Vindemiatrix lies in the constellation Virgo and occupies 9° 56’ Libra in the zodiac. It is the third-brightest star in its constellation, although its brightness has diminished since Ptolemy’s day. Legend: Vindemiatrix, or Vindemiator, as it was originally called, meaning the Grape Gatherer, represents Ampelos, the son of a satyr and a nymph. As a token of his affection, Dionysus gave him a vine planted at the foot of an aspen tree. While gathering grapes, Ampelos fell and broke his neck, so Dionysus placed him among the stars in remembrance of his love for him. A pale-yellow star situated on the Virgin’s right wing. It is said to take its name from its morning rising just before the grape harvest.
This star has several layers of meaning, depending on the nature of the planet placed upon it. The first concerns a reward or gift, since the god Bacchus gave Ampelos a vine as a token of his favour. The star is therefore also associated with the harvest, a connection reinforced by the fact that, in earlier times, its heliacal rising coincided with the beginning of the grape harvest. Thus, “as you sow, so shall you reap” expresses a second aspect of its influence. This star will not exert as powerful an influence in your life as Spica or one of the royal stars. It will, however, indicate that you are a collector or gatherer. You will be inclined towards action, though not in the manner of Mars in Aries, but in a gentler way: allowing time to harvest what you have planted, patiently gathering the things you like or need. Collectors, and people who gather facts or objects in general, embody this star’s influence. Taken as a whole, the story of Vindemiatrix is expressed through an opportunity or opening offered to a person. The “price” is a willingness to reap the consequences of everything they have sown up to that point. Since this may include all manner of past mistakes, unless they accept those consequences fully and in the right spirit, they may squander a favourable opportunity through carelessness or sheer foolishness. This brings us to the second part of the myth characteristic of Vindemiatrix: a fall caused by overestimating one’s abilities, followed by further entanglement through attempts to extricate oneself. In such cases, especially when poorly placed—in conjunction with malefics or with badly placed dispositors—the star brings a tendency towards sarcasm, argumentativeness and the like. These are merely some of the traits that emerge as the person moves towards ruin.
The only positive expression Vindemiatrix offers the native depends on their willingness, once an opportunity has been given, to accept responsibility for all their past deeds and subsequently undergo a profound inner transformation.
The emphasis here on the image of the “harvest” echoes the symbolism of the Full Moon (Sun opposite Moon, 180°): reaping what was sown at the New Moon (Sun conjunct Moon, 0°). The nature of this opposition also highlights a critical relationship between husband and wife, making this star a frequent indicator of divorce and widowhood. Indeed, Vindemiatrix often foretells the death of a partner. It features strongly and consistently in deaths that are in some way dramatic, noteworthy, or leave those closest to the deceased in unusually profound grief—assassinations, murders, executions, air crashes and so on.
The star’s Arabic name, Al Muredin, translates as “the one sent forth in the faith”, and it does indeed confer strong religious impulses. When favourably placed, this finds expression in a willingness to accept responsibility for what has been sown and to put that acceptance into practice through inner transformation—an intensely spiritual experience in itself.
Influence: according to Ptolemy, it is of the nature of Saturn and Mercury. Simonite gives Saturn and Venus; Wilson and Pearce suggest Saturn, Venus and Mercury; while Alvidas gives an adverse aspect between Mercury and Saturn. It brings dishonesty, loss of honour, a tendency towards theft and unbridled folly, and often makes widows of those born under its influence. With the Sun: worry, dejection, unpopularity, business failure, beset by creditors. I would add that, given the Sun’s traditional association with the husband in a woman’s chart, this placement could indicate widowhood, provided, of course, that other factors support it. Much the same naturally applies to the ruler of the 7th house, though in that case it may instead indicate divorce. With the Moon: worry, many disappointments, loss through legal matters, writing and theft, poor health, business failure. With Mercury: impulsiveness, rashness, losses through writing and business. With Venus: trouble through love affairs, loss of friends, danger through scandal. With Mars: haste, wilfulness, recklessness, energy, trouble through legal matters, business and friends. With Jupiter: trouble through the law or the Church, much criticism, many journeys. With Saturn: caution, thoughtfulness, reserve, a materialistic outlook, religious hypocrisy, losses through speculation, business success, enduring difficulties with the marriage partner. With Uranus: deformity or disease of the spine or back, making the person sensitive and inclined to withdraw into solitude, especially if a woman; danger of heart trouble, unfavourable for marriage, accidental death. With Neptune: activity, a critical disposition, wavering between the spiritual and the material, losses through speculation and occupations ruled by Mercury, mechanical and inventive ability, temporary separation from the family, death of or separation from a child, death through an accident or a Saturnian illness.
In horary charts, it often emphasises divorce and separation. Thus, if the question is “Does our relationship have a future?”, Vindemiatrix on the Ascendant would give an immediate indication of “NO”. The same applies if it is relevant to the question in some other way. It is also associated with the tale of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which you have probably seen in Fantasia. Going too far, taking on powers one cannot control. Foolishness for its own sake: undertaking something foolish even though we know it is foolish. “Should I open a spiritual school?”, with the client’s significator on Vindemiatrix: “Only if you want to harm yourself and others.”