Anthony Louis's Blog, page 14

A Case Example from Ludwig Rudolph

Astrologer Ludwig Rudolph of the Hamburg School, in his 1957 Lexicon of Planetary Pictures, mentioned the chart of a young woman who suffered a lethal accident while a friend gave her a ride on his motor scooter. Unfortunately, the scooter ran off the road into a wall. Her friend, the driver, was seriously injured but the woman in question died instantly, having suffered a skull fracture. The birth data of the woman were given as: 24 February 1939, 4:15 AM CET, Rellingen, Deutschland. Here is the chart:

Birth chart of woman who died suddenly of a skull fracture in a motor scooter accident on November 3, 1957. She was 18.7 years old at the time of her demise.

Can we see the possibility of a fatal travel accident in “natal promise” of the birth chart?

The Ascendant in Pisces makes Jupiter the ruler of the Ascendant and thus the signifier of her body and her life. Jupiter in Pisces in the 2nd closely square Mars in Sagittarius in the 12th, an unfortunate house associated with misfortune and undoing. Mars is the contrary-to-sect malefic in this chart and is a symbol of force, speed, injuries and accidents. Mars also rules the cusp of the Placidus 3rd house of local travel, which contains Saturn in its fall in Aries so that the fallen Saturn in the 3rd is disposed by Mars in the 12th, which in turn squares the 1st-ruler Jupiter. Mars also rules the cusp of the Placidus 11th of friends, one of whom was driving the scooter involved in the accident. In addition, Uranus (sudden disruptive events) occupies the 4th of conditions at the end of life and closely squares the cusp of the Placidus 8th of death. Furthermore, the Sun (ruler of the 8th of death and occupant of the 3rd of local travel) lies at the midpoint of the Ascendant (body, life force) and Uranus (sudden disruptive events), which occupies the 4th of conditions at the end of life. The potential for a serious travel accident is clearly indicated in the birth chart.

Next let’s look at the Wynn Key Return for the date of the accident: November 3, 1957. The Wynn Key Return shows the transiting planets at the time of the event but calculates the angles of the chart based on a Wynn’s method of progressing the MC of the annual solar return in effect for the period.

Wynn Key Return for the date and place of the fatal motor scooter accident.

Superimposing the Wynn Key Return around the natal chart, we see the following:

Wynn Key Return superimposed around the birth chart.

Things that stand out in the Wynn Key Return are:

Transiting Venus, ruler of the natal 4th of the end of life, conjunct the natal Ascendant.

Transiting Saturn conjunct the natal 12th cusp and natal Mars in the 12th and closely square natal Asc-ruler Jupiter.

Transiting Sun conjunct transiting North Lunar Node, and both conjunct the natal North Lunar Node.

Transiting MC conjunct natal Uranus in the 4th house.

Transiting Mars in the natal 9th square the transiting Vertex in the natal 1st.

Transiting Uranus (sudden unexpected events) conjunct the natal Vertex and the natal Placidus 8th house cusp of death.

She was 18.7 years old at the time of the accident. At this age her profected Ascendant (one sign per year method) is Gemini, making Mercury the Lord of the year. Gemini rules her Placidus 6th and 7th houses. Mercury also rules Virgo, which is intercepted in the 8th of death, making Mercury a co-ruler of the 8th. Let’s look at her solar return superimposed on her natal chart.

1957 Solar Return at birthplace superimposed on birth chart.

In the solar return chart for 1957, Gemini occupies the cusp of the 12th house of misfortune and undoing. The Lord of the year, natal 8th ruler and return 12th ruler Mercury, lies at 15 Aquarius in close square to Mars in the return and Uranus in the 4th house of the birth chart.

There is much to learn by studying these classic charts from the literature of astrology. The data for this chart was obtained from a YouTube video posted by My Astro World, and I am grateful for their making this information available.

Morin interprets the chart of Zaga Christ (Ṣägga Krәstos)

Recently I came across an online article published by Cambridge University Press (21 Jan 2022) entitled The narrative of Zaga Christ (Ṣägga Krәstos): (1635). The abstract of this paper reads as follows:

“In the 1630s, a young traveller by the name of Ṣägga Krәstos (1616–38) crisscrossed Italy and France, claiming to be the heir of the late Ethiopian Emperor Yaʿǝqob and pledging to return to Ethiopia at the helm of a Catholic mission. While in Rome, intent on convincing the papacy of his identity, he authored a lengthy autobiographical statement that included a precise dynastic claim, an account of his father’s rise and demise, and an itinerary of his own journey from Ethiopia to Rome. Later, as he continued his journey, Ṣägga Krәstos shared his statement with his European acquaintances; once in Paris, he published it, dedicating it to Anne of Austria, Queen of France. This article sketches the contours of Ṣägga Krәstos’s journey and identity and offers a comprehensive genealogy of the autobiographical statement’s many extant versions. It also discusses the transfiguration that both his reputation and statement underwent after his death. Ṣägga Krәstos’s is the earliest known autobiography voluntarily written and published in Europe by an African-born author. Following this article is a complete annotated translation – the first in the English language – of what is likely to be the earliest extant version of the statement, followed by excerpts from later versions. A complete transcription of the source is available with the online supplementary materials published with this article.”

Portrait of Zaga Christ by Giovanna Garzoni, 1635.

