Anthony Louis's Blog, page 41

Lilly on Prohibition in Horary Astrology

In traditional horary astrology a client (the querent) asks the astrologer a question, and the astrologer then casts a chart for the moment and location where she or he understands what the querent is asking.  The astrologer then identifies pertinent significators (planets) in the horary chart to symbolize the querent and the matter asked about (the quesited).  To indicate that the matter will come to pass, the horary chart must show the significators applying to perfect a Ptolemaic aspect or to otherwise come together, as by transfer or collection of light.

Sometimes other planets in the horary chart interfere with the process of coming together of the relevant significators.  There are several forms of such interference with names like refranation, evasion, abscission, prohibition, etc.  In this post, I’d like to explore some of Lilly’s ideas about “prohibition” in horary.

According to William Lilly (CA, p.110), first

“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 7. degr. of Aries, and Saturn is in the 12. 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 6. degr. 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.”

I. Here is a diagram of Lilly’s first type of prohibition by body or conjunction:

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

Note that Mars and Saturn are both combust the sun and thus quite debilitated.  The Sun travels faster than Mars and therefore reaches Saturn before Mars does, so that the union of the two significators (Mars and Saturn) suffers “bodily prohibition” by the Sun and thus the “matter propounded is hindered or retarded.”  It is also noteworthy that Lilly differs from  Abu Mash’ar who regards prohibition as two significators applying to an aspect but having a third planet between them which will arrive as the second significator before the first one does.

II. Lilly continues:

“The second manner of Prohibition is by Aspect, either Sextile, Square, Trine, Opposition, viz. when two Planets are going to Conjunction [to a major aspect]; as Mars in 7 degree. of Aries, Saturn in 15 of Aries; let us admit the Sun in 5. degr. 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.”

Here is a diagram of Lilly’s second type of prohibition by aspect:

—————————–   Mars (7 Aries) ————–> Saturn (15 Aries) ——-

——————- Sun (5 Gemini) casts sextile to Aries

The Sun is traveling faster than Mars, so its sextile first connects with Mars and then with Saturn, before Mars is able to reach Saturn, and thus prohibits the conjunction of Mars and Saturn from being fully effective (“the matter propounded is hindered or retarded”).

Here is an example of prohibition from the horary literature.  In 1928 a 37 year old physician asked astrologer Robert DeLuce whether his proposed marriage to a woman in her 20s would take place.  There were apparently problems and disagreements within the couple, and the woman’s parents were opposed to the marriage. Here is the chart with Placidus houses, which DeLuce used in his horary practice.

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It is a Saturn day during a Mercury hour. A retrograde Saturn rises in the 1st, which is usually a negative indicator in horary charts. The Moon’s South Node conjunct the Ascendant also suggests some type of decrease or loss.

The querent is signified by Jupiter (Sagittarius rising) in Aries in the 5th, so he may have passionate romance on his mind. The querent’s co-ruler Moon lies in the 7th, conjunct the 7th cusp, so his feelings are focused on the impending marriage and his bride-to-be.

The quesited young woman is shown by a quite dignified and strong 7th-ruler Mercury in Gemini in the angular 7th.

Will Mercury (the young woman) come together with Jupiter (the querent) in holy matrimony?

Mercury and Jupiter will form a perfect sextile in 10 degrees. Traditionally Jupiter is given an orb of about 10 or 12 degrees but Mercury is allowed about 7 degrees, so they are slightly out of orb but Mercury is quite strong and dignified and a marriage is possible. On the negative side, Mercury occupies Gemini, the detriment of Jupiter, indicating problems with the potential union. In other words, the querent may view the bride-to-be as working to his detriment.

A more serious problem is that the very next aspect which Mercury completes is an opposition to Rx Saturn in the 1st house. Oppositions bring separations, and Saturn symbolizes obstacles and delays. Furthermore, Rx Saturn could mean a turning back or change of heart.

Thus before Mercury (the young woman) can reach Jupiter (the older doctor) to perfect the marriage-granting sextile, Mercury’s opposition to Saturn “prohibits” the sextile of being effective and no marriage will take place.

If we take the Moon to be the querent, then the Moon’s application to conjoin Mercury (the quesited) in the 7th could indicate that the marriage will take place. But again, as we advance the chart in real time, before the Moon can reach Mercury to consummate the marriage, Luna will first oppose the Rx Saturn in the 1st and the doctor will pull out.

Here is the chart for the moment that the Moon opposes Rx Saturn in real time. Note that the Moon has not yet perfected its conjunction with Mercury, so that the opposition to Saturn prohibits the marriage from taking place at the last minute. Interestingly, in this chart Saturn rules the Aquarius 7th of marriage, and the Moon rules the 12th of isolation and withdrawal. Here the Moon in Gemini lies in the triplicity of Saturn, so there is an opposition with reception of the Moon by Saturn.

