Cecco d’Ascoli (Burned at the Stake – September 16, 1327)

I knew eventually that I would come across an individual that was burned at the stake for his beliefs. Cecco d’Ascoli seems to fit the bill. Justin Sledge’s video discussion about him is very tongue-in-cheek:

The point that caught my attention was his ‘audacity’ to claim that Jesus’ life was determined by his birth chart, and astrological aspects and events. Okay, this is significant. His necromancy (working with demons) also foreshadows Dr. John Dee’s angelic alphabet, as developed through Edward Kelley’s scrying. You see, it’s all connected. Let’s look at his ‘fatal’ chart (since we do not have his birth details).

I suspect he was burned at the stake in the morning, but I have no ‘proof’ of the time, so I’m going with the usual noon-time death, just to be sure that we’ve caught the energies for the day of his death. There is one inconjunct, but I usually don’t delineate aspects from a death chart.

Cecco d’Ascoli left many works in manuscript, most of which have never been published. The book by which he achieved his renown and which led to his death was the Acerba (from acervus), an encyclopaedic poem, of which in 1546, the date of the last reprint, more than twenty editions had been issued. It is a compendium for the contemporary natural science of the time, including “the order and influences of the heavens, the characteristics and properties of animals and precious stones, the causes of phenomena such as meteors and earthquakes—and of commonplace moral philosophy”. The work actually consists of four books in sesta rima (six-line stanzas in a specific rhyming scheme). The first book treats of astronomy and meteorology; the second of astrology, of physiognomy, and of the vices and virtues; the third of minerals and of the love of animals; while the fourth propounds and solves a number of moral and physical problems. Of a fifth book, on theology, the initial chapter alone was completed.

Publications (Wikipedia)

Originally, in my past life analyses, I related 1330 to a Cathar lifetime (based on the position of my natal Moon in Scorpio). Now I know that Cecco would be a correct fit for that timing. You will need to see how this death lines up with me, in order to understand that this is not my imagination going wild.

Cecco’s ‘fatal’ North Node is conjunct my natal Saturn in Virgo. His ‘fatal’ Neptune is about 5° from my natal Ascendant in Sagittarius. His ‘fatal’ Uranus is within 2° of my natal Venus in Aquarius. His ‘fatal’ Moon/Mars conjunction in Libra is about 6° from my natal Mars/South Node conjunction. It all fits.

The quote in the title of this post is an echo of my habit of hedging my bets: hence, a Gnostic Christian.