Anthony Louis's Blog, page 24

Sahl on “prohibition” in horary

In the last post I reviewed Lilly’s understanding of “prohibition.” This post is a follow-up which will look at some examples of prohibition by Sahl (Zael, Zahel), a 9th century Persian Jewish astrologer whose work was translated by Dr. Ben Dykes (2008). According to Sahl, there are three types of prohibition.

In the following explanation let S1 and S2 be the primary significators. Let P be the prohibiting or impeding planet. Generally S1 is the lord of the Ascendant, and S2 is the lord of the quesited. The quesited matter will usually come to pass if S1 and S2 can perfect an aspect or bodily conjunction without interference from another planet (P). The faster significator will apply to the slower one.

The cutting off of light. In this case S1 and S2 are applying to perfect a Ptolemaic aspect, and S1 has fewer degrees in its sign than S2 does. If P has fewer degrees than S2 and will perfect an aspect with S2 before S1 can perfect its aspect to S2, then P cuts off the light of S1, preventing the quesited matter from coming to pass.

Sahl gives the following example:

Suppose the male querent asks, “Will I marry this woman?”
Virgo rises, making Mercury the significator of the querent and Jupiter (Pisces on 7th cusp) the ruler of the marriage partner or potential spouse.

Let Mercury be at 9 Cancer and Jupiter at 14 Pisces, so they are applying to a trine with reception of Mercury into Jupiter’s sign of exaltation. By all appearances the marriage should come off without a hitch.

HOWEVER, suppose that Mars lies at 12 Aries and that Mercury will square Mars before the winged planet can perfect its trine with Jupiter. Mars stands in the way of Mercury trining Jupiter, that is, Mars cuts off the light of Mercury before it can reach Jupiter. In this case Aries is the second sign after Pisces, the potential spouse, so that the prohibiting factor may be that the wife’s dowry is inadequate to convince the man to marry this woman.


Sahl’s second type of prohibition occurs when all three planets (S1, S2 and P) occupy the same sign of the zodiac. In this case P is situated between S1 and S1, and P will perfect its bodily conjunction with S2 before S1 can get there. Hence P prevents S1 from connecting with S2 in an unimpeded manner.

Sahl gives the following example of type 2 prohibition:

Suppose the question is again about a marriage, but in this case Cancer rises with Capricorn on the 7th cusp. Moon signifies the querent, and Saturn signifies the potential spouse. Suppose also that Mars lies between the Moon and Capricorn, with all three planets occupying Gemini, as follows:
Moon (7 Gemini) –> Mars (9 Gemini) –> Saturn (11 Gemini)
The body of Mars prohibits the Moon from reaching the body of Saturn in an unimpeded manner, thus preventing the marriage from taking place. Because Mars rules the 5th and 10th signs and occupies the 12th, some issue related to those signs may get in the way of the marriage.

Sahl’s third type of prohibition occurs when one significator and a prohibiting planet occupy the same sign while the other significator applies to its homologue from another sign of the zodiac. In other words, either S1 and P occupy the same sign and S2 applies to aspect S1 from another sign, or S2 and P occupy the same sign and S1 apples to aspect S2 from another sign.

Sahl gives the following example of type 3 prohibition:

Suppose the question is about a marriage. Let Cancer rise and Capricorn be on the 7th cusp. Then the Moon signifies the querent and Capricorn, the potential spouse. Let the Moon (S1) be at 14 Scorpio, Saturn (S2) be at 22 Taurus, and Mars (P) at 17 Taurus. We can diagram this situation as:
S1 Moon (14 Scorpio) –OPPOSE–> P Mars (17 Taurus) –> S2 Saturn (22 Taurus)
Here the opposition ray of the Moon (S1) will connect with the body of Mars (P) and then go on the connect with the body of Saturn (S2), so that Mars stands in the way of the Moon (S1) aspecting Saturn (S2) in an unimpeded manner. Sahl further notes that a bodily conjunction of planets (Mars conjunct Saturn) is more powerful and an aspect between them (Moon oppose Saturn).

Sahl gives yet another example of prohibition. Suppose the question is again one about marriage. Let Aries rise and Libra be on the 7th cusp. The Mars is the querent and Venus, the potential spouse. Let Mars (S1) lie at 19 Taurus in the same sign as the Moon (P) at 9 Taurus. Let Venus (S2) lie at 14 Cancer. An applying sextile from Venus (S2) in Cancer to Mars (S1) in Taurus could bring the marriage to fruition. HOWEVER, the Moon is applying to sextile Venus and then to bodily conjoin Mars, thus impeding the perfection of Venus sextile Mars which takes place only after the Moon conjoins Mars. Sahl again notes that a bodily conjunction of planets in the same sign is stronger than an aspect.