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OUTCOME: DeLuce tells us on p.141 of his horary book that in the end “there was a disagreement and the match was permanently broken off.”

Lilly’s use of almutens in the Houses of Master B

In the previous post, the question of using the almuten of the Ascendant as a significator was important to judging the chart accurately.  Lilly used the same technique in his famous horary about whether he would be able to purchase the houses of Master B.  Here is Lilly’s chart, recalculated using a modern computer:

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Lilly is signified by the Libra Ascendant, ruled by Venus. Lilly’s signifier in the 7th shows his interest in Master B’s properties and also indicates that Master B has the upper hand in the deal.

To quote Lilly directly:

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Note that Lilly takes the Sun, almuten of the 7th cusp, rather than Mars (which rules the Aries 7th cusp) to be the seller.  He does this because the Sun occupies the 7th house of the seller and is also the exalted ruler of the Aries 7th.  Being exalted, the Sun describes well the seller who is high in his demands and, he implies, a rather imperious person.

The 7th ruler Mars is not a good choice for the seller because Mars in Virgo is peregrine (without essential dignity) and, speaking Hellenistically, is in aversion to the 7th house.  A planet in aversion to the house whose cusp it rules cannot effectively manage the affairs of that house.  The Sun in contrast rules the 7th cusp by exaltation and is also triplicity ruler of the Fire signs.  In addition, the Sun occupies the 7th house, and thus is in a much better position to govern 7th house matters (that is, being the seller of the property).

This chart bears a striking resemblance to the horary in the previous post about whether the astrologer’s husband would be able to sell his car.  Following Lilly’s method in both charts leads to a correct interpretation.

An example of transfer of light in horary

Recently I came across an interesting example of the use of transfer of light in horary. The querent, the astrologer who asked the question, kindly gave me permission to reproduce her chart here.

The astrologer is a woman who asked whether he husband would sell his car, of which he was the sole owner.  I decided to use Lilly’s method with Regiomontanus Houses and only the visible planets.  Here is the chart:

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It is a Saturn day during a Saturn hour, and Saturn rules the Ascendant and occupies the 1st house.  The chart appears radical.

There are some considerations before judgment:

The Moon is at the very end of a sign in the terms of malefic Mars.  (This is not so bad because the Moon applies to conjoin Mars, who receives her in his term and exaltation.)
Saturn is Rx in the 1st house.  (This is not so bad because Saturn is a principal signifier in the question, so its placement in the 1st is significant for the outcome.  However, since the 1st is also the astologer/querent, it could mean she will have some difficulty interpreting the chart.)
The Moon is besieged between two malefics, Saturn and Mars.  (I’m not sure what this means.  Perhaps it is a again a warning that the querent/astrologer may find this chart hard to interpret.)

The querent’s husband is shown by the Cancer 7th house, ruled by the Moon.  The car is the husband’s movable possession, ruled by the Leo 8th house (2nd of the 7th).  Thus, the Sun rules the husband’s car.

Moon (the husband) in the 1st house suggests that the buyer has more control over the deal than the seller.  With the buyer able to call the shots, the husband is likely to get less money than he wants for the car.  The price the car will sell for is shown by the Scoprio 10th, ruled by Mars, peregrine in Aquarius in the 1st (the seller’s domain).

The potential buyer is shown by the Capricorn 1st house, ruled by Saturn. In addition, Mars is the exalted ruler of Saturn and has dignity as the common triplicity ruler in Earth signs.  With Mars also posited in the 1st house, Mars could represent the buyer, especially if the buyer is better described by Mars than by Saturn.  (Lilly uses a similar argument in his horary about the Houses of Mr. B.)

There is no applying aspect between Saturn or Mars (potential buyers) and the Sun (the car).  However, Mercury has just trined Mars (a potential buyer) and will soon conjoin the Sun (the car), indicating through its transfer of light that the car will sell, perhaps through the intermediacy of a third person.

Furthermore, the ruler of the Part of Fortune can signify our material goods.  With Fortuna in Taurus, Venus in Cancer in the 7th is a possible symbol for the husband’s car.  The Moon’s last aspect was an opposition to Venus (the car) and her next aspect is a conjunctioin to Mars (the buyer), again uniting the car with a potential buyer through the intermediacy of a translation of light.

Without taking into account the transfer of light in this chart, it would have been easy to read it as giving a negative outcome for the husband.

OUTCOME:

The husband did sell his car through intermediacy of a mechanic who brought him and the buyer together.  The husband got a little less than his asking price.  According to the querent, the mechanic was well described by Saturn and the buyer, by Mars.

