Pushing counsel in astrological aspects

Ben Dykes in his translation of Bonatti’s 146 Considerations mentions in the Fourth Consideration “pushing strength or power” and “pushing management or counsel.” These ideas derive from the Arabic texts which Bonatti was referencing.  Apparently the use of the word “pushing” comes from the Arabic word دَفْع which is variously translated in English/Arabic dictionaries as to push, thrust, propel, fork out, stump up, shove over, render up, shell out, goad, pay, disburse, etc. The dictionary defines “counsel” as “instruction given in directing the judgment or conduct of another.” If I am your counselor, I advise or instruct you about how to behave.

Pushing Management or Counsel (Pushing disposition)

Apparently, the Arabic astrologers of the 8th and 9th centuries viewed applying astrological aspects as interactions in which the faster moving planet goaded the slower planet by shoving over its counsel about how the slower planet ought to manage its affairs. Bonatti referred to this phenomenon as the “pushing of disposition.” To dispose of means to transfer to the control of another. “Disposition” means “the tendency of something to act in a certain manner under given circumstances” or “the way in which something is arranged.”

Thus, if planet A is moving faster than planet B, and A is applying to aspect B, then when the aspect perfects, planet A thrusts its way of arranging things onto B with the expectation that B will carry out A’s instructions about how to behave and will take care of the things that A wants B to do (unless B is somehow debilitated and unable to perform).

For example, suppose that Brian lives with his passionate girlfriend Alice. Brian has had a hard day at work and is coming down with the flu. When he arrives home, Alice leaps on him, strips his clothes off and pushes him down on the bed. Alice is moving a lot faster than Brian and can barely wait for their conjunction to reach perfection. She thrusts her disposition onto Brian with the expectation that he will arrange to make things happen as she desires. Unfortunately, Brian is rather debilitated and unable to perform.

In medieval astrology, the pushing of management/counsel/disposition is part of the theoretical underpinning every aspect that reaches perfection. Reception is not required.

When one of the planets happens to lie in the essential dignity of another, the type of pushing gets more complicated. There can be pushing of strength/power/dignity and also pushing of nature or virtue.

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Every aspect involves the pushing of management, counsel or disposition.  (“Do as I tell you.”)

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Pushing strength, power, or dignity: In this photo, the guy on the bottom is planet A in his own exaltation. The guy on top is planet B in none of his own dignities (he’s just standing there), but because of A’s aspect to B, the guy on top is able to share in A’s exaltation.

Pushing of strength/power/dignity

When the faster planet A is very strong because it occupies one of its own dignities (especially domicile or exaltation) and A applies to an aspect with planet B, then in the process this supercharged planet A pushes some of its own strength/power/dignity over to B as the aspect perfects. Planet B then participates in the power and competence of the dignified planet A.

Think of Superman perfecting a conjunction with Lois Lane.  Lois is likely to feel a bit supercharged by Superman’s arousal, and she may end up feeling quite exalted in the process.

In the picture on the left, the guy on the bottom is in his exaltation and feeling quite powerful. The guy on top is just standing there in none of his own dignities but is participating in the exaltation of the man beneath him.

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Pushing of nature or virtue: One of these people obviously hails from a place of dignity of the other. (If each one came from a place of dignity of the other, they would be in mutual reception.)

When the faster planet A occupies one of the dignities of planet B (especially B’s domicile or exaltation), then when A perfects an aspect with B, planet A will look so familiar to planet B, from having hailed from a place of B’s dignity, that B will absorb some of A’s nature onto itself.  In other words, planet A impresses its nature onto the receiving planet B.  For example suppose you are visiting a foreign country where you know no one and can’t speak the language. Suddenly you hear someone speaking English and you learn that they are from your home town. This person impresses you like a long lost friend, even though they are really a complete stranger and you’ve never met before.

Ryhan Butler notes at his site Medieval Astrology Guide that “pushing power has the most direct effect on whether something will manifest or not, while pushing nature is more effective over the quality, type, or condition of the outcome.” An interesting discussion of “pushing” can also be found at Skyscript.co.uk.

These ideas about “pushing” of disposition, power and nature are especially helpful in horary astrology because the Moon, which is the fastest planet, signifies the horary question itself and  is generally a co-ruler of the querent. Thus, the Moon is always pushing its counsel/disposition onto other planets as it aspects them, and at times will also be pushing its power/dignity and may be pushing its nature/virtue as well.