Recalling that Morinus had discussed the chart of this individual, I looked up Morin’s comments about the nativity in Book 15 of Astrologia Gallica.

Birth chart of Zaga Christ and Morin’s interpretation from Book 15 of Astrologia Gallica.

Here is a modern version of the birth chart which Morin used for Zaga Christ. The accuracy of the birth data is somewhat questionable. In any case, this is a modern version of the birth chart which Morin calculated based on the data given to him by his sources.

Note that in this chart the Part of Fortune is calculated for a night chart. The Lot of Spirit lies at 16 Pisces 09′, which is the value Morin would have used for the Lot of Fortune in his practice.

Morin begins his interpretation by noting that in his system of planetary dignities (which included only domicile, exaltation and triplicity), except for Mercury all the planets in this chart are peregrine, that is, lacking any essential dignity. Mercury, in Morin’s system, has the dignity of being a triplicity ruler. Morin appears to be trying to account the Zaga Christ’s harsh treatment by his blood relatives in his homeland and his poverty, destitution and death at a young age in a foreign country.

Morin Triplicity Rulers

              Day             Night          Participating

Fire:              Sun             Mars            JupiterAir:               Saturn         Venus          MercuryWater:          Jupiter         Moon           MarsEarth:           Mercury      Saturn          Venus

Morin next comments that this chart exhibits a lack of benefic aspects. He notes the sextile between the Moon and Mercury, and the trine between the Moon and Saturn, but says that these aspectual configurations are corrupted (“depravatum” in Latin) aspects. In the case of the Moon-Saturn trine, the malefic Saturn lies in Aries (the sign of its fall), is Retrograde and occupies the unfortunate 12th house; hence, it is a “corrupted” and damaging trine. In the case of the Moon-Mercury sextile, Mercury rules and occupies the 6th and opposes the malefic Saturn which occupies the 12th, is Retrograde and lies in the sign of its fall. Thus, the sextile from the peregrine Moon becomes corrupted by the state of Mercury damaged by the opposition of Saturn in the 12th.

Nonetheless, sextiles and trines do indicate positive features. In this case Morin tells us that Mercury in Libra sextile to the Moon indicates a talented and refined person. In addition, the Moon lying at the 5th cusp and being in trine to Saturn and the Asc suggests eloquence and good powers of reasoning, but also extravagance because the Moon (at the 5th cusp of having fun) disposes Venus, ruler of the 2nd of his money.

Morin continues by studying Saturn, which rules the MC and lies in the 12th house just above the Ascendant degree. Saturn, however, has southern latitude, so that by primary motion the body of Saturn reaches the eastern horizon at about the same time that the Asc-degree arrives there. According to Morin, the primary direction of square of the 4th ruler (end of life) Moon to the natal Asc degree (which is in partile conjunction with the body of Saturn) was active at the time of Zaga Christ’s death in April of 1638.

The two Lights, the Sun and the Moon, which have to do with vitality and life force, are unfriendly to the 10th space (“inimici 10 spatio”, in Latin), and the Sun opposes the Part of Fortune, which lies at 16 Pisces. By unfriendliness, Morin means that neither the Sun nor the Moon would be happy visiting the 10th space because it contains parts of the unfriendly signs of the Lights: Capricorn (the detriment of the Moon) and Aquarius (the detriment of the Sun). In short, Saturn rules the signs which occupy the 10th space, and Saturn is inimical to both the Sun and the Moon. Thus, this native will be unfortunate in the actions he undertakes in the world and in his general fortune or material well-being (signified by the Lot of Fortune).

Regarding the native’s non-parental blood relatives, Morin notes that Mercury, which rules the 3rd house of siblings and close relatives, opposes a highly unfortunate Saturn and square the meridian (MC/IC axis). Mercury is also in a wide opposition to the Asc and a wide square to Mars, which rules the Ascendant. Thus, his blood relatives will not be kindly disposed toward him personally or toward his 10th house pursuits. In addition, Mercury in this chart is determined toward enemies because Mercury occupies the 6th and receives an opposition from malefic Saturn in the 12th (secret enemies).

Regarding his financial status, Jupiter is the dispositor of his 12th house Part of Fortune in Pisces. The placement of Jupiter in the 7th subjects this native’s wealth to his open enemies in the 7th, which is further indicated by Jupiter in the 7th of open enemies being in close square to peregrine Venus, ruler of the 2nd house of finances.

As far as personality traits go, Morin states that this native is likely to be melancholy because of Saturn so close to the Asc, and easily angered because the Fire sign Aries, ruled by Mars, governs the Ascendant.

Regarding the native’s long journeys and wandering away from this homeland, Morin notes that the Asc-ruler Mars occupies the 3rd (a travel house) and closely trines Jupiter, ruler of the 9th of long journeys and foreign lands. Furthermore, Jupiter occupies the angular 7th house and the cardinal sign Libra, whose ruler Venus disposes Jupiter. Venus, in turn, occupies the angular 4th house and the cardinal sign Cancer. Such places in angular houses and cardinal signs are indications of long and varied travels and intense experiences of life’s ups and downs.

Finally, Morin tells us, the fact that the malefic planet Mars rules both the Asc (the body and its vitality) and the 8th (the death of the native) and occupies the 3rd (a travel house) portends a wretched death away from his homeland, but not a violent death because Mars does not afflict the Ascendant, Saturn does not afflict Mars, the malefics do not afflict the Lights (Sun and Moon) which are also not in violent signs.