Sahl writes that bodily conjunction is stronger than connection by aspect (looking, beholding).
Image from wikipedia

Prohibition in Horary Astrology

William Lilly defines “prohibition” as follows (CA 110):

“Prohibition is when two Planets that signify the effecting or bringing to conclusion any thing demanded, are applying to an Aspect; and before they can come to a true Aspect, another Planet interposes either his body or aspect, so that thereby the matter propounded is hindered and retarded; this is called Prohibition.

“For example, Mars is in 7th degree of Aries, and Saturn is in the 12th.
Mars signifies the effecting my business when he comes to the body of Saturn, who promises the conclusion, the Sun is at the same time in 6th degree of Aries. Now in regard that the Sun is swifter in motion then Mars, he will overtake Mars, and come to Conjunction with Saturn before Mars, whereby whatever Mars or Saturn did formerly signify, is now prohibited by the Sun his first impediting Mars and then Saturn, before they can come to a true Conjunction. This manner of prohibition is called a Conjunctional or Bodily prohibition; and you must know that the combustion of any Planet is the greatest misfortune that can be.”

“The second manner of Prohibition is by Aspect, either Sextile, Square, Trine, Opposition, viz. when two Planets are going to Conjunction; as Mars in 7th degree of Aries, Saturn in 15th of Aries; let us admit the Sun in 5th degree of Gemini; he then being more swift then Mars in his diurnal motion, doth quickly over-take and pass by the Sextile dexter of Mars (and comes before Mars can come to Conjunction) to a Sextile dexter of Saturn: This is called Prohibition by Aspect, in the same nature judge if the Aspect be Square, Trine, Opposition.”

In Lilly’s first example (conjunctional or bodily prohibition), all three planets occupy the same sign:

Sun (6 Aries) –> Mars (7 Aries) –> Saturn (12 Aries)

The two main significators are Mars and Saturn, and the matter will be effected when Mars perfects its conjunction with Saturn. The problem is that the Sun travels faster than both Mars and Saturn, and the Sun will overtake Mars and then conjoin Saturn before Mars can perfect its conjunction with Saturn. Thus, the matter of the question will be prohibited because the Sun first “impedites” Mars and then advances to impedite Saturn before the Mars/Saturn conjunction is able to perfect. This is called “conjunctional or bodily prohibition.”

In Lilly’s second example (prohibition by aspect), the two significators are applying to a bodily conjunction, but the major aspectual ray of a third planet overtakes the bodies of both significators before the first significator can conjoin with the body of the second one:

Sun (5 Gemini) –> Mars (7 Aries) –> Saturn (15 Aries)

In this case the sextile dexter ray of the Sun will perfect an aspect first with Mars and then with Saturn before the body of Mars can conjoin with the body of Saturn.

Other examples can be found in the literature, but these two of Lilly illustrate the concept. It is important to note Lilly’s delineation of “prohibition,” namely that “the matter propounded is hindered and retarded.” Note that Lilly does not say that the matter is completely negated or rendered impossible, although that is one of the possible outcomes. The dictionary definition of “hinder” is “to create difficulties, resulting in delay or obstruction,” and the definition of “retard” is “to delay or hold back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment.” Finally, the word “impedite” is an obsolete form of “impede,” which means “to hinder, obstruct, delay or prevent.”

Case 1: Will I get the job?

Here is a horary from my files, which I was consulted about several years ago because the astrologer came to the wrong conclusion and wanted my opinion of the chart. The querent, an actress, had auditioned for a part in a theatrical production and wanted to know if she would get the job.

Mercury day, Mercury hour.

The question was asked on a Mercury day during a Mercury hour, and Mercury rules the Ascendant and thus the querent. The chart appears radical. Mercury occupies Libra in the 5th house of theatrical performances.

The desired job is ruled by the 10th house with Aquarius on its cusp. Thus, Saturn rules the job, and Saturn in Libra in the 5th also fits the symbolism of the question about being hired to perform a role in a theatrical presentation.

The astrologer reasoned that she would get the job because the Part of Fortune in the 1st house, was disposed by the querent’s significator Mercury, which was rapidly approaching a bodily conjunction to Saturn, ruler of the 10th, in the 5th house of Good Fortune.

