- Burned: up to about 7 degrees 30 minutes (Abu Ma'shar), beyond the heart, like one condemned to death.
- Weak under the rays: within 12 degrees (Abu Ma'shar, Judgments), weakened.
- Under the rays: up to 15 degrees, like a prisoner.
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The Wandering Stars
How the moving planets were watched, named and found, and what a transit is.
How the superior planets approach the Sun
Al-Qabisi describes the cycle of a superior planet by its distance from the Sun. From emergence up to 30 degrees it is eastern and increased in strength, from 30 to 60 degrees strong, then going toward weakness until the first station. It is eastern retrograde up to opposition, western retrograde until it turns direct, western strong up to 30 degrees, weak at 60, and western weak until it is under the rays again.
Ptolemy's rule of thumb for the same thing is that a planet is strong when oriental, swift and direct, and weak when occidental, slow and retrograde.
The story behind Under the Beams
Traditional astrology uses several thresholds for solar proximity. Under the beams generally refers to a planet being within the Sun's obscuring light but outside the most intense combustion zone.
The spiritual meaning of Under the Beams
Spiritually, Under the Beams asks what is present but still hidden from public view.
Why Under the Beams matters
Under the Beams matters because it names a broader visibility problem before a planet becomes combust. It can describe something hidden, weakened, private, or not yet able to show itself clearly.
Under the Beams in practice: an example
Venus under the beams may symbolize affection or desire that exists but is not yet easy to express openly.
Where readings of Under the Beams go wrong
A common error is to treat every close Sun contact the same.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Transits & Cycles
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
See what is hidden by the Sun
Under the Beams in a book is one thing; Under the Beams in your own birth chart is your life. The Oracle casts your real chart and tells you what it means for your love, your work, and your year ahead, in conversation. It opens with the 7-day Seeker trial.
Speak with the OracleThe Cosmic Codex reads a whole year of transits against your own chart, Under the Beams included where it touches your love, your work, your timing. Open the Cosmic Codex
Related terms
More in Transits & Cycles
- Balsamic Phase
- Eclipse Season
- Jupiter Retrograde
- Mars Retrograde
- Planetary Cycle
- Prenatal Syzygy
- Saturn Retrograde
- Third Pass
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Common questions
What are Under the Beams?
Under the Beams describes a planet close enough to the Sun to be obscured by solar light, but usually not as tightly enclosed as combustion.
Where do Under the Beams come from?
Traditional astrology uses several thresholds for solar proximity. Under the beams generally refers to a planet being within the Sun's obscuring light but outside the most intense combustion zone.
What do Under the Beams look like in a birth chart?
Venus under the beams may symbolize affection or desire that exists but is not yet easy to express openly.
What do Under the Beams mean spiritually?
Spiritually, Under the Beams asks what is present but still hidden from public view.
What do people get wrong about Under the Beams?
A common error is to treat every close Sun contact the same.
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