Morin concludes that this birth chart describes well the life of Zaga Christ and therefore it is unlikely that he was an imposter, as many believed him to be.

Morin’s Use of “Secondary” Houses

Jean-Baptiste Morin de Villefranche was a brilliant 17th century French astrologer who sought to ground the celestial art in scientific principles consistent with his Roman Catholic faith and the version of Aristotle’s philosophy propounded by Saint Thomas Aquinas. He is most noted for his theory of determinations, which is the basis for his approach to delineation of a birth chart.

Morin regarded the Regiomontanus method of house division as the most rational and correct system of domification. He called such divisions “primary houses” and noted that they are segments of empty space surrounding the Earth. Because the primary houses consist of empty space, they “are neither the cause nor strictly speaking the significators of the accidental features attributed to them … but are instead the factors which modify or delimit the quality of the signs, planets or fixed stars so as to produce some kind of accidental quality or event in the life of the native, according to the essential attributes of those houses.” (italics mine, Baldwin translation, Book 21, p.38) In other words, the “primary houses” (empty spaces around the Earth, defined in a particular fashion) provide specific determinations regarding various facets of the native’s life.

The parts of the sky that fall within the borders (cusps) of the “primary houses” (segments of empty space) are termed by Morin the “secondary houses.” In other words, the primary houses act as frames outlining parts of sky (signs or parts of signs, fixed stars and planets) which are the contents of the secondary houses. Such contents are then determined toward an “accidental” quality or future event related to the essential meanings of the houses. In this model, Morin regards the planets, stars and parts of signs within a primary house, and the rulers of those signs, as being determined toward the meanings of that house.

Morin uses these principles in his delineation of the chart of Jerome Cardan in Book 23. Here is Morin’s version of Cardan’s chart from Astrologia Gallica.

Birth chart of Cardan from Morin’s Astrologia Gallica.

Here is the same chart, using Morin’s data for Cardan, cast with Solar Fire.

Modern version of Cardan’s birth chart, cast using Morin’s information.

In Morin’s delineation of the Cardan’s birth chart, he comments that Mars is a ruler of the 12th house. This is true because Aries is intercepted in the Regiomontanus12th. Jupiter is also determined toward 12th house matters because Jupiter rules the 12th cusp and is contained in the 12th.

Morin also notes that both Mars and Jupiter are rulers of the 7th house of Cardan’s wife. Mars rules the cusp of the Regiomontanus 7th house, and Jupiter rules Sagittarius, the first 12 degrees of which lie in the 7th.

At age 33 the Solar Return at the birthplace often repeats the natal Angles and house cusps. Morin tells us that at age 33, in the solar return of September 1534, Morin’s wife is indicated as having a difficult year. In fact, Cardan’s wife became pregnant with a daughter who contracted an infirmity in the womb.

Cardan’s Solar Return in 1534 at age 33.

Morin gives several explanations for Cardan’s wife’s difficulties:

In the birth chart, Venus rules the Ascendant and occupies the 6th (illness) where she conjoins the Sun, ruler of the 5th of children.In the solar return, Venus occupies the 5th of children and trines both the Ascendant and the Moon — an indicator of pregnancy.However, the Asc-ruler Venus in the return chart is disposed by Mercury, which lies in the 6th of illness and is mutually applying to Mars in exile (detriment), Mars occupying the 6th of illness and ruling the 7th of his spouse and also ruling Aries in the unfortunate 12th. In this case, Morin would call Mercury, which is the dispositor of the Asc-ruler, the “secondary ruler of the Ascendant” which, he commented, “frequently represents the principal force in shaping the affairs of the Ascendant and is therefore a most significant point to consider in making judgments…” (Baldwin translation, Book 21, p.56) Futhermore, the rulers of the 7th (his spouse) are Mars and Jupiter, which are in square in the solar return, Mars being in exile in the 6th (illness), and Jupiter being in Capricorn in the 10th disposed by Saturn in its detriment in Leo at the cusp of the 5th in the return chart.In the solar return, the Moon conjoins the Ascendant and closely squares Saturn in the 5th. Morin regards the Moon in the return chart as being determined toward the wife because of its opposition to the 7th house. He reasoned that each house participates in the significations of the house opposite through the opposition.

Morin’s approach to houses differs from that of many other astrologers. To summarize, he regarded as the Regiomontanus system of quadrant houses to be the correct method of dividing the empty space around the Earth into meaningful segments, which he called “primary houses.” The boundaries of these primary houses demarcated areas of the heavens whose contents (stars, zodiac signs, portions of signs, planets) he referred to as “secondary houses.” In this system, the rulers of parts of signs contained within a house also served as rulers of that house.

Finally, in Book 18 of Astrologia Gallica, Morin gives examples in which the zodiac signs contained within a primary Regiomontanus house could be “accidentally” determined toward a different house according to their ordinal numerical relationship with the sign ascending, in a manner similar to the ancient use of whole signs as houses. A compelling example is that of King Gustav Adolph of Sweden who has Sagittarius rising and Leo fully intercepted in the 8th Regiomontanus house. Morin writes that in this case the Sun acts as a ruler of both the 8th and the 9th houses — the 8th because Leo is intercepted in the primary 8th, and the 9th because Leo is the 9th sign from the Ascendant.