Unfortunately, the querent did not get the job. What went wrong? Two factors stand out that may explain her being turned down in her quest for employment:

The Moon is just about to conjoin the first significator Mercury and then will quickly conjoin the second significator Saturn well before the Mercury/Saturn conjunction will perfect. This movement of the Moon follows the same pattern as Lilly’s first example of conjunctional or bodily prohibition. Will this “prohibition” by the Moon merely delay her getting the job or will it obstruct her chances entirely. The second factor may answer this question.The Moon, Mercury and Saturn in Libra are all combust the Sun. As Lilly wrote in his discussion of prohibition, “you must know that the combustion of any Planet is the greatest misfortune that can be.“

Case 2: Will I sell my apartment to this buyer?

This question was asked on 15 February 2021, a Moon day during a Mars hour. For reasons of confidentiality I have not provided the chart data. The houses are Regiomontanus.

Sell my apartment? Mars hour. Dignity Table for the above chart.

With Taurus rising, the querent is represented by Venus. The potential buyer is signified by Mars, ruler of the Scorpio 7th cusp. Mars occupying the 1st house shows the buyer’s interest in the property. Both Venus and Mars are peregrine (without essential dignity).

The house is represented by the Moon, which rules the 4th cusp. The Moon is peregrine (without dignity) and occupies the unfortunate 12th house.

The price is shown by Saturn, ruler of the Capricorn 10th cusp. Saturn has dignity of domicile and triplicity, and is the most dignified and angular planet in the chart. As an aside, seeing Saturn in the 10th, the astrologer should be cognizant of Lilly’s aphorism (CA 298): “The position of Saturn or Mars in the 10th, and they peregrine or unfortunate, or the South Node in that house, the Artist hardly get credit by that Question.” In this case Saturn is dignified in the 10th, so this aphorism does not apply. On the other hand, Mars rules the 7th (the consulting astrologer) and is peregrine and in detriment in Taurus in the 1st, so the astrologer may have some difficulty judging this chart.

The primary significators, Venus the seller and Mars the potential buyer, are approaching a square that will perfect in about 4 days. Venus in Aquarius casts its sinister square ray toward Mars in Taurus. A square can effect matters with striving and difficulty, and with less difficulty if there is reception. In this case Venus receives Mars in her domicile, but Mars (the buyer) does not receive Venus (the seller) in any of his dignities. A square from Venus to Mars, with no reception of Venus by Mars, suggests that the deal is unlikely to go through.

In addition, the Moon (which travels faster than Venus or Mars) will sextile Venus and then conjoin Mars before the Venus/Mars square can perfect. This is an example of what Lilly calls prohibition by aspect.

Finally, both benefics (the “fortunes,” Venus and Jupiter) are under the Sun’s beams. The 43rd aphorism of Bonatti’s Guide for Astrologers used by William Lilly states: “The Fortunes when combust and under the Sun beams, signifie none or very little good; and the Infortunes in like case have little or no vertue to signifie ill.“

The combination of prohibition by aspect, the fortunes under the sunbeams, and the square of Venus to Mars without reception of Venus by Mars indicated that the buyer would not purchase the apartment, and it did not sell. Part of the reason was that the buyer discovered some problems with the property (Moon in the 12th), which would have been costly to repair.

Dexter and Sinister Aspects

In the previous post I mentioned dexter and sinister aspects. A reader left a message asking me to explain the concept, so here goes.

Lilly (CA 108) gives the following handy table to determine whether aspects are dexter (toward the right) or sinister (toward the left) from the perspective of the viewer on Earth, which is considered the center of the universe (we humans are such humble creatures):

To read this table, in the columns that lists “dexter” and “sinister” you find the sign of the body of the planet which is casting the aspect. For example, a planet in Aries will cast its dexter Ptolemaic aspects (to the right from the point of view of the observer on Earth) into the the signs Aquarius, Capricorn, Sagittarius and Libra. That same planet in Aries will cast its sinister aspectual rays into Gemini, Cancer, Leo and Libra. “Sinister” here refers to the left with reference to an observer on Earth.

In other words, dexter aspectual rays are cast in the same direction as the primary motion of the heavens. Sinister aspectual rays are cast against the direction of the primary motion of the heavens, which is the same as saying that they are cast in the same direction as the habitual secondary motion of the planets.

Lilly (CA 109) advises: “Observe the dexter aspect is more forcible than the Sinister.” Presumably this is so because dexter aspects occur in the same direction as the diurnal primary motion of the sky around the Earth.

In Hellenistic astrology, however, the sinister square of a planet in considered dominant. I believe this is so because a planet in sinister square to another has a 10th house relationship to the other planet and is considered much more elevated in status.

