Anthony Louis's Blog, page 12

The Amazing Astrology of William Frankland

In 1926 British astrologer William Frankland analyzed a horary chart about a depressed elderly man who had vanished from the family home. The family followed the instructions in Frankland’s horary delineation and were able to locate the body of the missing man, who had died by suicide. The case gained some notoriety in England, and reports of the astrologer’s feat were published British newspapers. Here is an example from the Westminster Gazette:

I first read about this case about three decades ago in Geoffrey Cornelius’ The Moment of Astrology (1994). Fascinated by the skill of the astrologer, I got hold of the books published by William Frankland and made a study of his techniques. Finally, during the Covid pandemic, I found the time to read Frankland systematically and decided to write about his methods. The result is a book which Llewellyn will publish in December of 2023.

William Frankland had a busy astrological practice in London in the period between the two World Wars, and one of his goals was to streamline techniques of predictive astrology to better serve his many clients. As a result, he gained a reputation of being able to glance at a chart for a few moments and then speak at length about the important themes of a person’s life, including years in which certain events were likely to take place.

A recent issue of the Skyscript Newsletter contains an article about the noted 15th century astrologer Regiomontanus (aka Camillus Johann Müller aus Königsberg, 1436 – 1476) who died at age 40 on 6 July 1476, so I wondered what Frankland might have said to Johann Müller after looking quickly at his chart. Frankland used Placidus houses in his work, so I have cast the chart in Placidus. Unlike Placidus, Regiomontanus popularized the house system described by the Islamic astrologer al-Jayyani in 11th century Andalusia, Spain.

This is an approximate chart of the birth of Regiomontanus. The data is taken from Cardanus and Gaurico who reported that Regiomontanus was born about a third of an hour before 5 PM on the sundial.

How would Frankland have approached this chart? He typically began by analyzing the birth date for clues to potentially important years of life. Johann was born on the 6th of June, 1436. Frankland would add together the digits of the birth date to generate a “birth number.” In this case 6 + 6 + 1 + 4 + 3 + 6 = 26. Thus, age 26 may be significant in the life of Regiomontanus.

Knowing the birth number us 26, Frankland would count 26 degrees from the Aries Point, which is the birth of the astrological year and thus symbolically related to the birth of the native. Frankland would note that 26 Aries falls in the 5th house (creative projects), opposes the cusp of the 12th (grief, sorrow), and squares Venus in the 9th (travel, scholarship, publishing, languages, etc.) and would say to Regiomontanus that around age 26 he would likely be traveling and working on a creative project, possibly a book or a significant publication but might also undergo a period of loss or grieving. Looking up the biography of Regiomontanus, we find that Johann was working on the Epitome of the Almagest which he completed while in Rome in 1462 (at age 26). This project was begun by his friend and colleague Peuerbach, who died in 1461 and whose dying wish was for Johann to complete his scholarly project. 

What about Regiomontanus’ untimely death at age 40? After glancing briefly at the birth chart, Frankland would have warned Johann that age 40 would be especially dangerous for his health. How would he see this? By using a simple method he learned from Alan Leo, namely, the “Point of Life.” Using this technique, Frankland would know immediately that at age 40 the region from about 21 to 26 of Virgo is highlighted. In Johann’s chart this region lies opposite the Moon and Saturn in the 4th of endings and in square to the Sun in the 8th of life-threatening illness and death. The Sun is also the exalted ruler of the Aries 6th cusp of illness.

Furthermore, Frankland knew the average periods of the slower planets and would have seen quickly that in his early 40s Johann would experience transiting Uranus conjunct the natal Asc and Moon’s North North before it opposed his natal Uranus around age 42. He would also have estimated that Neptune around age 40 would be in Scorpio, approximately square its natal position, having squared natal Uranus in the 7th.

Frankland was not aware of Pluto when he wrote his books in the 1920s, but he certainly would have used Pluto in his techniques, had he been aware of its existence. Knowing that Pluto spends about 21 years in each sign, he would have estimated that at age 40 Pluto would be near the troublesome 21-26 degree region, further emphasizing the danger of serious illness and the risk of death. Checking the ephemeris for 1486, Frankland would have seen that around age 40 Pluto was, in fact, at 22 Virgo in the dangerous region indicated by the Point of Life, square the natal Sun in the 8th and opposite the Moon and Saturn in Pisces in the 4th. Based on the confluence of all these indicators, within the first few minutes of reading of Regiomontanus’ chart, Frankland would have advised Johann to take especially good care of his health around age 40 because he would be passing through a particularly hazardous period. Unfortunately, Regiomontanus appears to have contracted the pestilence in 1476 which killed him, as it did so many others during that epoch.

Horary: Should we buy the house?