Murder by Astrology?

In June of 2022 Robert Hand did a presentation for Kepler College in which he suggested that astrologers in the employ of Ezzelino III da Romano the Terrible (25 April 1194 CE – 27 September 1259 CE, julian) conspired to create an electional chart which resulted in the death of their depised patron during the military campaign begun at the time indicated by the electional chart. Ezzelino was a shrewd and militarily capable leader who was known for his savagery and “was feared more than the devil.” Rolandino de Padova published a history of Ezzelio in 1262 CE, and Dante included him in the XII song of the Inferno.

Image of Ezzelino III da Romano

According to the account of Rolandino de Padova (1262), Ezzelino III da Romano was born on April 25, 1194 at Noon LMT in Tombolo, Italy. Ezzelino’s mother was an astrologer who apparently recorded his time of birth.

As a political and military leader, Ezzelino III became known for his cruelty and ruthlessness in pursuing his ambition to conquer and control more territory. Even the Pope in Rome launched a crusade against him. He died in 1259 AD during a political campaign begun at the exact time in late August of 1259, as suggested by his astrologers. Rob Hand believes that the astrologers deliberately elected a time that would result in the death of the tyrant. According to the site Histouring, his death came during this military campaign as follows:

“Ezzelino III was then defeated after a strenuous battle on 16 September 1259 in Cassano d’Adda by the Guelph league of Azzo VII d’Este and, following the serious injuries reported, was captured and taken to Soncino, in the present province of Cremona, where he died on 27 September, at 65 years of age, as he had lived: refusing sacraments and medicines. In fact, having torn the bandages, he died bleeding, without any mercy even for himself.” Here is Ezzolino III’s birth chart cast for Noon LMT, allegedly according to his mother’s records:

Chart of Ezzolino III da Romano, data allegedly recorded by his mother who was an astrologer.

Just by glancing at the chart, a competent astrologer of his epoch would have guessed that Ezzolino would likely die in his 60s when his debilitated Mars in Libra (the contrary-to-sect malefic) rose to the eastern horizon by primary motion of the heavens. In fact, here are his primary directions for 1259 CE, the year of his demise:

Primary directions of Ezzolino III for 1259 CE, the year of his demise. Note how Mars has risen to the horizon at the time of the battle in which he was wounded and captured. He died of the wounds several days later.

It is not at all clear that the astrologers actually conspired to kill Ezzolino III by electing an ominous time to launch a military campaign, as Rob Hand suggests. The passage cited to describe the chart elected to begin the military campaign that resulted in his death has multiple errors in the positions of planets. In August of 1259 CE, transiting Jupiter was in Scorpio and Saturn in Pisces but the chronicler Rolandino de Padova places Jupiter in Libra and Saturn in Aquarius at the time. Rolandino states that the electional chart had Sagittarius rising with the Sun in Virgo and the Moon in Scorpio — facts which narrow the range of possible charts considerably. Because Ezzolino had learned a little astrology from his mother, his conspiratorial astrologers would have had to disguise their intent to kill with plausible alternative explanations which a novice at astrology might find credible. Taking these factors into account, a possible electional chart might be the following:

Possible electional chart designed by astrologers to deceive Ezzolino III da Romano yet kill this despised and tyrannical patron.

Frankly, I doubt whether the astrologers of the period would have risked their own deaths by conspiring against Ezzolino III. It also seems unlikely that they would have been clever enough to design an electional chart that would both deceived Ezzolino yet guarantee his death. More commonly, they might have tried to poison him. The most likely explanation is that they were not especially gifted astrologers, and a wiser more experienced astrologer would never have attempted to kill an enemy with an electional chart.

Morin on Delineating Primary Directions

Next week I’ll be giving a presentation on primary directions for the Astrological Society of Connecticut. In preparation, I’ve been reading through Morin’s Book 22 on Directions (Holden translation) and working with his various example charts. On page 17, Morin states his well-known maxim: “the bodily position of a planet in any house is stronger than its rulership in another, accoring to that common [rule], the presence of a planet is more effective than the rulership of an absent [planet].” Morin cites as an example his own chart which has Mars toward the end of the 3rd House and notes that he, like Louis Tronson who has a similar configuration, has experienced the deaths of his siblings.

On page 19 Morin presents a hypothetical example: suppose that Mars rules the 4th (of parents) and occupies the 6th (servants, small animals). Suppose also that the Moon occupies the 10th (actions of the native) and casts it square aspect into the 7th (disputes, lawsuits. At some point in this native’s adult life the 7th house square of the Moon will be carried by primary motion of the heavens to the natal position of Mars in the 6th. How should the astrologer delineate such a primary direction?

To be able to visualize Morin’s example I created a chart that met his hypothetical specifications. To the best of my knowledge this chart is purely fictitious and is created solely to illustrate Morin’s example of the Moon in the 10th, square of the Moon in the 7th, and the 4th-ruler Mars in 6th. All other planetary positions are irrelevant to Morin’s original text.

This is a hypothetical chart in which Mars rules the 4th, occupies the 6th and will at around age 30 be affected by the primary direction of the 7th house square of the 10th house Moon. The lunar square falls at 25 CANCER 11′ in the 7th House.