The concept of dexter and sinister is quite old and can be traced back at least to Hellenistic times. For example, Manilius in his poem about astrology from the time of Christ writes:

“Libram Capricornus et illum conspicit ante Aries atque ipsum a partibus aequis Cancer et hunc leava subeuntis sidera Librae.” (Astronomica, 2: 290-293)

My translation of this line from Manilius would be: “Capricorn beholds [aspects] Libra, while Aries looks at Capricorn ahead of him, and Cancer from an equal distance away casts its gaze at Aries, and the stars of Libra view which approach Cancer from its left behold the sign of the Crab.”

In the standard “Aries rising” chart, Manilius would be saying that Capricorn at the top looks at Libra on the Descendant, and Libra looks at Cancer at the bottom of the chart, while Cancer looks at Aries on the eastern horizon. All the viewing is done in the dexter direction of the primary diurnal motion of the sky.

Ben Dykes has blown my mind

Yesterday Ben Dykes’ new version of Abu Ma’shar’s Great Introduction translated from the Greek original arrived in the mail. I had ordered it a few weeks ago, but it must have sold out in the first printing and there was a delay in receiving it.

In the previous post I had been examining the concept of Void of Course and wanted to see what Abu Ma’shar had to say about it. Here is Dykes’ translation of Abu Ma’shar’s definition of a planet being void on its course:

“Emptiness of Course is that a planet separates from the connection of a planet (by assembly or looking), and will not connect with a planet so long as it is in its [current] sign.” (p. 458)

“Assembly” means that two planets occupy the same sign.

“Looking” means that the two planets are able to see each other because the occupy signs that are in whole sign Ptolemaic aspect ( that is, opposition, trine, square or sextile).

“Connect” means that one of the planets applies to the other by body in the same sign, or by ray in configured signs, within a particular number of degrees from exactness.

Johannes Schöner: Orbs of the Sun and Saturn (1551 text). The Sun lies in the 9th degree of Leo and Saturn in the 28th degree. Schöner gives the Sun 12 degrees of orb and Saturn 8 degrees, so their orbs have begun to overlap.

In this diagram by Schöner, the Sun and Saturn are both in the sign Leo. The Sun in the 9th degree of Leo extends its orb of influence forward to the beginning of 21st degree. Saturn in the 28th degree of Leo extends its orb of influence back to the end of the 20th degree. The orbs of influence of the Sun and Saturn are just beginning to touch and will soon overlap.

In his introduction to the translation (p.30) Dr. Dykes explains that Abu Ma’shar is following the ancient tradition that “aspects are fundamentally between signs” and adds the Hellenistic dictum that “looking” (aspecting) occurs by signs as distinguished from planets “connecting” which occurs by specific degrees.

The implication of the Hellenistic approach adopted by Abu Ma’shar, according to Dykes (p.34), is that out-of-sign aspects (or conjunctions) are not possible, because it is the relationship between signs, or the co-presence of planets within the same sign, which determines whether an aspect even exists. As Dr. Dykes points out, the Arabic word for “orb” refers to a body, that is, to something that has mass or volume. In other words, only the planetary bodies have orbs of influence about them. If I understand the text correctly, the planetary bodies send out rays (following the ancient optical theory that human eyes emit rays of light), and these rays are simply points of light distributed around the zodiac wheel according to the pattern of the Ptolemaic aspects. Such points of light will fall in a particular sign of the zodiac but will have no orb of influence about them. Planetary bodies may approach these points of light to form connections with them, but the nature of the aspect between the planets so connected will depend on the aspectual relationship between the whole signs which the planets occupy.

In the above diagram by Johannes Schöner, if there were a planet at the end of Cancer it would be within the Leo Sun’s orb but would not be considered conjunct the Sun because the two planets are not co-present in the same sign. If there were a planet at the end of Capricorn, sending its single-pointed opposition ray to the end of Cancer, the Sun and that planet would not be considered to be in opposition because Leo is opposite Aquarius rather than Capricorn. The whole signs determine the nature of the aspect, not the planets.

Ben goes on to define a feral planet or “wildness” of a planet as that planet occupying a sign in which no other planet looks at it (p. 459). He gives the example of Mars being in a sign in which it is in aversion to all other planets around the wheel, so that no other planet looks at Mars.

Another interesting point of clarification was Abu Ma’shar’s definition of “handing over nature” as a planet in the dignity of another handing of its lord’s own nature to its lord. He gives the same example found in the writings of Sahl that the Moon in Aries applying to aspect Mars hands the nature of Mars back to Mars, the lord of Aries. (p.466). I have read discussions of this topic in which current astrologers have thought that handing over nature in this case would mean that the lunar nature gets handed to Mars, which is not what Abu Ma’shar is saying.