A friend called two days ago with an urgent question. She and her husband were looking at houses in New York State, with an eye to buying a country home to retire to. They found a “fixer-upper” on a lovely piece of land and the price seemed reasonable, but it would require a lot of work. There were other potential buyers, so there was urgency in placing a bid in competition with other interested parties. I cast the chart for the moment she asked the question. Here is the horary chart:

The Capricorn 1st house, ruled by Saturn, signifies the querent. There is a very late degree on the Ascendant, which is one of the considerations before judgement.

The Taurus 4th house, ruled by Venus, signifies the dwelling they are considering to buy.

The Cancer 7th house, ruled by the Moon, signifies the seller.

The Scorpio 10th house, ruled by Mars, signifies “the Price, that is, Whether it will be sold cheap or dear.” (CA 205)

The ruler of the querent (Saturn) does not aspect the ruler of the house (Venus) or of the seller (Moon), suggesting that the buyer and seller will not come to an agreement.

The ruler of the querent, Saturn, is in Retrograde motion, suggesting that the querent may back out of the deal. Lilly also states the Saturn Rx in the 1st house usually indicates that matters will not work out for the querent with regard to the question. “If Saturn be in the Ascendant, especially Retrograde, the matter of the Question seldom or never comes to good.” (CA 122)

If we consider the modern planets, Pluto Rx closely conjoins the Ascendant and Uranus closely conjoins the 4th cusp. I took these to be negative indicators and asked the querent whether there was some highly unusual feature (Uranus) of the dwelling that could be a problem. She responded that there was a strange hole in the roof, whose origin the building inspector could not determine but it looked as if a meteorite or some other sky debris could have penetrated the roof.

I told my friend that it was likely she and her husband would change their mind and decide to back out (Saturn Rx) from purchasing the house. The fact the Venus (the 4th ruler) was Retrograde and combust the Sun suggested that the “fixing up” of the property could be quite costly because of the extent of the needed repairs.

This morning (17 Aug 2023) she called to tell me she and her husband were on their way to meet with the real estate agent to place a bid on the house. This afternoon she called again to say that she and her husband had reconsidered after talking to the agent and again looking at the property, and had decided not to place a bid after all.

Coitus and the astrological 7th house

Note: this post was updated on 22 Sep 2023.

Recently, while participating with a group of astrologers in a discussion of William Lilly’s use of the 5th house in horary, I mentioned that initially in Western astrology sexual intercourse was assigned to the 7th house rather than to the 5th of children. My comment was met with surprise by some, so I decided to write this brief post to give evidence for my statement.

Ptolemaic diagram of a geocentric system, from the star atlas Harmonia Macrocosmica by the cartographer Andreas Cellarius, 1660, a year in which astrologers still viewed sexual union as a signification of the 7th house.

The association of the 7th house with marital union dates back at least to Vettius Valens in the 2nd century. In a 2018 podcast Chris Brennan traces the early history of the concept of the 7th house: “the only explicit [early] reference to sex being assigned to one of the houses was to the 7th house in the Hellenistic tradition by the second-century astrologer, Vettius Valens.” Chris also mentions that a very early text attributed to Hermes links children to the 10th house, whereas a different text, attributed to Asclepius, assigns children to the 5th. According to Brennan, the medieval tradition focused heavily on the role of Venus (goddess of love) rejoicing in the 5th and tended to view the 5th house as one related to bodily pleasures, including sex. Unfortunately, Chris did not site specific medieval authors who stated this position, so I am not sure which sources he was referencing.

In any case, by the 16th and 17th centuries astrologers appear to have used the 7th house as signifying sexual intercourse. In Christian Astrology (Book III, Chapter CXXX), William Lilly in the 17th century links the 7th house to the native’s “abilities and potency to Venerious acts.” The adjective ‘venerious’ derives from the Latin venerius, meaning “of Venus; lascivious, related to sexual desire.” In Chapter 134 of Book 3, Lilly cites the aphorism, “Venus and Saturn conjunct in the 7th show the Native has no faculty in, or is impotent to beget children,” in other words, the Native is unable to get his wife pregnant through sexual intercourse. In Book 3, Lilly also places wives, concubines, ‘She-friends’ (aka, mistresses) and ‘wenches’ in the 7th house.

Morinus in Book 17 of Astrologia Gallica on the Houses states that the 7th house is associated with virility, marriage, the innate desire for perpetuity, seeking out congenial associations with equals in which the native finds pleasure. Specifically, Morin views the 7th house as being related to “matrimony — the primary cause of attaining perpetuity” (Holden trans., p.13). Clearly, he has in mind the production of children via sexual union with the marriage partner. In fact, Morin labels the trigon of houses associated with the angular 7th cusp, in Latin, the “triplicitas conjugii vel amoris,” which means the triplicity of wedlock (coupling of husband and wife) or love (including sexual passion, love of kin and love of friends). Morin also writes: “Conjungitur autem homo alteri tripliciter , prima ordine dignitatis nobili tatisque conjunctio, est corporis, quam matrimonium dicunt, primaria perpetuitatis adipiscendæ causa,” which I would translate as “but man is joined with another in three ways, in order of dignity and nobility the first such union is bodily (of the flesh), which is called matrimony, the primary cause of the attainment of perpetuity.” Morin was steeped in the Bible and his description is reminiscent of the phrase from Genesis: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24, NKJV). In addition, Morin cites both the 7th and the 5th houses when he discusses sexual intercourse, so he appears to view sexual activity as being a matter of both houses, the 7th as conjugal union and the 5th as a source of pleasure. We must also keep in mind that sexual intercourse is not necessarily pleasurable in a 5th house way, as can be attested to by victims of rape, incest, forced marriages, etc.

