Pyromania

greybeard

Well-known member
Interesting.

I would like to see your chart.

I'm not familiar with the "symptoms" of pyromania.

Let's see...Hinsie & Campbell's Psychiatric Dictionary says that pyromania (which usually involves setting things on fire..."incendarism") is a "urethra-erotic character trait." Many incediarists were excessive bed-wetters. It says that in a collection of criminal cases, many subjects set fire to their beds.

I no longer look for specific indicators for any given condition in the chart. I think it far more effective to understand the "symptoms" (the character traits) of a condition, and if those symptoms are present in a chart -- all or most of them -- then it is legitmate for the astrologer to suspect the presence of the condition.

The description of pyromania in Hinsie & Campbell leaves a lot to be desired, does not contain enough information to help us determine just what it is that makes for pyromania.
 

Osamenor

Staff member
P
one thing I want to say I have a no planet in the fire element (except Chiron) but I don't thing it can be that literal
I doubt it is that literal, but I notice something about your chart: while your fire signs are mostly empty, every single one of your fire houses is occupied. You have Jupiter in the first house, the moon, Uranus, and Neptune in the fifth, and Mars in the ninth. And while your ninth house Mars is in Taurus, it's right at the cusp of Aries, which is a fire sign, and anything on a sign or house cusp has some of the characteristics and motivations of both of the signs or houses that it straddles.

I would suspect that ninth house Taurus/Aries Mars is the culprit. Ninth house=desire for expansion. Mars in Aries=very fiery, militant, possibly willful and/or belligerent, especially if those Martian/Arian instincts meet with hindrance, suppression, and/or frustration. Mars in Taurus=great way to suppress or frustrate Martian energy. Taurus is a very peaceful and rather inwardly directed sign, and also immensely stubborn in holding its ground. Put Mars in it, and those peaceful energies and those militant energies have to work together somehow.

Give that Mars in Taurus a fiery Aries boost, and the relationship between planet and sign becomes something like a strong willed teenager locked into a battle with an equally strong willed parent. Parent says get a traditional haircut, the kind every employer likes, and teenager says no way, I'm growing it out and dyeing it pink and purple and getting a mohawk. Parent says eat your meat and potatoes, and teenager says I'm a vegan. (Or parent says eat this nice healthy vegetarian food and teenager says I'm going to McDonald's.)

In the human psyche, that plays out as competing instincts. With Mars in Taurus, you probably shy away from acting as, or seeing yourself as, an aggressive person. However, Taurus also indicates physicality, so if and when you do get aggressive, you're probably inclined to physical aggression--or maybe to a kind of mock physical aggression, like competitive martial arts. But with Taurus's peaceful inclinations, you may be very inclined to suppress your aggression, physical or otherwise.

Everyone has aggression in them--it's part of the basic human survival instinct--and your aggression instinct has a nice boost from Aries. But for you, strong willed Aries is locked in a battle with strong willed Taurus for that strong willed aggression instinct. Like the stubborn parent and their equally stubborn adolescent child, neither is willing to give an inch. So the adolescent child (Arian Mars) acts out against the parent (Taurean Mars) by doing crazy things, and doing them just for the sake of rebellion. Setting fires and watching them burn is the psychological equivalent of dyed hair and a mohawk--your Aries Mars saying f-you to your Taurus Mars. But you also have Taurus keeping that instinct in check, so you're not an arsonist, just someone who kind of likes playing with fire.

None of that can be predicted just on the basis of Mars being in Taurus on the cusp of Aries in the ninth house (fire is a very literal symbol of expansion, which is the goal of the ninth house). Someone else with that same configuration might act it out in a very different way. Your "pyromania" is just how you yourself happen to respond to those competing energies... very creative way, btw!
 
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Bunraku

Well-known member
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/DSM-IV+614

pyromania
Psychiatry A disorder of impulse control which is characterized by a pattern of fire setting for pleasure, gratification, or relief of tension. See Impulse control disorder.
Pyromania–diagnostic criteria
Diagnostic criteria
(1) The person has set fires deliberately and on purpose on more than 1 occasion (multiple episodes involved)
(2) The person feels a tension or affective arousal before setting the fire
(3) Fascination, interest, attraction and/or curiosity for fire making paraphernalia, fire fighting equipment or any fire-related topic
(4) Pleasure, gratification, or relief may be felt
(a) when setting fires
(b) while witnessing a fire
(c) when participating in the aftermath
Exclusion criteria
The fire setting cannot be better explained by another disorder (mania, antisocial personality conduct disorder, other).
The fire setting is not done (1) for monetary gain–insurance etc (2) to express a sociopolitical ideology, (3) to conceal a criminal act, (4) as a conscious expression of anger or vengeance, (5) to improve one's living circumstances, (6) in response to a delusion or hallucination, and (7) as a result of impaired judgement due to delusion or intoxication.
McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyromania

https://www.inkling.com/read/kaplan-sadock-concise-clinical-psychiatry-3rd/chapter-21/table-213

All criteria must be met to be diagnosed with 'pyromania'


This is pretty serious & dangerous. :crying: :crying::crying::crying::crying:

What if your fascination 'escalates' ?

Nip whatever problem in the bud before something bad happens. Please seek professional help.
 

miquar

Well-known member
Hi. Uranus looks to square the Sun/Moon midpoint, which could be relevant (and also to the other thread on being touched). But my eye goes mainly to the Saturn Pluto square, which suggests an urgent need for transformation. Combustion is a powerful image of transformation.