Example of a VOC planet according to the definition of Abu Ma’shar:

“Emptiness of Course is that a planet separates from the connection of a planet (by assembly or looking), and will not connect with a planet so long as it is in its [current] sign.”

The famous writer Agatha Christie has Mars “empty of course” in the 1st house of her birth chart (Rodden Rating AA):

Mars toward the end of Sagittarius, the ascendant sign, does not apply to any planet’s body or ray before leaving its sign and is therefore considered void of course.

Lilly’s definition of the Void of Course Moon

Recently Chris Brennan did a podcast on the various definitions of the void of course Moon. I thought it would be useful to clarify how Lilly used the concept because it is not widely understood in the astrological community. As a basis for discussion, Chris referenced his article about this topic in the Astrology Dictionary in which he notes three different definitions of “VOC” to be found in the literature:

The most ancient definition from around the 1st century Hellenistic literature which uses the term kenodromia (κενοδρομία), meaning “running in the void” or “running in the emptiness”. In this case the Moon is “not applying to an exact Ptolemaic aspect with any other planets within the next 30 degrees, regardless of sign boundaries .” A Medieval definition in which the Moon is considered VOC if it is traveling through a sign and will not perfect any Ptolemaic aspect with another planet before leaving its that sign.William Lilly’s Renaissance definition of VOC as clarified by the research of astrologer Sue Ward, an expert in the writings of William Lilly, who noted that Lilly defined the Moon as void of course if it was not applying to a Ptolemaic aspect with another planet within orb while in a particular sign. NASA image

When Sue Ward first published her findings in the early 1990s, I was at first skeptical because I had learned the definition that was popular at the time and was being promulgated by N.Y. astrologer Al H. Morrison. Following Sue’s lead, I re-read all of Lilly’s example horaries in Christian Astrology and realized that she was right. Those of us who had been studying Lilly since the Regulus edition of his work became available in the mid-1980s had misunderstood what he meant by VOC. Let me quote directly from Sue Ward’s article:

“Lilly says: A planet is void of course, when he is separated from a planet, nor doth forthwith, during his being in that sign, apply to any other: …“.  Contrary to what most of us understood, this does not mean that the aspect has to perfect while the Moon is in its current sign. What it does mean is that the application has to be in effect while the Moon is in its current sign. Application operates only when the Moon (or planet) is ‘within orbs’ of the planet it next meets by major aspect. It doesn’t matter, from this point of view, that it has to leave the sign before perfecting the aspect. So, to be void of course the Moon (or planet) has to be out of orb of the next planet it might meet by major aspect – even if it will eventually perfect this aspect within the current sign. This matter largely depends on the definition of application in Lilly’s terms, and those of the authors he drew upon, and it meant to be within orb. The application happeneth when as the circles or beames of the planettes come to joyne togeather by a corporall conjunction or by aspecte of the one half of their deamiters.11 This definition is clear: a planet cannot be said to be applying until it is within orb, or joint moieties, of another. The meaning of application has altered in modern times to that of ‘moving forward in the sign’, but Lilly deals with this separately. ‘Applying to’ means to be within the joint moieties of the two planets concerned. For example, the Moon has a moiety of about 6° and Mercury one of 3½°, so if the Moon were at 26° Aries and Mercury at 3° Taurus (about 7° difference and so within the joint moieties) an application is operating, the Moon applies to the conjunction of Mercury. It doesn’t matter that there is a sign change before perfection. The important point is that the application should occur before the sign change. In interpretation, application shows that the event promised by the perfection is already a possibility. If the Moon were at 3° Taurus and its next contact was Mercury at 15° Taurus, there is no application since they are separated by more than their joint moieties (about 9.5°), so the Moon is void of course. According to ARHAT, in the Greek tradition application meant ‘coming into contact with’. This was still the case in the 17th century, but has changed in more recent times. The evidence in Christian Astrology supports this almost exclusively and I conclude that the Moon is not void of course if it is contacting another planet through the joint moieties, whether it perfects in or out of its current sign. Therefore, the Moon (or planet) can be void of course even when it is in early degrees, if the next planet it meets in major aspect is out of orb.12 This does not mean that even more horaries will be invalid, as you will see further on.”

As Sue Ward points out, Lilly explicitly states: “A planet is void of course, when he is separated from a planet, nor doth forthwith, during his being in that sign, apply to any other.” “Apply to” does not mean to “perfect” an aspect; it simply means to be within orb of perfecting an aspect in the future.