In this hypothetical chart Mars rules the Aries 4th cusp and occupies the 6ths of servants and small animals. The Moon in Libra in the 10th sends its square to 25 Cancer 11′ in the 7th. By the semi-arc method of Ptolemy and Placidus the square of the Moon will reach the natal position of Mars when this native is about 29 years old.

Primary directions, Placidus semi-arc, Naibod key. By the Regiomontanus method, which approximates Ptolemy’s method, this direction would perfect at age 28.8 with the Naibod key.

Morin advises his readers that “only the signification of the Moon’s square in the 7th should be combined with the signification of Mars: therefore, for the native lawsuits are predicted, or disputes with the parents or the servants, or both, or because of [small] animals, since of course the effect of the direction must be referred primarily to the native …” (pp. 19-20).

As I understand Morin’s reasoning, it goes as follows. The Moon in the 10th House is determined toward the actions of the native in the world (praxis). The Square from the Moon then signifies difficulties related to the native’s actions and because the lunar square occupies the 7th house, those difficulties are connected with disputes or lawsuits. Primary motion will carry the 7th house square of the Moon (disputes) to the natal position of Mars in the 6th, which is determined toward 6th house matters (servants, small animals) and also toward 4th house matters because Mars rules Aries on the 4th cusp (parents).

In my hypothetical example, the Moon happens to rule the 7th cusp, so maybe the native’s spouse also gets involved in the dispute with parents, servants and animals when she is 29 years old.

Hartford’s Worst Disaster

This week marks the anniversary of the worst disaster to hit the City of Hartford, Connecticut, some 169 years ago. On Thursday, March 2, 1854, at about 2 PM in the Dutch Point neighborhood of Hartford a boiler exploded, tearing apart the Fales & Gray Railroad Car Works factory. According to news reports: “Nine workers, including the boiler engineer, died instantly in the explosion, with twelve more men dying from their injuries over the next few days. An estimated fifty additional workers suffered serious injuries.” Unfortunately, Hartford had no hospital and the injured who survived the blast had to be transported to New Haven where the Yale University medical school maintained a hospital for its students’ training.

According to Today in History the New York Times reported that Fales & Gray employed 300 people, a third of whom were working in the part of the factory impacted by the blast:

“’The explosion was most terrific—breaking the timbers of the building, powerful machinery… and prostrating the walls of the building for a hundred feet in length.’ Workmen were buried in the rubble when the roof and walls caved in. Sixteen workers were killed, and ‘a great many’ injured. The cause was a new 50-horse-power boiler that had been in operation for about a month. The power of the blast killed the boiler’s engineer, John McCuen, whose arm was found “at some distance from the body.’ Other victims were “horribly mutilated, and in some instances the bodies could scarcely be recognized.”

Connecticut Historical Society image of the devastation caused by the boiler explosion around 2 p.m. on 2 March 1854 at the railroad car factory in Hartford.

According to a pamphlet entitled An Account of the Terrible Explosion at Fales & Gray’s Car Manufactory, published after the tragedy for the benefit of the survivors:

“To paint the agony of the relatives, wives, children, mothers and fathers, whose relatives were sufferers, would be impossible. They rushed wildly to and fro, while the workmen were extricating the sufferers, calling upon their relatives in the most piteous tones; and when a body was brought out, the eagerness they manifested to know if it was that of a relative, must be imagined, for no words can describe. Suffice it to say, that in many instances, they failed to recognize their own relatives, so blackened, and distorted, and mutilated were the bodies, by the dirt, bruises, and fearful scalds. Some were so badly scalded, that on touching them the skin peeled off in the hand. Many of the dead were only recognized by the clothing they wore, and as their relatives sought them out, and found them in the arms of death, the scenes which ensued on recognition were painful in the extreme. The majority of the workmen lived in the immediate neighborhood, consequently the interest excited by the catastrophe, brought large troops of friends and acquaintances to the spot, many of whom, especially the ladies, exerted themselves to soothe the wild grief of the bereaved.”

Here is a chart cast for 2 PM, the approximate time of the explosion:

An interesting feature of the above chart is that Mars is squaring the Moon’s Nodes, and the Moon is squaring the Descending Node of both Saturn and Chiron, which lie at 26 Cap 24′ and 26 Cap 15′, respectively, quite near the Ascendant of this chart set for 2 PM.

Here is the same chart in 90-degree dial format with the Transneptunians included and the Pointer set to Mars/Zeus = to heat, to burn, danger of fire, machines, etc:

This chart is set for 2 pm, an approximate time, so the Asc and MC are not exact. Because all the news sources give a time close to 2 p.m., the planetary positions are close exact for the time of the event.

Notice how Mars/Zeus is closely connected to the Sun, Mercury, 0 Aries, Hades, Moon, Volcanus, Ademtos and Saturn. The Rule Book delineates Mars/Zeus = Sun as machinists, and injuries by torch, flame or firearms. When linked to Hades, as it is here, “cremation” is the specific delineation. The interpretation of Mars/Hades = Zeus includes death caused by machines, auto, firearms, murder; being burned to death.

Train Tragedy in Greece

According to ABC News, shortly before midnight local time: “TEMPE, Greece — A passenger train carrying hundreds of people collided at high speed with an oncoming freight train in a fiery wreck in northern Greece, killing 32 and injuring at least 85.” Many of the passengers apparently were students returning to university after a break. The New York Times wrote (italics mine): “The cause of the crash, which happened just before midnight on Tuesday near the small town of Tempe, was not immediately clear.”