What about the considerations before judgment?  The querent, who is also the astrologer, felt frustrated by the chart because it was difficult to interpret.   Perhaps the considerations had more to do with the astrologer’s experience interpreting the chart than with the actual outcome.  In the end, her husband did sell the car for a price a little less than he wanted to get.

 

 

 

 

 

Have horary astrologers misunderstood triplicity rulers?

Most horary astrologers have learned William Lilly’s system of triplicity rulers, derived from Ptolemy, in which each sign is ruled by one triplicity ruler by day and another one by night. In his table of dignities (CA, 104), Lilly gives the following list:

Element of Sign          Day Triplicity Ruler        Night Triplicity Ruler

Fire                                   Sun                                       Jupiter

Air                                     Saturn                                 Mercury

Water                               Mars                                     Mars

Earth                                Venus                                    Moon

In tabulating points of essential dignity, Lilly allows 3 points for the dignity of triplicity; however, he does not clarify whether to take into account the dignity only by day, only by night, or both. For example, if the Sun occupies a fire sign in a day chart, the Sun receives 3 points. If the Sun occupies a fire sign in a night chart, should the Sun also be allotted 3 points of dignity, or does the Sun receive 0 points because it is a night chart?

Unfortunately, the example in which Lilly tablulates points (CA, pp. 177 – 180) does not include any planets which are out-of-sect triplicity rulers. My impression is that most horary astrologers assume that Lilly only took into account the dignity of triplicity for planets that were in sect, that is, rulers by day or by night according to his table.[image error]

Prior to Ptolemy’s over-simplification of triplicities, the Hellenistic astrologers, especially Dorotheus, used a much richer version of triplicity rulers. This earlier system used three different planets as the three triplicity “lords” of each group of three signs belonging to the same element. The table of Dorothean dignities looks like this:

Element of Sign          Day Triplicity Ruler       Night Ruler     Common Ruler

Fire                                   Sun                                       Jupiter                 Saturn

Air                                     Saturn                                 Mercury               Jupiter

Water                               Venus                                   Mars                      Moon

Earth                                Venus                                    Moon                    Mars

Signs belonging to the same element are in trine to one another. Trines are aspects of harmony, cooperating, and good fortune. In the Thema Mundi, the trine aspect is of the nature of beneficent Jupiter. Thus, the three triplicity lords worked cooperatively together to govern the three signs of each element. As lords of the same element, the three triplicity lords had a significant amount of essential dignity — not as much essential dignity as being the domicile ruler or the exalted ruler of a sign but essential dignity nothetheless.

Note that the Oxford Living Dictionary defines essential as “fundamental or central to the nature of something or someone.”

If a quality is essential, it belongs to the very essence of something. An essential quality does not disappear when the sun goes down and reappear when the sun rises. For example, the nocturnal planet Mars does not stop having the essential dignity of being domicile ruler of Aries when the sun is above the horizon.  The Sun in Aries does not cease having dignity by exaltation when the Sun goes below the horizon. Why then should Jupiter in Aries cease to have dignity by exaltation when the sun goes down?

The dignity of triplicity in fire signs is an essential quality of Jupiter and is thus a part of Jupiter’s essence that cannot be negated by the accidental placement of the sun above or below the horizon. Avelar and Ribeiro recognize this fact in their book On the Heavenly Spheres (p. 72) when they write: “a planet posited in a sign in which it possesses triplicity is in a state of dignity, independent of whether the chart is diurnal or nocturnal.”

If we consider the so-called common, mixed or participating triplicity rulers, we see, for example, that Saturn always participates in ruling all three fire signs. Saturn always has dignity by triplicity in fire signs, both by day and by night. Dignity of triplicity in fire signs is part of the essential nature of Saturn, that is, it is part and parcel of who Saturn is and what he does. No accidental feature in a chart can take away Saturn’s essential nature.

When, then, did the ancients divide triplicity rulers into day, night and participating varieties?  The answer seems to be that each element, or more precisely, each group of three signs belonging to the same element, were always ruled by three distinct planets which jointly had dominion over that triplicity of signs.  There had to be a way to distinguish the three rulers or to place them in some sort of logical order for delineation purposes.

The solution seemed to be to put the joint rulers of each triplicity of signs in order according to sect.  During the day, the day ruler took 1st place, the night ruler took 2nd place, and the common ruler took 3rd place.  At night the night ruler took 1st place, the day ruler took 2nd place, and the participating ruler took 3rd place; but all three planetary lords continued to rule the triplicity, regardless of whether it was day or night. The use of sect was simply an ordering system which allowed refined interpretations to take place. For example, the 1st triplicity ruler might be assigned to the first part of life, the 2nd ruler to mid-life, and the 3rd ruler to late life; and so on.