In the 16th century, the French astrologer Claude Dariot in A Briefe and Most Easie Introduction to the Astrologicall Judgement of the Starres, translated into English by Fabian Withers, related the 7th house to marriage and the wife. He also noted that the triplicity rulers of the 7th were each associated with specific meanings: the first ruler, with marriage and women, which most likely included the marital act; the second, with contentions and battles; and the third ruler, with “lawful and unlawful joining or coupling” — possibly a reference to sexual intercourse but certainly to social intercourse (in the original French: Le tiers des meslemens ou commistions & participations). During this period, marriage was also a contractual agreement between families, and the contract had to be verified as valid by witnesses who observed and attested to the consummation of the first sexual union of the married couple. Only then was the marital contract legally binding. In addition, it was not uncommon for men in a patriarchal culture to view bedding a woman who was an object of their desire as a conquest, a 7th-house battle won. The fictional character Don Juan is a good illustration of the viewpoint of sexual intercourse as a successful conquest, or a victory won in a 7th house skirmish with an object of libidinal desire.

If we look back at the medieval Arabic texts, we find a similar association of the 7th house with sexual coupling. For example, Abu Ma’Shar in his Great Introduction links the 7th house to women and marriage. In his discussion of Lots related to 7th house significations he mentions sixteen such Lots. These include the Lot of Men’s Marriage, the Lot of Men’s Intercourse with Women, the Lot of Men’s Debauchery, the Lot of Women’s Marriage, the Lot of Women’s Debauchery, and the Lot of Woman’s Abstinence. In discussing these Lots, he mentions sexual intercourse, fornication, having abundant sex, abstaining from sexual activity, and so on — all are matters associated with the 7th house. (See Addendum.)

The 12th century astrologer Ibn Ezra, who was widely read in the extant traditional astrological literature, writes in The Beginning of Wisdom: “The seventh house prognosticates women, coition, dispute, war, litigation, thieves, social intercourse, and business.” (p.193, Levy & Cantara trans., 1939). Note that Ibn Ezra specifically includes coition, which means sexual intercourse, as a 7th house matter.

We see in these references an indisputable history of the association of the 7th house with sexual intercourse, dating from Hellenistic times and extending to the writings of Lilly and Morin in the 17th century. Modern astrology, probably in the writings of Alan Leo, began to associate sexual activity with the 8th house, probably based on the 12-letter alphabet which pairs Scorpio, ruled by Mars, with the 8th house in the Aries-rising chart. In doing so, modern astrology cast aside two millennia of tradition which assigns sexual union to the 7th house.

Addendum (22 Sep 2023):

In the history of horoscopic astrology in the West, it appears that coitus was initially associated in Hellenistic texts with the 7th house of marriage. As Chris Brennan pointed out, during the medieval period sexual intercourse was linked to the 5th house, where Venus the Goddess of Love, rejoices, as one of the pleasurable activities signified by the 5th. In reading through Abu Ma’Shar, I found an explicit reference to this association.

Ma’Shar, in his discussion of the meanings of the houses derived from their analogy with the Chaldean order of the planets, states that the two benefic planets which distribute good fortune are Jupiter and Venus. The planet Jupiter governs good fortune involving “food, the means of subsistence, and assets” whereas the benefic planet Venus rules over the good fortune of “women, sexual intercourse, children, delight, and entertainment.” Because Venus is the 5th planet in Chaldean order (beginning with Saturn as the first and outermost visible planet), Venus is paired symbolically with the 5th house in zodiacal order. In this way, “the fifth house came to have the indication over the same as that [of Venus]. And because children come to be through the joining together of everything we stated [the good fortune indicated by Venus], the fifth house is called the ‘house of children’.”

The Moon being the 7th planet in Chaldean order is paired symbolically with the 7th house. Ma’Shar explains that the Moon “has many meetings and oppositions with [the Sun], so she came to have the indication over women, marriage, making friends and seeking things from people,” which are meanings of the 7th house.

As for the 8th house, Ma’Shar links it to Saturn, which comes after the Moon in the cycle of Chaldean order of the planets, and to death which is a major signification of Saturn. There is no mention of sexual intercourse being related to the 8th house. The theoretical connection between sex and death is a modern concept related to the ideas of the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and the philosopher Michel Foucault. In medieval times there may have been a practical link among houses 5, 7 and 8. Enjoyment of sex (5th house) with someone else’s sexual partner (7th house) could easily lead to the death (8th house) of the native.