In Chris Brennan’s recent Astrology Podcast there was speculation that Lilly may have misunderstood his sources or simply made up his definition of VOC, perhaps on the basis of his own experience with horary charts. This speculation seems highly unlikely since Lilly was a careful scholar who studied the ancient texts (in Latin translation) with diligence and a critical eye.

One of Lilly’s favorite sources was Sahl ibn Bisher (aka, Zael or Zahel), a Persian Jew who was active in astrology in the 9th century CE. Most likely Lilly took his definition from the writings of Zael. Let’s see what Sahl has to say about void of course. Here I quote from Ben Dykes 2008 translation of the Works of Sahl:

From p. 15 on when planets are connected by conjunction or aspect:
“And were there degrees between the Sun and one of the planets, from one up to fifteen [degrees], then he projects his own light over [the planet] and is conjoined to it.” In modern terminology, the Sun joins with a planet when it gets within 15 degrees of aspecting that planet.”

From p.35, defining “void of movement” or “void of course”:
“So that is when the Moon is not connecting to any of the planets, and none are joining to it. This is called void of movement of the Moon and its body; there is futility in it, and it is the planet of exile. It is the planet that is not connecting to any of the other planets.”

In a footnote on p.35, Dykes quotes Stegemann’s explanation of this translation of the concept: “when the Moon is not connecting itself with one of the planets, and is not accommodating itself to it, then this is called emptiness of the course of the Moon and its disc, which weakens it; and of the planet that is pushed back, while it is not approaching one of the other planets.” (bold mine)

Reading Sahl’s comments makes it clear that Lilly was simply paraphrasing Sahl’s definition of the VOC Moon, or a VOC planet, passing through emptiness on its course through a sign. A VOC Moon is “not connecting” with and “not approaching” other planets because they are outside the orb of influence of the Moon as it moves through the sign.

I don’t know and haven’t had time to research whether other medieval authors, perhaps Masha’allah or Abu Ma’shar, used a definition of VOC, that required perfection of an aspect before the Moon left its current sign, but Sahl certainly did not require perfection, and Lilly, as Sue Ward revealed, followed Sahl in his own practice of horary astrology.

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Addendum: Astrologer Lyuben Meshikov left the following comment:
In “The Abbreviation of the Introduction to astrology Abu Mashar” published 1994, p.43, it is said “It is ‘void of course’ if a planet separates from application with a planet in conjunction or aspect, and does not apply to a planet as long as it is in its sign.”

So it appears that Abu Ma’shar’s definition is very similar to that of Sahl. The Moon is not VOC if it is applying to another planet while in its sign. The aspect apparently need not perfect in the sign.

Perhaps the discrepancies in definitions have to do with the orb of influence allowed the planets. There is no consensus in the literature about how to apply orbs. Dariot, for instance, proposed a system of moieties. Some astrologers opted for orbs of only 5 or 6 degrees. Others regarded aspects as effective only if the bodies of each planet in aspect fell within the orbs of each other.

In addition, Mark Cullen noted that German astrologer Johannes Schöner (15th century) stated: ””When a planet is separated from any other planet by conjunction or aspect, and is not joined to another by body or aspect, for as long as that planet is in the same sign, it is called void of course. However, this ought to be understood according the orbs and rays of the planets.”

Saturn square Uranus and the Death of Rush Limbaugh

The year 2021 will be marked astrologically by three squares between the slow-moving planets Saturn and Uranus, which are part of a roughly 45-year Saturn/Uranus synodic cycle, the most recent iteration of which began in 1988. These are waning squares that demarcate the final quarter of this cycle, and the first of these waning squares occurred yesterday on 17 February 2021.

Notable news events that correlated with this waning square included a severe winter storm and power outage that devastated the state of Texas whose electrical power grid was not designed to manage extreme cold conditions, FaceBook going to “war” with the government of Australia which wants FB to pay for news services which it now uses for free. the governor of New York getting caught in a lie about nursing home deaths due to Covid-19, the governor of Texas going on Fox News to lie about green energy causing the failure of the entire power grid of his state which is only 10% based on wind and solar power, problems with the rollout and availability of Covid-19 vaccines and the rise of mutant strains, etc. The symbolism of Saturn square Uranus (government control versus individual freedom) comes through in Rick Perry‘s comment that Texans should endure the pain and death caused by days of freezing weather and blackouts rather than let the feds oversee their power grid (i.e., let the feds require that the power grid be modified to withstand freezing temperatures).