The importance of recognizing that all three triplicity lords rule all three signs of an element all the time was driven home to me in a chart presented by Lee Lehman in her  2017 book Learning Classical Horary Astrology.  On page 66 (Example 4-2) she presents a diurnal horary chart about whether an anticipated home repair will be routine and inexpensive or major and quite costly. Mercury in Aquarius signifies the home, and Mars in Pisces signifies the querent’s finances.

In the table above we see that Mercury in Aquarius (an air sign) has dignity of triplicity by night but not by day.  Most horary astrologers would say that Mercury lacks dignity by triplicity in this chart. The only dignity Mercury does have, then, is by face, a very minor dignity.

The same holds true for Mars in Pisces (a water sign). Most horary astrologers who use the Dorothean dignities would say that Mars does not have dignity by triplicity in this chart.  (Lilly, however, would give Mars dignity by triplicity because he believed that Mars always functioned as a triplicity ruler of water.)

Lehman argues that Mercury (the house) is quite essentially dignified because, even though it is a day chart, Mercury as night ruler of the triplicity of air has significant dignity by triplicity. In addition, Mercury has dignity by face, and according to ancient authors the combination of two minor dignities (triplicity plus face) is as significant as one of the major dignities (domicile or exaltation). The impressive essential dignity of Mercury (the house) suggests that the repair will be minor, and the essential dignity by triplicity of Mars (the querent’s money) despite the fact that it is a day chart means that the expense will not be great.

In summary, I think that most horary astrologers, myself included have been working with the essential dignity of triplicity ruler incorrectly and have instead been treating triplicity rulership as if it were an accidental dignity.  Popular astrology programs like Solar Fire and Janus also make this mistake in their tabulation of essential dignities.  It seems that Lee Lehman got it right, and her interpretation of triplicity rulership as an essential dignity that is an unalterable quality of a planet led to a correct interpretation of her horary example.  The take-home lesson is that all three planetary triplicity lords have the essential dignity of triplicity rulership all the time, regardless of whether the sun is above or below the horizon.

 

<< All original material on this page is copyright Anthony Louis 2018. >>

Bonatti: Should I change from one official duty to another?

In Chapter 6 of Treatise 6 of Bonatti (Ben Dykes translation), Bonatti discusses his technique for deciding which of two options is better for the querent. In this post I will apply Bonatti’s method (pp. 553-554) to a sample horary. This is the chart of a querent who wants to know whether it would be better for him to maintain his current office in a particular location or to close that office and move his business elsewhere.

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The querent is signified by Mars, ruler of Ascendant Scorpio. According to Bonatti, Mars also rules the querent’s current position (1st house) and thus Venus, ruler of Taurus, rules the option of closing his current office and working in a different locale.

Mars (his current location) has dignity by exaltation and term, whereas Venus is peregrine. Venus is also conjunct the cusp of the unfortunate 8th house. Based on these factors, Bonatti would tell the querent that it is better to stay working in his current office.

To further refine his delineation, Bonatti would look at the condition of the Moon and of the Part of Fortune.

Moon is:

peregrine in the cadent 6th house
not aspecting Jupiter
applying to sextile Venus from Aries, the detriment of Venus
applying to square Mars with reception
separating from a square to Saturn Rx without reception

Pars Fortuna:

Venus and Jupiter do not aspect the Part of Fortune
Saturn Rx is applying to PF
Mars is not aspecting PF

According to Bonatti, the best case scenario for staying put is when:

the condition of L1 is good
the Moon is separating from benefics
the benefics are aspecting the Part of Fortune
In this chart only the first condition is applicable: it is preferable to stay but it does not portend ideal circumstances in his current location.

According to Bonatti, the worst case scenario for changing or moving is when:

the condition of L7 is bad
the Moon is joined to malefics
malefics aspect the Part of Fortune
In this chart all three conditions are applicable (L7 in bad condition, Moon square Mars and Saturn, Saturn applies to Part of Fortune); thus, closing his office and moving to a new location is a bad idea.

In summary, with L1 is much better condition than L7, staying in his current office is the better option. Closing his current office is definitely a bad idea, but staying in his current office with not be without its problems.

Sun beams, moon beams, eye beams and the theory of astrological aspects

In the 5th century BCE, the philosopher Empedocles believed that when the goddess Aphrodite fashioned the human eye from the four basic elements (earth, air, fire and water), she lit a fire in the eye which emitted eye beams that made vision possible. This fanciful quasi-religious hypothesis became known as the emission or extromission theory of vision. The idea is that, thanks to Aphrodite, the human eye emits beams from its internal fire. These beams or rays emerge from the eye and travel in straight lines until they hit an object, making visual perception possible. Somehow vision occurred because eye beams from your inner fire toughed external objects and rendered them visible.