(Quotes from The Great Introduction, Dykes translation, 2020, pp.392-393)

Coitus in the astrological 7th house

Recently, while participating with a group of astrologers in a discussion of William Lilly’s use of the 5th house in horary, I mentioned that traditionally sexual intercourse was assigned to the 7th house rather than to the 5th of children. My comment was met with surprise by some, so I decided to write this brief post to give evidence for my statement.

Ptolemaic diagram of a geocentric system, from the star atlas Harmonia Macrocosmica by the cartographer Andreas Cellarius, 1660, a year in which astrologers still viewed sexual union as a signification of the 7th house.

The association of the 7th house with marital union dates back at least to Vettius Valens in the 2nd century. In a 2018 podcast Chris Brennan traces the early history of the concept of the 7th house: “the only explicit [early] reference to sex being assigned to one of the houses was to the 7th house in the Hellenistic tradition by the second-century astrologer, Vettius Valens.” Chris also mentions that a very early text attributed to Hermes links children to the 10th house, whereas a different text, attributed to Asclepius, assigns children to the 5th. According to Brennan, the medieval tradition focused heavily on the role of Venus (goddess of love) rejoicing in the 5th and tended to view the 5th house as one related to bodily pleasures, including sex. Unfortunately, Chris did not site specific medieval authors who stated this position, so I am not sure which sources he was referencing.

In any case, by the 16th and 17th centuries astrologers appear to have viewed the 7th house as signifying sexual intercourse. In Christian Astrology (Book III, Chapter CXXX), William Lilly in the 17th century links the 7th house to the native’s “abilities and potency to Venerious acts.” The adjective ‘venerious’ derives from the Latin venerius, meaning “of Venus; lascivious, related to sexual desire.” In Chapter 134 of Book 3, Lilly cites the aphorism, “Venus and Saturn conjunct in the 7th show the Native has no faculty in, or is impotent to beget children,” in other words, the Native is unable to get his wife pregnant through sexual intercourse.

Morinus in Book 17 of Astrologia Gallica on the Houses states that the 7th house is associated with virility, marriage, the innate desire for perpetuity, seeking out congenial associations with equals in which the native finds pleasure. Specifically, Morin views the 7th house as being related to “matrimony — the primary cause of attaining perpetuity” (Holden trans., p.13). Clearly, he has in mind the production of children via sexual union with the marriage partner. In fact, Morin labels the trigon of houses associated with the angular 7th cusp, in Latin, the “triplicitas conjugii vel amoris,” which means the triplicity of wedlock (coupling of husband and wife) or love (sexual passion). Morin also writes: “Conjungitur autem homo alteri tripliciter , prima ordine dignitatis nobili tatisque conjunctio, est corporis, quam matrimonium dicunt, primaria perpetuitatis adipiscendæ causa,” which I would translate as “but man is joined with another in three ways, in order of dignity and nobility the first such union is bodily (of the flesh), which is called matrimony, the primary cause of the attainment of perpetuity.” Morin was steeped in the Bible and his description is reminiscent of the phrase from Genesis: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24, NKJV). In addition, Morin cites both the 7th and the 5th houses when he discusses sexual intercourse, so he appears to view sexual activity as being a matter of both houses, the 7th as conjugal union and the 5th as a source of pleasure.

In the 16th century, the French astrologer Claude Dariot in A Briefe and Most Easie Introduction to the Astrologicall Judgement of the Starres, translated into English by Fabian Withers, related the 7th house to marriage and the wife. He also noted that the triplicity rulers of the 7th were each associated with specific meanings: the first ruler, with marriage and women, which most likely included the marital act; the second, with contentions and battles; and the third ruler, with “lawful and unlawful joining or coupling” — possibly a reference to sexual intercourse but certainly to social intercourse (in the original French: Le tiers des meslemens ou commistions & participations). During this period, marriage was also a contractual agreement between families, and the contract had to be verified as valid by witnesses who observed and attested to the consummation of the first sexual union of the married couple. Only then was the marital contract legally binding. In addition, it was not uncommon for men in a patriarchal culture to view bedding a woman who was an object of their desire as a conquest, a 7th-house battle won. The fictional character Don Juan is a good illustration of this viewpoint.

If we look back at the medieval Arabic texts, we find a similar association of the 7th house with sexual coupling. For example, Abu Ma’Shar in his Great Introduction links the 7th house to women and marriage. In his discussion of Lots related to 7th house significations he mentions sixteen Lots, including the Lot of Men’s Marriage, the Lot of Men’s Intercourse with Women, the Lot of Men’s Debauchery, the Lot of Women’s Marriage, the Lot of Women’s Debauchery, and the Lot of Woman’s Abstinence. In discussing these Lots, he mentions sexual intercourse, fornication, having abundant sex, abstaining from sexual activity, and so on — all are matters associated with the 7th house.