The exact time of the accident was not reported at the time of this writing. Major news sources indicated that the crash took place shortly before midnight. To cast a tentative chart I used 11:55 pm (5 minutes before midnight) and the coordinates of the town of Tempe, Greece as found on Google Maps. Here is the chart with Placidus houses.

This accident took place not long after a Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Aries, which was quite visible in the sky just after sunset. It seems odd that such a horrible tragedy occurred so close to the joining of the two most benefic planets of traditional astrology.

Not surprisingly the chart is quite ominous. The greater malefic Saturn is angular, conjunct the IC and also conjunct an angular Mercury, the planet of travel and ruler of the 8th of death. The “modern” planet Uranus is angular at the Dsc, opposing the Ascendant. Uranus symbolizes sudden, unexpected and often explosive events, including major accidents. The lesser malefic Mars rules the Ascendant and closely conjoins the 8th Placidus Cusp, a signifier of human mortality. Mars symbolizes violence, fire and accidents.

The 90-degree dial for this event is also instructive.

In the 90-degree dial the Mars/Hades midpoint, symbolizing grave misfortune, equals the Aries Point and is closely linked to the MC, Vulcanus (extreme force), the Uranus/Poseidon midpoint (sudden light), and Admetos (cessation, separation, death). The Mercury/Saturn midpoint is a “travel” axis and lies close to the MC of this chart.

The Daimon and Uranian Astrology

Recently Martien Hermes posted a fascinating video on the Dispositors of the Lot of Daimon. The concept of Daimon was a fundamental building block of Hellenistic astrology and speaks to the symmetrical nature of the art.

Mythologically, the Daimon was the guiding spirit who assisted the soul of the native in its incarnation into the material world on Earth. As such, the Daimon was symbolically linked to the Sun as a signifier of spirit and the divine spark of life. The Lot of the Sun became the Lot of the Daimon. Whereas the Sun provided the form or spirit, the Moon provided the matter into which the form (soul) was infused to allow the native to reincarnate. The Lot of the Moon became the Lot of Fortune (material benefit). Since the Ascendant symbolized the point of entry of the newborn native into its current life cycle on Earth, the Ascendant served as the midpoint of the Lots of Daimon and Fortune, that is, the midpoint of the Lots of the Sun and the Moon. Unfortunately, as western astrology developed, the importance of the Lot of Daimon as the essential counterpart of the Lot of Fortune was to a large part lost by later authors.

Because the Sun was sect-ruler of daytime, and the Moon was sect-ruler of the night, the Lots of the Sun and Moon varied by day and by night.

By day, the arc measured from the Sun (as the sect ruler) to the Moon was projected from the Ascendant to locate the Lot of Fortune, a kind of symbolic equivalent for the “ascendant of the Moon.” During the daytime hours the hemisphere above the horizon is light and belongs to the Sun, Thus, measurements starting at the Ascendant, which divides day from night, begin from the sect-ruler Sun. Symmetrically across the Ascendant axis from the Lot of Material Fortune is the Lot of Daimon (Soul, Spirit), with the Ascendant as their midpoint.

By night, the arc measured from the Moon (as the sect ruler) to the Sun was projected from the Ascendant degree to locate the Lot of the Fortune. At night the hemisphere above the horizon is dark and belongs to the Moon, Thus, measurements starting at the Ascendant, which divides night from day, begin from the sect-ruler Moon. Symmetrically across the Ascendant axis from the Lot of Material Fortune is the Lot of Daimon (Soul, Spirit), with the Ascendant as their midpoint.

The Lot of Daimon is thus a calculated point in the chart based on the natal positions of the Sun, Moon and Ascendant. Symbolically, the Lot of Daimon is a marker in the chart for the guiding spirit that assists our soul during this lifetime. Martien Hermes explains that because the Lot of Daimon is not a planet, its functioning depends on its dispositors in the chart. He specifically mentions the rulers of the sign and the term (bound) in which the Lot of Daimon resides. In addition, the sign-ruler of the domicile lord of the Lot of Fortune plays an important role.

Specifically, Martien Hermes states that the domicile lord of the Lot of Daimon helps to determine how the Lot behaves. The sign-ruler of the domicile lord provides the resources which the Daimon can use. The term-ruler sets the standards and give focus to the activity of the Daimon. In addition, the configurations and aspects involving the Lot and its dispositors play the same role as they do with other factors in the birth chart.

Since I’ve been trying to learn a little about Uranian, aka symmetical, astrology, I thought it would be useful to look at the Lot of Daimon in a Uranian chart. Martien Hermes used the chart of Vincent van Gogh as his case example. AstroDataBank gives the birth data of Vincent Willem Van Gogh as: born on 30 March 1853 at 11:00 (= 11:00 AM ), Zundert, Netherlands, 51n28, 4e40, Timezone LMT m4e40 (local mean time). Data source BC/BR in hand Rodden Rating AA, Collector: Gauquelin.

According to these data, the Sun lies at 09°39′ Aries, Moon at 20°44 Sag, and Asc at 21°09′ Cancer. Calculating Daimon from this data, I get the Lot of Daimon at 10°04′ Scorpio. It is a day chart, so the Lot of Daimon = Asc + Sun – Moon. Here is the 90-degree dial with the Pointer on the Lot of Daimon.