Empedocles realized that there was a logical flaw in his argument. If vision is made possible by beams emanating from the human eye, then why do we see better during the day than at night? To solve this dilemma, Empedocles postulated that there must be some interaction between eye beams and sun beams, which made day-vision a lot better.

Around 300 BCE, the mathematician Euclid (remember high school geometry?) realized that Empedocles theory was nonsense. Euclid noted that light traveled in a straight line and he wrote an entire mathematical treatise on optics and the laws of reflection. Euclid pointed out that if you look up at in the sky at night, you can immediately see the extremely distant stars. How is this possible if the eye beams have to travel to the edge of the universe and make the stars visible to you instantaneously?

Another advance in optical theory was made by Hero of Alexandria (c. CE 10-70) during the heyday of Hellenistic astrology in the same city.  Hero noted that eye beams (visual rays) traveled at great speed from the eye to objects in the environment where they were reflected by smooth surfaces but could become trapped in the uneven roughness or porousness of unpolished surfaces.

Unfortunately, the influential 2nd-century physician Galen subscribed to the emission theory of vision, which caused future generations of doctors to accept this idea.  Hellenistic astrologers also seemed to have swallowed this theory hook, line and sinker.

In their text on traditional astrology (On the Heavenly Spheres), Avelar and Rebeiro discuss the ancient theory of optics as the basis for astrological aspects. They note (p.106) that in the case of the major aspects, “the planet radiates it light, which touches another planet, allowing them to see each other and form the aspect.”

Just as the human eye has an internal fire (thanks to Aphrodite), each planet has its own internal fire which emanates planetary beams of light. To influence one another planets must be able to “see” each other. For planet A to be able to influence planet B and vice versa, the planetary rays emitted by A must reach B, and the planetary rays from B must reach A. In some cases planet A can see planet B, but not vice versa; this has to do with the theory of orbs, which are essentially each planet’s visual field.

The human eye has a horizontal visual field of about 210 degrees. Unlike the human eye, planets have much narrower visual fields (orbs), and the value varies with each planet. For example, the giant Sun has a visual field of about 30 degrees (15 degrees either side of its direct line of vision) whereas little Mercury has a visual field of only 14 degrees (7 degrees either side of its direct line of sight). For example, if Mercury is directly looking at, say, 10 degree of Virgo, then Mercury can only see another planet that lies between 3 and 17 degrees of Virgo. Any other planet in Virgo outside that range will be invisible to Mercury and thus incapable of being influenced by Mercury.

Another weird feature of planetary vision is that planets are only able to look in certain directions. They see well when they look directly ahead (180 degree aspect) or look 60, 90 or 120 degrees (sextile, square, trine) from their direct line of vision. However, if a planet looks either 30 or 150 degrees from its direct line of vision, it is staring into a blind spot (inconjunct) and can’t see anything.

An interesting corollary of this early optical theory of astrological aspects is the Arabic notion of returning, mentioned by Sahl Ibn Bishr in his Introduction to the Science of the Judgment of the Stars.  Writing about horary astrology, Sahl (James Holden translation) states:

“The explanation of return is when a planet or the Moon is joined to another planet that is retrograde or under the Sun’s beams, and it returns to it whatever it receives from it, and it destroys the matter.”

The idea is that if planet A applies to planet B, but B is Rx or under the sunbeams, then B gives back or returns to A whatever B receives from A. Now, according to aspect theory, A can only influence B if A can see B. Should B happen to be under the sun’s beams it is invisible to A, so A can’t give anything to B because A can’t see B. In this case whatever A wants to give to B returns to A simply because it can’t be given.

The case of planet B being retrograde is not as clear. It may be that a retrograde planet is debilitated and weak and thus unable to accept what A offers, so that A’s offer returns to A. Or perhaps because B is traveling backward toward A, when A’s rays reach B they strike the reflective surface of B with such force that they are reflected back to A rather than being absorbed by B.

In any case, the nonsensical emission theory of light informs the astrological theory of aspects, regardless of how silly the original theory sounds.

 

 

 

Sibly: Will the young sailor enjoy his father’s estate?

Recently I participated in a thoughtful and interesting presentation on ancient horary techniques by Nina Gryphon, sponsored by Kepler College. One of the horaries which Nina discussed was a classic chart interpreted by Ebinezor Sibly in his 1817 text A New and Complete Illustration of the Celestial Science of Astrology (Vol. 1: pp.337-339).