The 12th century astrologer Ibn Ezra, who was widely read in the traditional astrological literature, writes in The Beginning of Wisdom: “The seventh house prognosticates women, coition, dispute, war, litigation, thieves, social intercourse, and business.” (p.193, Levy & Cantara trans., 1939). Note that Ibn Ezra specifically includes coition, which means sexual intercourse.

We see in these references an indisputable history of the association of the 7th house with sexual intercourse, dating from Hellenistic times and extending to the writings of Lilly and Morin in the 17th century. Modern astrology, probably in the writings of Alan Leo, began to associate sexual activity with the 8th house, probably based on the 12-letter alphabet which pairs Scorpio, ruled by Mars, with the 8th house in the Aries-rising chart. In doing so, modern astrology cast aside two millennia of tradition which assigns sexual union to the 7th house.

Titanic Tourist Mini-sub Goes Missing

On Sunday morning, 18 June 2023, a mini-submarine went missing. It was carrying tourists who wished to view the remains of the sunken Titanic. According to Boston Coast Guard reports, the mini-sub was launched at 4 AM and lost contact with the surface vessel about 1 hour and 45 minutes later (5:45 AM). I’m not sure which time zone was being referred to, so I will assume it was EDT (4 hours west of GMT) because the report was issued from Boston. It is possible that the times refer to ADT (3 hours west of GMT) but I have been unable to find a reliable source at the time of this writing. The remains of the Titanic are at coordinates 41n44, 49w57. Here is a possible chart for the launch, but the time may be off by an hour. If someone has the official record, please leave the correct time in the comments.

The mini-sub with the tourists was launched at 4 AM. This chart is assuming EDT was used in the reporting, but it my not be the correct time zone.

The launch took place shortly after a New Moon in Gemini. Mercury disposits the New Moon and lies in its domicile but in the 12th house. Mercury squares Saturn, which is elevated, stationary and turning Retrograde. If the time is correct, Saturn closely conjoins the MC and is quite powerful in this chart.

Mercury also applies to sesqui-quadrate Pluto, which lies in Capricorn. The New Moon squares an elevated Neptune in Pisces.

Mars in Leo applies to square Uranus in Taurus. Mars-Uranus squares often signify accidents.

Overall, this is a stressful chart and no astrologer would elect this time to start a journey. I’m hoping that an official source will be found to clarify the time zone being used in the news reports.

Pope Francis has Surgery, 7 June 2023

The Pope’s heath has been rather fragile for some time. On Wednesday, 7 June 2023, he underwent a 3-hour abdominal surgery to repair an abdominal hernia that was causing significant pain. In March of this year the Pope was hospitalized for bronchitis, and in May of 2023, due to a fever, he needed to cancel several appointments for health reasons. In his early 20s, Pope Francis suffered a severe infection which resulted in the need to remove part of one of his lungs. Can we see his current health problems in his birth chart.

According to Astro.com, the Pope’s Birth Certificate indicates that he was born at 21:00h in Buenos Aires on 17 December 1936. He is now 86 years old and will turn 87 on 17 December of 2023. His birth chart with Placidus houses looks like this:

Chart of Pope Francis, time based on official record of birth.

The Pope’s lung problems dating back to his youth are consistent with Mars (infection) in the 3rd house (lungs). Mercury rules the cusp of the 3rd and lies opposite the Asc degree. Mercury also rules the 12th (hospitalization) and squares Mars in the 3rd. Other planets to consider in health issues are Jupiter, ruler and occupant of the 6th, and Saturn, ruler and occupant of the 8th.

To get a sense of health matters in 2023 we can examine the solar return for the year. Here is the return for his birthplace:

Pope’s solar return for 2023 at his place of birth.

Natally, Mars is squared by Mercury, ruler of the natal Gemini 12th house. In the solar return for 2023, Mars Rx rises in the 1st house in Gemini and thus disposited by Mercury, which rules the return Ascendant. Return Mercury occupies the 8th house (surgery) and is squared by the Moon, ruler of the 12th by exaltation. On the cusp of the 12th lie the Moon’s North Node and Uranus, suggesting sudden or unexpected confinement.

On May 5, 2023 a Lunar Eclipse occurred at 14 Taurus 52′, conjunct the solar return’s 12th cusp, Uranus and Lunar North Node. It also squared return Saturn and the birth position of the Moon. Recall that in March he was hospitalized with bronchitis, in May he was sick with a fever, and on June 8th he had abdominal surgery, all “within orb” of this lunar eclipse.

On October 28 of this year (2023) there will be another lunar eclipse, which will strongly affect his chart. It occurs at 5 Taurus 03′ in partile conjunction with his natal Uranus. In the solar return Uranus lies on the cusp of the 12th house, perhaps warning of another health crisis or hospitalization. This period looks especially challenging with regard to his health because around the same time natal Uranus by primary direction will be reaching the western horizon and opposing his Ascendant.