Van Gogh natal chart with Pointer on Asc + Sun – Moon (Lot of Daimon) = Cupido

In this chart the Lot of Fortune falls exactly on the Transneptunian Point Cupido, which is the Uranian symbol for artists, artistic creativity and works of art. Frankly, I was blown away when I first saw this!

In addition, the Lot of Daimon is connected to the midpoint Mars/Jupiter, which Witte’s rule book delineates variously as joyous happenings, fortunate deeds, to create something, generativity, etc., and its link to Cupido as “many fruits, many births, successful work and trade.” The Lot of Daimon is also connected to the Mercury/Admetos midpoint which is delineated as a profound and serious mind capable of deep concentration, but also preoccupied with thoughts about death.

Witte’s rule book delineates Mercury/Admetos = Cupido (which is highlighted by the Lot of Daimon in van Gogh’s chart) as “to feel alone, to be isolated; gloomy thoughts in company or in the family; faux pas or social blunders in a community; concentration in a certain field of art.”

Experimenting further, I looked at the chart of Nicola Tesla to see how his Lot of Daimon played out from a Uranian perspective. Tesla has a night chart, and his Lot of Daimon lies at 28 Cancer 28. Here I placed the Pointer on the Lot of Daimon and also included the Lot of Fortune in the chart.

In Tesla’s birth chart, the Lot of Daimon lies at the midpoint of the Transneptunian point Appolon (science, higher learning, erudition, peaceful enterprise) with the Lot of Fortune.

In Tesla’s chart I have included both the Lot of Fortune and the Lot of Spirit. You can readily see how they are symmetrical with respect to the Ascendant axis of the chart, the Ascendant being their half-sum or midpoint. Interestingly, Tesla’s Ascendant lies at the midpoint of his Lots of Daimon and Fortune, and Tesla’s Lot of Daimon lies at the midpoint of his Appolon and Lot of Fortune.

Here are some comments which Michale Erlewine posted about Appolon many years ago:

“APPOLON Keywords: The multiplier: Expansion and spreading; growth and increase. Science, commerce, trade, industry, peaceful efforts.” 

“Represented by the glyphs for Jupiter and Gemini, Apollon is that which indicates “a lot of” or “more than one” of anything. It has close connections with the worlds of commerce, science, and education, and can also symbolize success, expansion, and foreign countries.” 

“As the planet of foreign lands and other ‘distant places’ (especially in combination with the Ascendant or 0 degrees Aries), Apollon ought to be well positioned in the horoscope of Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the Moon. And indeed, it is. Armstrong’s natal Ascendant (18 degrees Gemini) falls exactly conjunct his 0 degrees Aries/Apollon midpoint (18 degrees Gemini). Apollon’s associations with science and success can also be seen in the triple conjunction (at 0 degrees Libra) that was being formed by transiting Jupiter, Uranus, and Apollon at the time of the astronauts’ historic lunar landing in 1969.” 

William Lilly’s Squares acting like Sextiles!

In Christian Astrology (1647), William Lilly comments in his discussion of 3rd House horaries that

“… if the Moon apply to the Lord of the third [House], or to any Planet posited in the third, or be in the third, or cast her SEXTILE aspect to the Sign ascending, or her SQUARE in Signs of short ascensions, in any house whatsoever, or if she be swift in motion, all, or any of these are arguments that the party shall go on his short Journey, and with good success …” (CA 196, bold and italics is mine).

It makes sense that the Sextile aspect would be related to 3rd House meanings because the 3rd House is spaced about 60 degrees from the Ascendant. But how can a Square in signs of short ascension also carry 3rd House significations? What is Lilly talking about?

Ascension has to do with how fast a sign rises. There are 12 signs and 24 hours in a day, so each sign on average should take about 2 hours to rise. However, some signs rise rapidly in less than 2 hours, and other signs rise slowly in more than 2 hours.

We measure time on the Equator. Every 24 hours the Earth makes a complete rotation, so that about every 4 minutes an equatorial degree passes across the MC (meridian) of a chart. Equatorial degrees are measured in “Right Ascension.”

Here we are talking about two great circles around the Earth or the Celestial Sphere: the Ecliptic (path of the Sun) and the Equator. They are angled 23.5 degrees with respect to each other, so that when one in projected onto the other, distortions will occur, somewhat like a shadow projected onto a wall.

Is it a gentle kitty or a ferocious lion?

Thus, what looks like an Square when measured on the Ecliptic may act like a Sextile when it is projected onto the Equator.

Let’s look at an actual chart.

This chart is cast for Connecticut USA at about 5:23 AM on 23 Feb 2023. The Lunar North Node is Square to the Ascendant degree, and the signs from the Asc to the Node are all of short ascension in the northern hemisphere.

In the initial chart, the North Node of the Moon is square to the Ascendant. How soon will the rotation of the Earth carry the North Lunar Node to the eastern horizon? A Square is a quarter of a circle, and it takes the Earth 24 hours to make a complete circle, so a Square corresponds to about 6 hours of rotation.

Thus, because it’s a Square, on average it should take about 6 hours: 5:23 AM + 6 hours = 11:23 AM. But the signs of short ascension are rising, so the Node will get to the horizon in less than 6 hours. How much less? Here is the chart for when the Node in on the Asc.

We see that the North Node reaches the Asc degree at about 9:05 AM.