Sibly writes:

“A young gentleman in the navy, who had been rather wild, and was in consequence under the displeasure of his parents, having been threatened to be disinherited, came the instant he heard this unfavourable news, and enquired of me whether he should, or should not, enjoy his father’s estate. To resolve his doubts, I projected the figure following” (for the question, “Shall the Querent enjoy his father’s estate?”):

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The behavior of the wild young gentleman so displeased his parents that they threatened to disown him, so he immediately consulted with Sibly to find out from the stars whether his parents would make good on their threat.

Aquarius rises, making Saturn the significator of the querent (the  wild young gentleman in the navy). Saturn is traditionally associated with maritime professions. Saturn in Sagittarius is peregrine, that is, without any essential dignity, which befits a young man would exhibits wild or reckless behavior.

Sibly continues:

“The ascendant and his lord represent the querent; and, as Aquarius occupies the cusp thereof, Saturn is his significator. The father is represented by the fourth house, and Mercury, the lord thereof, is his significator. The second house and his lord signifies the querent’s substance; and the fifth house and its lord signifies the substance of his father. Here we find Mercury in conjunction with Jupiter in the eighth house, which is the father’s fourth, and implies a substantial fortune, particularly as the Sun is posited in the same house, with mutual reception between the two significators of substance; whereby it is evident that the son will inherit the father’s estate and fortune.”

In summary, according to Sibly:

Saturn, ruling the Ascendant, signifies the Querent, the young gentleman.
Mars, ruling the 2nd, signifies the querent’s money.
Mercury, ruling the Gemini 4th, signifies the father.
Mercury, ruling the Gemini 5th (2nd of the 4th), signifies the father’s money.
Sibly incorrectly states that the 8th is the father’s 4th, whereas it is actually the 5th from the 4th (the father’s children).  Lilly says that the 8th is the general house of “the estate of men deceased.”  Because the 8th is the 5th of offspring from the 4th (the father), perhaps Sibly was thinking that Mercury (father’s money, 2nd of 4th) residing in the 8th shows that the father’s money is passed on to his children.
Sibly believes that Mercury (father’s money) conjunct Jupiter (abundance) in the 8th (estate of men deceased) means that there is a substantial fortune.  He takes the majestic Sun in the 8th to support this interpretation.
Finally, Sibly notes the mutual reception between the son’s money (Mars in Virgo) and the father’s money (Mercury in Scorpio) as indicating an exchange of wealth between the two.

Sibly goes on to say:

“The conjunction of Jupiter with Mercury, the father’s significator, is also a strong argument of paternal regard on the side of the father; and therefore I informed him that there appeared to me to be no doubt but he would succeed to the estate of his ancestors, provided he acted at all consistently with the duty and obedience of a son, and would use proper endeavours to regain his father’s good-will and forgiveness, and aim to be more prudent and careful in spending his income; for the position of Jupiter declares him to be regardless of money among his companions and acquaintances, and extravagantly generous and good-natured. The conjunction of Mars with Venus likewise shows his desire after women, and denotes that they will be a continual source of misfortune and expense to him, and will help off pretty fast with his money; but the position of the fortunate node of the Moon in his second house sufficiently indicates that he will have a competent provision during life.”

To summarize Sibly’s argument:

Mercury (the father, ruler of the 4th) conjunct Jupiter (generosity, benevolence) suggests strong paternal regard toward his son.
The position of Jupiter in Scorpio in the 8th (peregrine and under the sunbeams) shows the son to be a spendthrift with little regard for how he uses money.
Mars co-present with Venus in her fall in Virgo in the 7th house is an indication of the son’s wild behavior with “fallen” women who tend to squander his money and serve as a source of difficulty for him.
The Moon’s North Node in the 2nd shows that he will have enough financial resources during his lifetime.

Sibly does not mention that the Moon’s last perfected aspect was a sextile to Veuns (ruler of the 8th of “the estate of men deceased”) and that the Moon’s next aspect to perfect will be a sextile to Mars (ruler of the 2nd of the son’s finances). This transfer of light from the 8th ruler Venus to the 2nd ruler Mars is an argument in favor of the son receiving the inheritance. Although the Moon is in the cadent 6th house, she is strong in Cancer which she rules.

Reflections on “pushing nature” in horary astrology

Ben Dykes has introduced the term “pushing” in his translations of aspectual relationships between planets in older Arabic and medieval texts.  The idea is simply that when planet A applies to planet B, it is as if planet A is “pushing” something, perhaps a request for assistance or action, onto planet B with the expectation that planet B will help planet A to realize its desires.  Planet A becomes the “pushy” planet, and planet B is the one being pushed by the approach of A.  As planet A zaps planet B with its rays, A pushes something onto B.