The October 28th lunar eclipse will also be opposing 5 degrees of Scorpio, which is in the first term/bound of Scorpio. In the method of distributions Mars, ruler of this term and ruler of Scorpio, will be the “divisor” and Jupiter will be its “participant” during this period due to its sextile to the first term of Scorpio. Mars rules the natal 4th cusp, and Jupiter rules the natal 6th cusp, so significant health issues may also correlate with this lunar eclipse. The sextile from Jupiter probably signifies that he will receive good medical care for his ongoing health problems.

It is also interesting to look at the Pope’s lunar return of June 8th, the day after his surgery. In the immediate post-surgical lunar return chart, Jupiter (ruler of the natal 6th of illness) lies at 4 Taurus 55′, almost exactly conjunct the position of the upcoming lunar return of 28 October 2023, and conjunct the natal position of Uranus within a degree.

Birth Chart of Marsilio Ficino – an Approximation

The famous translator of the works of Plato, Marsilio Ficino, was born on 19th October, 1433, in Figline, Italy and died on 01 October, 1499. There are several versions of his chart in the astrological literature, all with an Aquarius Ascendant but differing in the exact degree rising. Apparently, these charts are best guesses, based on a letter which Ficino wrote to Giovanni Cavalcanti, stating:

“Saturn seems to have impressed the seal of melancholy on me from the beginning; set, as he is, almost in the midst of my ascendant in Aquarius, he is influenced by Mars, also in Aquarius, and the Moon in Capricorn. He is in square aspect to the Sun and Mercury in Scorpio, which occupy the ninth house. But Venus in Libra and Jupiter in Cancer have, perhaps, offered some resistance to this melancholy nature.”

Ficino got the positions of Venus and Jupiter wrong and apparently corrected his mistake in a subsequent letter about his chart. From his statement, it appears that Saturn must lie around the middle of his rising sign, Aquarius. The Moon is in Capricorn. Mars is in Aquarius (but on the day of his birth Mars was changing signs from Capricorn to Aquarius). Sun and Mercury were in the 9th house. He does not state which house system he was using, but Alcabitius was the standard system in medieval Europe and Regiomontanus was not adopted until late in the 15th century. Here is the modern ephemeris for the period of his birth:

We can see that on October 19th (UT), the Moon traveled between 6 Capricorn 31′ and 18 Capricorn 18′, Mars between 29 Cap 24′ and 00 Aq 06′, and Saturn was at 12 Aquarius 01′. The ephmeris of the time must have had Mars in Aquarius, but the modern calculation gives Mars at the very end of Capricorn at the time of his birth.

Based on Ficino’s comments that both the Sun and Mercury were in the 9th house, we can estimate a time of birth. On the day of his birth, the Sun passed from the 9th into the 8th Alcabitius house at 14:03 LMT. Mercury conjoined the MC at 13:17 LMT, and the midpoint of this 46-minute span is 13:40 LMT, as a likely time of birth (give or take about 23 minutes). In addition, at 13:40 LMT Saturn passed from the 12th house into the 1st. In other words, he was born between 13:17 LMT and 14:03 LMT, a 46-minute range whose midpoint is at 13:40 LMT.

In the chart for 13:40 LMT, Virgo rules the 8th cusp of death, and Mercury lies in the 9th near the MC. By primary motion, the zodiacal degree of Mercury will arrive at the western horizon when Ficino is about 66 years old (by the Naibod key). He died in October of 1499 just before turning 66 years old. If we adjust the time of birth to 13:37 LMT, then the primary direction of Mercury to the Descendant (opposition of the Asc degree) perfects at the time of this demise. This chart also places Saturn in the 1st house conjunct the Ascendant. The resulting chart looks like this:

A reasonable approximation of Ficino’s birth chart, based on his description of the chart and primary directions for the date of his death.

Reflections on Traditional Dignities & Debilities

There has been much discussion online recently about an article by astrologer Ray Grasse about traditional dignities and debilities of planets in which, if I understand him correctly, the author argues that traditional categories are often “black-or-white,” and a concept, such as Venus in fall in Virgo, must be understood “in context.” To quote directly from the article: “in some contexts the qualities of Venus might well be hindered by being in Virgo, but in other contexts those inherent virtues might actually be enhanced. That’s because it all depends on what one is trying to do. … Simply making a blanket statement about how ‘planet x is weakened in this sign and strengthened in that sign’ strikes me as an overly simplistic way to approach dignities, since it doesn’t sufficiently take into account the many nuances of those placements, or the subtleties of context.” 