Mars and Jupiter are 'imprisoned' in the form-consciousness of earth, so this may add to the need to see the innate energy of physical substances released. As Osamenor points out, Mars and Jupiter are in fire houses which represent situations where new potentials are allowed free expression.
 

miquar

Well-known member
Also, if Chiron in the 12th represents a significant wound (it does exactly aspect the Moon after all), then Chiron being in a fire sign may be relevant - as though healing can occur through the reclamation of fire. The Moon is in Leo's natural house, another fire house, too.
 

Osamenor

Staff member
And now that I had a chance to go back and look it up (I thought I'd seen this somewhere before) there is at least one famous person with that same ninth house Mars in Taurus at the cusp of Aries configuration: Mohammad Ali, the world famous boxer. (Now I'm wondering if he was a fire starter before he took up boxing! :lol:)

Boxing would certainly fit the picture of acting out Mars in Taurus on the cusp of Aries, in the ninth house. Plenty of that Arian aggression called for, along with Taurean physicality. And sport fighting is, counterintuitively, a non-violent pursuit. You're not going out and beating up innocent people, you're testing your mettle against worthy opponents who have chosen to accept the risks of the fight, and you're fighting within rules and boundaries.

I thought of martial arts when I was posting earlier because they also fit that picture. If you watch a good martial arts demonstration, it's impossible to tell whether they're fighting or dancing. Really, they're doing both. And martial arts, particularly the soft arts such as aikido, are also a good practice for emotional, physical, and mental health. Lots of people practice tai chi for those reasons (self included), but it's a martial art, too, and competitive tai chi fighting exists. If you have any interest in martial arts, it's probably well worth pursuing.

If your inclinations are much more toward literally playing with fire, you could have a great career in pyrotechnics. That demands a liking for playing with fire, along with hypervigilance about safety--which that Aries/Taurus combination readily provides.
 

Bunraku

Well-known member
hey Bunraku :)
Don't you worry I can control it, I never hurt anyone
I just like playing with fire

Ok! Be careful!
Speaking of which... my school will have a bonfire tomorrow. :biggrin:

Fire is always fascinating. You can sit and stare at it for hours and not be bored. It's very warm and inviting.

Have you ever sat outdoors in front of a fire during the summer months? You are inside the woods by yourself, and the only noises you can hear are the insects and the woods moving because of a breeze. The night lit up by bright stars. :love: You can feel the heat caressing your face; the warm embrace of fire drawing you in. :love::love:



Also to respond to your 'literal' comment about people having fire element... I think that is true to some extent. People's temperaments can be matched with certain elements, and perhaps the people have intuitively picked up on their traits of which element suits them.
 

miquar

Well-known member
well I always thought my Chiron in Leo was about my stage fright or my daddy issues (my father died when I was two)

Hi. I think that any chart feature can be about many things all at the same time. One possible expression of Chiron in the 12th is being discussed on the other thread.
 

miquar

Well-known member
In response to your most recent post on this thread, can you feel the fire inside you - initiating, transforming, radiating.
 

Osamenor

Staff member
I always taught that I'd pursue martial arts, just never had time. wanted to feel that I can protect myself if necessary. And I'm almost always on guard or suspicious.
Those factors alone make martial arts a great idea. And with your Mars placement, you need some kind of outlet for it. Maybe if you really got into martial arts, you would lose interest in setting fires because you'd be getting that need filled another way.
I don't think I'm really built for that kind of thing and I'm a little impatient and easily bored)) But I'll consider the martial arts.
Thank you so much Osamenor :)
Pyrotechnics doesn't just mean dancing and doing acrobatics with fire. That field also includes behind the scenes setup kind of work. Pyrotechnics companies are the ones who put on fireworks displays, ie on Fourth of July in the US or Guy Fawkes Day in Britain. Pyrotechnics people are also needed in theater and film production--that's who creates the special effects involving fire and explosions and that sort of thing.
 

miquar

Well-known member
You mean when I'm watching? I do feel it. I get really excited. Sometimes when I'm burning things I think of parts of my life that I'm burning, then I feel free, a release.

Or even when you're not watching things burn. It sounds as though the fires are a symbol of the transformative power that you want to tap into to so that you can initiate change in your life. You can find that power within regardless of whether you are watching things burn in front of you.
 

miquar

Well-known member
As far as I know, the word Lilith can be used in reference to three different points on any chart. Besides the position of the asteroid, I don't think either of the other two cases involve an actual celestial body.
 

miquar

Well-known member
Thanks Cheepic. So Black Moon Lilith wasn't dreamed up, but rather is based on the actual orbit of the Moon. That's good to know as I would never consider looking into something that had no basis in celestial motions. (Though I do give benefit of the doubt to the sidereal zodiac, partly because a sound astronomical basis may yet be found for it - not that I do sidereal astrology myself).
 

miquar

Well-known member
I just noticed your post at the top of this page again. Are you able to witness your own inner burning in the same way that you can witness the fire?
 

Zarathu

Account Closed
IN MY Opinion, a clearer indication of what you seek requires nuances provided by asteroids, fixed stars, and arabic parts.

For that I would need more than you have provided: I need your actual birth data. Please PM that data to me.
 

miquar

Well-known member
Hey Miquar, I guess I am, maybe that's why I like it that much. It may also be about power and control I think :)

Hi, yes. Keep in mind though that feeling powerful and in control is very different to the surrender and impartiality of simply witnessing.
 
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