If you have friends or relatives whom you regard as pushy people, you will easily understand the concept. People with pushy personalities tend to be overbearing, demanding, self-assertive, domineering and ambitious. Pushy people want you to do what they want.  Apparently in astrology the act of one planet applying to another by a major aspect renders the applying planet pushy. The applying planet is exerting some kind of pressure on the applied-to planet to do its bidding.

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The Death Star (a malefic) applies to and “pushes” its powerful beam onto planet B.

Apparently there are three main types of pushing, as planet A applies to planet B:

Pushing management or council (A -> B), which simply means that planet A, by applying to planet B, is letting B know what A would like to accomplish.  It’s like A sending a text to B to inform B about what A is up to, perhaps with a hint that B can help A if he or she wants to.
Pushing  power or dignity (dignified A -> B), which means that A occupies one of its own dignities and has lots of personal power to “push” onto B by application a request for assistance. This might be like the school bully telling the smallest kid in the playground to do something. Or, as in the image above, the Death Star (a malefic) has a lot of power and pushes its destructive force onto planet B, which yields to its will.
Pushing nature (A in dignity of B -> B), which means that A lies in one of the dignities of B and also applies to planet B. (This is the classic definition of reception.) In this case A may be quite weak, perhaps even peregrine, yet B heeds the weakling A’s request because A is an honored guest in one of B’s essential dignities. As a gracious host, B feels obliged to help puny little A achieve its desires. It is as if A borrows the nature of B to get the job done.

Some modern interpreters of “pushing nature” feel that planet A is pushing its own nature onto B, as A applies to B. Logically, however, it appears that any power which A possesses to be able to push comes from its location in a dignity of B. In other words, A borrows the power to push from B and then uses that power to push (or reflect) B’s own nature back to B. By occupying a dignity of B, planet A is able to push the nature of B back onto planet B and thereby enlist B’s assistance. This is especially true if A is without essential dignity because then A must act through its ‘lord’, planet B, and use the power of B to accomplish its goals.

Pushing nature is somewhat like the grandchild of the CEO of a company seeking a job in one of the company’s branches. Even though the grandchild may have mediocre qualifications, he or she is able to push the nature of the CEO grandfather onto the interviewer and secure the job.

Another way to view “pushing” might be the following. As planet A zaps planet B with its rays, A pushes something onto B. Think of planet A having a laser gun which shoots a beam of light from A to B. That beam of light can simply carry information about what A wants to accomplish (pushing management). If A is in one of its own dignities, its laser beam is very powerful (pushing power or dignity) and will cause a response from B when he gets zapped. Finally, if A lies in the dignity of B, then A’s light gets filtered through and colored by B’s dignity, thus pushing some of the nature of B back onto B (pushing nature) or perhaps causing B to welcome A by acting as if B had adopted for the time being some of the nature of A.

Hypothetical Example: Will I get the job?

Let’s assume that on 6 Feb 2011 the querent asked a horary question, “Will I get the job I recently applied for?” and the following chart represented the question:

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The querent is signifed by Saturn, ruler of the Capricorn Ascendant. Saturn is Rx in Virgo in the 8th house and is peregrine.

The job is signified by Mars, ruler of the Scorpio 10th. Mars lies in its exaltation (Capricorn) and is strong in the 1st house conjunct the Ascendant. The emplacement of the ruler of the 10th in the 1st is a favorable indicator.

Mars (the job) and Saturn (the querent) are mutually applying to a trine; but Mars is combust the sun and Saturn is Rx in the 8th, so the trine may not be of much help in the matter.

Mars is strong in Capricorn, the sign of its exaltation, an essential dignity. Thus, Mars is pushing its power and dignity to Saturn.

Mars is in Capricorn, the domicile of Saturn, which colors the nature of Mars and gives it a Saturnian hue.  Capricorn modifies Mars in this chart.  Mars thus pushes the nature of Saturn back to Saturn because Mars is imbued with Capricornian tones through his placement in Capricorn.  Mars basking in a Capricornian glow makes him feel very familiar to Saturn, who therefore wants to help him.

Saturn Rx is applying to Mars, but Saturn is peregrine in 24 Virgo, so Saturn has no dignity or power to push. On the other hand, Saturn at 24 Virgo lies in the terms (bounds) of Mars, so that Saturn has a bit of Mars coloring and can push a bit of the nature of Mars back to Mars, which treats this Saturn as someone with whom he has some familiarity.

An analogy to M&M candies might make this idea clearer.  In the above chart, think of Mars are the core or center of the M&M candy and Capricorn as its outer shell.  As Mars applies to Saturn, the ringed planet sees the Capricorn shell and feels like the Capricorn-coated Mars is a member of its family who is to be treated well.