The symbolism of Saturn in Aquarius (icy conditions, etc.) square Uranus in Taurus (novel vaccines, unusual natural events, green energy sources, etc.) can be seen in all these news events, but I would like to focus in this post on the death of Rush Limbaugh who was born with Saturn in Libra in the 8th Placidus House square Uranus in Cancer in the 6th Placidus House. The combination of the 6th and 8th houses suggests that these planets will play a role in his eventual demise.

Rush Limbaugh Natal Chart

In Rush Limbaugh’s solar return (SR) this year, the transiting Saturn square Uranus is prominent with SR Saturn in the 1st house conjunct the Ascendant of both the return and the natal charts. SR Saturn conjoins SR Mercury, the ruler of his 8th house. SR Saturn, Mercury and Jupiter all conjoin natal Venus, which rules the natal 4th of the final resting place.

Natal chart with 2021 birthplace SR superimposed

The next chart of the Saturn square Uranus on 17 Feb 2021 is set for Palm Beach, Florida, where Limbaugh resided. Note how the Ascendant (at 6 Cancer 43) of the moment of perfect of this transiting aspect in Palm Beach is almost exactly conjunct Limbaugh’s natal Uranus (at 6 Cancer 51) at the cusp of the Placidus 6th, triggering the natal Saturn square Uranus, which links the 6th of illness to the 8th of death.

Saturn square Uranus on 17 February 2021 set for Palm Beach, FL

The Moon and the Two of Swords in Tarot

The Moon appears on several cards in the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck, which is based on astrological associations with the tarot in the teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. One such card is the Two of Swords.

RWS Two of Swords
Moon in the first decan of Libra

A.E. Waite instructed Pamela Coleman Smith to use her knowledge of astrology to generate images for the cards. In the Golden Dawn system, Swords represented the Air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) and the numbers 2, 3 and 4 specifically referred to the three decans of the cardinal signs. Thus, the Two of Swords signified the first decan of Libra, a cardinal Air sign. The image on the Two of Swords in the RWS deck has a strong resemblance to the Justice trump, which is paired with the sign Libra.

The Justice trump from the RWS deck is paired with the sign Libra.

The Moon appears on the Two of Swords because this card is associated with the first decan of Libra, which in Chaldean order beginning with Saturn ruling the first decan of Leo (the sign with which the Golden Dawn started the zodiac), the Moon rules the first decan of Libra. Here is the sequence:

Leo’s decans: Saturn – Jupiter – Mars (the 5, 6 and 7 of Wands or Rods)
Virgo’s decans: Sun – Venus – Mercury (the 8, 9 and 10 of Coins or Pentacles)
Libra’s decans: Moon – Saturn – Jupiter (the 2, 3 and 4 of Swords)

Thus, the Two of Swords depicts a woman (the goddess of Justice) blindfolded and impartially holding two swords perfectly balanced despite the pressure of the inconstant Moon, which is affecting the fluctuating emotional tides of the ocean behind her. The character on the card appears to be seeking a balance between opposing opinions or competing ideas as she tries to sort out her feelings about a matter.

Pamela Coleman Smith decided to portray the Moon in its waxing crescent phase, just as it is emerging from an invisible New Moon in which the Moon conjoins the Sun in the element Air (which would be depicted by the Ace of Swords in the tarot). The waxing crescent phase is a time of making new plans and planting new seeds that will grow and then mature at the Full Moon roughly two weeks hence.

The elemental suit of Air stands for our thoughts, ideas, plans, beliefs, opinions, communications both spoken and written, and our efforts to speak the truth. Because Swords are used to represent such matters, there is often an element of battle or conflict. The Aces represent the pure potential of the suit, so that the Ace of Swords stands for new ideas, mental clarity, insight, illumination and the search for truth. The Two of Swords is the earliest concrete manifestation of this potential, which Pamela Coleman Smith depicted as the waxing crescent Moon (emotional currents) in the sign Libra, which represents carefully weighing and balancing ideas and plans before proceeding with a project.

Traditionally this card meant “friendship” perhaps because the Moon symbolizes our emotional attachments, and Libra is tied with social connectedness in a one-to-one manner with those whom we respect and treat as equals. Moon transiting Libra often puts a focus on interpersonal relationships, partnership, teamwork and cooperation with others.

The site CafeAstrology.com delineates Moon passing through Libra as follows:

“Creating order … through pleasing interactions with others and aesthetics in our environment. We tend to solve problems through diplomacy, and we are more able to put aside our own emotions in order to achieve the peace we crave. The tendency now is to avoid direct confrontations. Decisions do not come easily. Seeing both sides to any given situation is the main reason for hesitation. Fear of losing others’ approval is another.”