Grasse focused on Venus in Virgo, the sign of its fall, because he had noticed that many famous musicians had this placement, for example, his list includes John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Sting, Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Leonard Cohen, John Mellencamp, Eminem, PJ Harvey, Chrissie Hynde, Roger Waters, and Jack White. I thought it would be interesting to look at the chart of someone on his list, especially one rated AA, with a time of birth from an official record. Leonard Cohen falls in this category. Here is his chart with Placidus houses.

We are interested in Venus, which happens to be in fall in Virgo in this chart. Venus lies at 12 Virgo 44′ in the Placidus 12th house. Her antiscion lies at 17 Aries 15′, and contra-antiscion at 17 Libra 15′, exactly conjunct natal Mercury, which lies at 17 Libra 14′. In addition, Mercury and Venus are in mutual reception. Modern astrologers will notice that Venus in partile conjunction with Neptune may be a strong indicator of musical or poetic talent. Traditional astrologers will notice that Leonard Cohen was born on a Venus day during a Venus hour.

Mercury rules the Asc and MC of this chart and occupies the 1st house. Mercury is also the chart almuten but, being in Libra, 1st-ruler Mercury must work in concert with Venus, its dispositor by domicile. In calculating the chart almuten, Venus comes in as a very close second to Mercury. Clearly, Mercury and Venus each play a dominant role in this chart of a poet, novelist and musician.

While Venus is in fall in Virgo, she is simultaneously in her own Triplicity, Term and Face, and is also in mutual reception with her dispositor Mercury, the almuten of the chart. There is also a tight contra-antiscion bond between Mercury and Venus. Abu Ma’Shar regarded adjacent signs agreeing in ascensions, such as Virgo and Libra, to be harmonious.

With regard to exaltation and fall, Morinus found that in his experience a planet in the sign of its exaltation acts quantitatively in more intense and effective manner, but that exaltation does not affect the quality of that action. Conversely, a planet in fall acts quantitatively less intensely or effectively, but being in fall does not affect the quality of that action. In addition, being outside the sign of its own domicile, a planet in exaltation or fall must act in cooperation with the sign it occupies and the ruler of that sign, and in accord with the celestial state of its dispositor. In the chart of Leonard Cohen, Venus in fall in Virgo acts cooperatively with Virgo but potentially less intensely or effectively than if she were in another sign, say Taurus or Libra or Pisces, but Venus must also act in accord with her dispositor, who is Mercury, the almuten of the entire chart, which give Venus a prominent role if the life of this native.

In fact, Cohen grew up in a musical family and showed a strong interest in music as a child, which gave way to an interest in poetry and literature in his teens. This interplay between Venus in fall and her dispositor, Mercury, is perhaps reflected in this comment from Cohen’s biography at astro.com: “As a student at McGill, he gravitated toward poetry and prose, eventually gaining acclaim in Canada for his poems and two novels. The books did not sell well, so for income, Cohen returned to songwriting.”

In conclusion, a single factor, such as Venus in fall in Virgo, cannot be understood in isolation but must take into account the entire birth chart and all the interconnections of Venus with all other factors in the chart.

A Modern Saint?

Earlier this month the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of Apostles, exhumed the body of their foundress, four years after her demise. They discovered that Sister Wilhemina Lancaster’s body was remarkably well preserved in its simple wooden coffin. The news spread quickly, and hundreds of pilgrims have recently visited the monastery in rural Missouri. The Catholic Church often regards the incorruptibility of the body after death as a sign of possible sainthood. No doubt the Church will be examining the body carefully and seeking documented evidence of miracles performed in response to the intercession of Sister Wilhemina. This image of the good sister appears on the EWTN Nightly News:

Her time of birth is not known. A chart cast for Noon at her birthplace with the Sun placed on the Asc and equal houses from the Sun looks like this:

Time of birth is unknown. This chart is set for Noon, with the Sun on the Ascendant and equal houses from the degree of the Sun.

This is an impressive chart. The Sun is exalted in Aries and lies in partile square to Mars, exalted in Capricorn. Mars receives the Sun in his domicile and exaltation. The Sun receives the Moon and Neptune in his domicile and lies in trine to both. Jupiter in domicile also lies in trine to the Sun. Saturn is exalted in Libra and opposes the Sun in Aries — probably symbolic of the suffering she endured as a black woman growing up during segregation.

Sister Wilhemina apparently had a mystical experience when she made her First Communion at age 9, and at age 13 she decided to enter the convent and become a nun. She has had a distinguished career as a nun, which included popular recordings of traditional religious music. A detailed biography of her life can be found at https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254413/who-was-sister-wilhelmina-lancaster-the-african-american-whose-body-is-potentially-incorrupt#

William Lilly’s Analogical Thinking

Like Morinus in France, William Lilly in England made use of analogical thinking when analyzing astrological charts. An example can be seen in the horary, “If Presbytery Shall Stand?,” asked in March of 1646 and explained in Chapter 80 of Christian Astrology. Here is a modern reproduction of the chart, which differs slightly from the one used by Lilly in 1647 (NS).