The above approach to understanding “pushing nature” makes more logical sense to me than the alternative view in which somehow being in the dignity of another planet allows you to push your own nature onto that planet.

 

Lilly’s directions by sign in horary

Lilly gives the following list of directions of zodiacal signs in horary astrology (CA, p.204):

Aries: East                      Cancer: North          Libra: West                Capricorn: South

Leo: E by N                      Scorpio: N by E        Aquarius: W by N      Taurus: S by E

Sagittarius: E by S          Pisces: N by W         Geminin: W by S        Virgo: S by W

Note that the first row consists of the cardinal signs of each element; the second row, of the fixed signs of each element; and the third row of the mutable signs of each element.

It is not immediately obvious why this assignment of directions is made, nor, as far as I know, does Lilly explain the logic of this table. In this post I’d like to take a stab as providing the rationale.

If we consider the horoscope of the “natural zodiac” for sunrise on the first full day of spring we would find the cardinal sign Aries in the East on the Ascendant, the cardinal sign Libra in the West on the Descendant, the cardinal sign Capricorn in the South on the MC, and the cardinal sign Cancer in the North on the IC.

The sun rises in the East; and Aries, as the sign of the start of new life in springtime, has a symbolic affinity with sunrise. The sun sets in the West; and Libra, as the sign of the start of autumn and the decline of life, has a symbolic affinity with sunset. Aries and Libra are the cardinal signs whose starting point in the tropic zodiac are the Equinoxes, days on which there are an equal number of hours of night and daylight.

Cancer and Capricorn are the cardinal signs whose starting points are the Soltices of the sun which indicate the start of summer and winter, respectively, in the northern hemisphere.

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The Tropic of Cancer lies at about 23.4 degrees north of the Equator. The sun appears to stand still (sol-stice) at 0 degrees Cancer at the start of summer in the northern hemisphere (or at the start of winter in the southern hemisphere). Because the tropic of Cancer lies north of the Equator, the sign Cancer is associated with the direction North.

The Tropic of Capricorn lies at about 23.4 degrees south of the Equator. The sun appears to stand still (sol-stice) at 0 degrees Capricorn at the start of winter in the northern hemisphere (or at the start of winter in the southern hemisphere). Because the tropic of Capricorn lies north of the Equator, the sign Capricorn is associated with the direction South.

In addition, the MC lies in the south because our astrology originated in Mesopotamia where the astrologers looked south toward the Equator when they studied the sky.  The sun rose to its peak in the sky at noon due south of the stargazer’s observatories.  If our astrology has originated south of the Equator, astrologers would have been looking to the north and the MC would have been north of the horizon rather than south of the horizon as is the convention in our charts.

In summary,

fire signs like Aries represent an easterly direction
earth signs like Capricorn represent a southerly direction
air signs like Libra represent a westerly direction
and water signs like Cancer represent a northerly direction.

Thus far the first row of Lilly’s table (the cardinal signs of each element) makes sense.  But how do we explain the two subsequent rows: row 2 of the fixed signs of each element, and row 3 of the mutable signs of each element? The following diagram illustrates the underlying logic, which is based on the primary motion of the sky caused by the daily rotation of the Earth. By primary motion the entire chart is rotating clockwise as time progresses.

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Whenever a cardinal sign of any element is rising in the East, the mutable sign of that element lies above the horizon in the 9th Whole Sign house in the southern part of the sky and is moving toward the West by primary motion. Recall that by primary motion the sun rises in the East and moves toward the southern part of the chart where it culminates at the Midheaven and then continues westward until it sets in the West at the Descendant.

In addition, whenever a cardinal sign of any element is rising in the East, the fixed sign of that element lies below the horizon in the 5th Whole Sign house in the northern part of the sky and is moving toward the East by primary motion.

The cardinal sign of the element determines the primary direction indicated by the sign. When a sign is mutable the primary direction of the cardinal sign of the triplicity is modified by being either to the south or to the west of the primary direction, whichever makes sense. When a sign is fixed the primary direction of the cardinal sign of the triplicity is modified by being either to the north or to the east of the primary direction, whichever makes sense.

Let’s take an example. Suppose you wanted to know which direction is indicated by Aquarius. Because Aquarius is an air sign, the primary direction is west. Because Aries if fixed, when Libra rises, Aquarius lies below the horizon (in the north) and is headed east by primary motion. Thus, the direction of Aquarius must be West (air triplicity) by North or by East.  West by East makes no sense because you can’t be both east and west of the meridian at the same time, so the only possibility is West by North.

You can derive the rest of the table by following the same logic (at least in the northern hemisphere).

Trying to figure out the table from the point of view of the southern hemisphere boggles my mind, and so I leave it to more knowlegeable readers to provide a solution.

 

 

A milestone of sorts

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