We started the clock at 5:23 AM and the Node got to the horizon at 9:05 AM (and not at 11:23 AM), a difference of 3 hours and 42 minutes as opposed to 6 hours. Now, a sextile is 60 degrees or one-sixth of a circle, so it should on average take about 4 hours to rise.

We can see in this example that what appears as a Square when measured on the Ecliptic in signs of short ascension took only 3 hours and 42 minutes to rise, which is much more characteristic of a sextile than a square, which on average would take 6 hours or 1/4 of a day to rise. This is what Lilly had in mind when he wrote that sometimes Squares, when the signs ascend rapidly, can act like sextiles.

Lilly applied the same reasoning to the other major aspects. For example, a sextile in signs of long ascension will take longer than 4 hours to rise and, in fact, may take about 6 hours to rise, which is the behavior of a square. And so on, for the other aspects.

Morin’s Use of Zodiac Signs as Accidental Houses

There has been much misunderstanding of my translation of Morin’s Book 18 and, in particular his discussion of zodiacal signs being determined toward the significations of the astrological houses. Hence, I am writing this post in an attempt to further clarify my translation and explain what Morin wrote.

About two decades ago Robert Corre asked me to translate Morin’s Book 18 into English. There had been a Spanish translation by Pepita Sanchís Llacer but not English translation. Robert sent me a copy of Pepa’s Spanish version and put me in touch with James Holden, with whom I worked for over a year to translate Morin’s Latin text into English.

My method of working was to read the Spanish translation, then read the Latin and attempt to put it into coherent English. I sent each chapter to James Holden for comment and to compare to the Latin text, to be sure I had not mistranslated or misunderstood Morin’s original. Pepa’s Spanish translation was excellent and I felt confident after James had reviewed a chapter and it agreed with Pepa’s understanding of the Latin, that I had accurately rendered Morin’s words.

From their comments on the internet, several intelligent and well-read astrologers whose work I respect seem not to grasp what Morin is saying in Chapter XV. Perhaps the fault lies in my English translation, so I will attempt to make Morin’s argument as plain as possible. I suggest that critics read the original Latin, or consult with a Latin scholar, if they disagree with my rendering of the text, which I carefully compared to Pepa’s Spanish version and had vetted by James Holden.

In Chapter XV Morin addresses the issue of what is the most powerful point in any house and what are the proper boundaries of the astrological houses. Morin had already made clear that he regarded the Regiomontanus system of houses to be the most rational and the correct way to “formally” divide space into astrological houses. He would never have viewed the use of Whole Sign Houses as a valid house system in any formal manner.

In his view, Morin believed that the cusp of the house was the most powerful point in the house. He then argued against the practice of regarding a planet within 5 degrees of the cusp of the next house as being in, or belonging to, the next house, even though it obviously has an influence on the meanings of the next house. Morin states that such an influence is only accidental and due to the fact that a planet at the end of the house conjoins the cusp of the next house and thus “accidentally” may seem as if it were in the next house. But “formally” a planet is in the house where it actually is, and is not in the house whose cusp it happens accidentally to conjoin, or it seems to accidentally be in.

To illustrate what he means, he gives the example of his own birth chart. His natal Mars lies in his 3rd Regiomontanus house but is close enough to the 4th house cusp to influence the significations of the 4th. This is the first of three examples which Morin gives of a planet acting as if it were “accidentally” in the next house.

Having finished with the example from his own birth chart, Morin next gives a different example of how a planet can act as if it were in the next house. He begins his discussion of additional examples of “accidental” houses with the phrase “in a similar way” to indicate that he is giving additional examples to illustrate what he wrote about his own chart.

On the top of page 113 of my translation, Morin writes “IN A SIMILAR WAY” [similar to Mars being ‘accidentally’ in the 4th house of his own birth chart] Saturn in the chart of the king of Sweden lies FORAMLLY in the 8th house and ACCIDENTALLY in the 9th (this is verbatim from Morin and it reads the same in Latin or in English). King Gustavus Adolphus is Morin’s second example of how a planet can appear to be accidentally in the next house, but in this case it is not because the planet conjoins the next cusp. Rather, in this second example, it is because the planet accidentally occupies the zodiac sign that corresponds numerically to the next house as measured from the Ascendant.

Morin explains that this second way of being accidentally in the next house by sign can also be seen in the chart of the Duke of Montmorency (his third example of a planet being accidentally in another house).

He further explains about accidental houses that the Sun in the king’s chart can be considered to be formally a Lord of the 8th because the sign Leo lies in the 8th Regiomontanus house, but ACCIDENTALLY the Sun is Lord of the 9th house because Leo is the 9th sign from the Sagittarius Ascendant. Morin is not advocating a whole sign house system with this example; he is merely showing how the placement of a zodiac sign in a particular chart can be delineated by analogy with house significations.

All of this is clearly and unequivocally stated in the Latin text. Please check the Latin. Morin is, without question and beyond the shadow of a doubt, attributing the significations of houses to the zodiac signs by analogical reasoning, based on their relative distance from the rising sign. He is not using a system of whole sign houses, but he is using analogical thinking to assign house meaning to the signs according to their ‘accidental’ positions in the chart. Perhaps I could have done a better job rendering it in English, and I hope this clarification will aid readers to see the forest and not get lost in the trees of Morin’s text.