The sign Libra generally runs from about September 23 to October 22 annually in the tropical zodiac. Thus, this card can sometimes indicate the timing of an event during the first 10 days (the first decan of Libra) of this period.

Below is a diagram of the Moon’s phases from the NASA site.

Moon’s Phases from NASA
The waxing crescent Moon on the Two of Swords card symbolizes the beginning phase of a new cycle.

Interview with Aswin Balaji about my new book

Today I had the pleasure of participating in an interview with Aswin Balaji of Celestial Vibes Astrology about my new book on lost objects and horary astrology. Here is the link to the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xv3wvE7x14&fbclid=IwAR3q2baOaNJKC3lrMJXxy9BvbUkGdEVyef4pQ-QomAGnIpD0ls_zbrjW9L4 __ATA.cmd.push(function() { __ATA.initDynamicSlot({ id: 'atatags-26942-6020a28ac0671', location: 120, formFactor: '001', label: { text: 'Advertisements', }, creative: { reportAd: { text: 'Report this ad', }, privacySettings: { text: 'Privacy', } } }); });

A ‘thank you’ to the readers of my books

Every once in a while I check how my books are doing on Amazon.com. This morning I was searching for a book and happened to take a look at my most recent tarot book (2016) published by Llewellyn in the “Complete Book of …” series. To my surprise and delight it had received 147 ratings, most of them positive. It’s gratifying to feel that the work I put into writing a book is appreciated, and I’m grateful to everyone who has read the book and chosen to leave a review, regardless of how positive or negative their comments may be. Constructively critical comments help me to do a better job next time.

Hypsicles and ascensional times in astrology

According to wikepedia, Hypsicles (Greek: Ὑψικλῆς; c. 190 – c. 120 BCE) was an ancient Greek mathematician and astronomer in Alexandria, known for authoring On Ascensions (Ἀναφορικός) and the Book XIV of Euclid’s Elements. In his book On Ascensions (On Rising Times) he divides the circle into 360 equal parts, which we now call degrees, and he “proves a number of propositions on arithmetical progressions and uses the results to calculate approximate values for the times required for the signs of the zodiac to rise above the horizon.”

Knowing the rising times of star groups was useful for telling time at night. Hypsicles in the 2nd century BCE applied a Babylonian method of arithmetic progression to estimate the actual rising times. Later, with the development of trigonometry, an exact measurement of rising times became possible. By the 2nd century CE Ptolemy had published tables of rising times in his texts. Here is an image of a table of ascenional times from a 9th century CE edition of Ptolemy’s Almagest:

Ascensional times from Ptolemy’s Almagest.

Using spherical trigonomety, mathematicians of Ptolemy’s era were able to calculated actual acensional times of zodiac signs.

To calculate ascensional times, mathematicians used the theorum from spherical trigonometry that in the above diagram
sin a = tan b cot B

In a recent post on FaceBook astrologer Margherita Fiorello presented a diagram outlining the ascencional times of the zodiacal signs proposed by Hypsicles on the basis of an arithmetic progression rather than direct observation of the rising of the signs. Ideally it would take each sign 2 hours to rise but due to the obliquity the ecliptic and the location of the observer, some signs take more than 2 hours to rise and other signs take less than 2 hours. Here is a copy of Margherita Fiorello’s redrawing of a diagram of Hypsicles model which ancient astrologers used to estimate when certain primary directions would manifest in the lives of their clients:

Hypsicles’ model of the arithmetic progression used to estimate ascenional times of zodiac signs.

For comparison, here is a Hellenisitic chart, from Delphic Oracle software, with ascensional times in the center for Cancer rising on the day of the summer solstice of 2021 in Alexandria.

Summer Solstice 2021 Alexandria Egypt, Cancer rising. Ascensional times in the center of the diagram.

An astrologer looking at the above chart might wonder when in the life of an individual born at this time Venus in the 1st house would rise to the horizon by primary direction. An easy estimate can be calculated by consider that Venus is about 22.5 degrees from the 0 Cancer 9 Ascendant, which is 22.5/30 = 0.75 of the way through Cancer. Since Cancer has an ascensional time of 34.56, we multiple that figure by the 0.75 and estimate that Venus will cross the Asc by primary direction when the person is about 25.9 years old. Rounding the 25.9 to 26 years and adding 26 to the current year 2021, we might expect the year 2047 to be a particularly Venusian one, possibly a good year for a wedding.