If Presbytery Shall Stand?
p.439 of Christian Astrology
Regiomontanus Houses, Ptolemaic terms.
Jupiter day, Venus hour, 11th hour of the day.
The date of the horary is 11 March 1646 (OS), or 21 March 1647 (NS).

Lilly does not state who asked the question. At the time there was a great deal of political tension focused on replacing the episcopacy of the Church of England in favor of Presbyterianism, which became the basis of the “Root and Branch Bill” in Parliament. According to wikipedia:

“In January 1642, Charles I fled London, accompanied by many Royalist MPs and Lords; this gave the anti-episcopal faction a majority in both houses, and the bill became law in February 1642. These heightened tensions led to the outbreak of the First English Civil War in August 1642, in which many of the anti-episcopal faction joined the Parliamentarian side, while their opponents joined the Royalists. On 12 June 1643, the Parliamentarians convened the Westminster Assembly in order to formally restructure the Church of England. Following the end of the First Civil War, the aims of the Root and Branch Bill were ultimately achieved in October 1646, when Parliament passed the Ordinance for the abolishing of Archbishops and Bishops in England and Wales and for settling their lands and possessions upon Trustees for the use of the Commonwealth.”

Lilly begins by examining the Angles of the horary chart: Virgo rising and Gemini on the Midheaven. These are “common” or “mutable” signs, which are not fixed but rather mixed and transitional, analogous to the fluctuating conditions at the end of a season.

To examine church matters specifically, Lilly states that judgment must be deduced from the following factors:

The sign on the cusp of the 9th of religion, which in this chart is Taurus , a fixed and stable sign ruled by Venus , which is not in great shape. Venus rules the 9th cusp and is dispositor of Saturn in the 9th. Venus lies in Aries, a sign of its detriment, and conjoins the idle 8th cusp of death where she is combust the Sun and opposed by the Moon, which she fortunately disposes.Planets in the 9th house; in this case, Saturn , which lies in the terms of Jupiter . Lilly would not have known about Pluto, Uranus, Neptune or Chiron, which appear in the modern diagram. He notes that Saturn is a slow and ponderous planet, so matters related to Presbytery are likely to proceed slowly and ponderously.The general or universal signifier of religion and church matters, which is Jupiter. Lilly notes that in this chart Jupiter is “now standing to Direction,” by which he means that Jupiter which has been traveling Retrograde is now moving very slowly and is about to make a station (stand still) and turn direct in motion.
Here, Lilly sees an analogy with the question, “If the Presbytery Shall Stand?”
As a universal signifier of religion, Jupiter symbolically represents Presbytery. By analogy, because Jupiter is about to “stand” and then change direction, so too is Presbytery likely to “stand” (in the sense of coming to a stop) and then change direction.
According to Solar Fire, Jupiter turned stationary direct on 25 March 1647 at about 6 AM, which is about three and a half days after the question was posed. Lilly also noted that Jupiter rules the end-of-the-matter 4th cusp. It will take at least 3 whole days for Jupiter to station and change direction, which can be equated to 3 whole years.
On page 441 Lilly writes: “Three whole years from hence shall not pass, ere Authority itself, or some divine Providence inform our understanding with a way in Discipline or Government, either more near to the former purity of the primitive times, or more beloved of the whole Kingdom of England, or Authority shall in this space of time moderate many things now stifly desired: For some time we shall not discover what shall be established, but all shall be even as when there was no King in Israel, a confusion among us shall yet a while remain: the Soldiery then, or some men of fiery Spirits will arise, and keep back their Contribution from the Clergy, and will deny obedience or submission to this thing we call Presbytery; it will then come to be handled by the Magistrate, and taken into consideration by the grand Authority of the Kingdom, and by the plurality of the Clergymen of England, or men of very sound judgments, it will be contradicted, disputed against, disapproved; and there shall make it manifest, this very Presbytery now maintained, is not the same the Commonwealth of England will entertain, as a standing rule, for it to live under, or be governed by.”The future status of Jupiter, general signifier of religious matters, is analogous to the future state of the Presbytery. Jupiter is currently exalted in Cancer, just as the Presbytery is in the ascendancy in England at the time of the question. Jupiter will soon leave its state of exaltation in Cancer and enter Leo in the Ptolemaic terms of Saturn in Leo (where Saturn is in detriment), indicating that the Presbytery is headed for hard times and a fall from its current exalted status. Mars (military and fiery men) is approaching a conjunction with Jupiter in about 3 degrees (“three whole years” from now, “the Soldiery then, or some men of fiery Spirits will arise”). Jupiter will encounter some “obnoxious fixed stars” in early Leo, as will the Presbytery encounter obnoxious times within a few years.

Lilly continues by examining the 9th house, its ruler, the Moon, etc., and I leave it to the reader to look up Lilly’s delineation for further details. The purpose of this post was simply to demonstrate Lilly’s analogical thinking.