A Classic Horary by Alan Leo — Moon in a Pitted Degree

On Tuesday August 4, 2020, a hurricane passed through my home state of Connecticut, cutting power to a huge number of residents, including me. Fortunately on Saturday (8/8/2020) power was restored With several days of no internet, phone, TV, etc., I spent time reading over some texts I hadn’t looked at in a while, including Alan Leo’s 1909 book on Horary Astrology. Even though I had mentioned this chart previously in old post, I thought it was worth another look.

Alan Leo is not often cited for his work in horary astrology. According to wikipedia, “Alan Leo, born William Frederick Allan, (Westminster, 7 August 1860 – Bude, 30 August 1917), was a prominent British astrologer, author, publisher, astrological data collector and theosophist. He is often referred to as ‘the father of modern astrology’.”

With his predilection for natal astrology, Alan Leo warned of the dangers of excessive reliance on horary for two reasons: (1) “it weakens the true judgement and if practiced to excess gradually deprives those who lean on it of all independence and self-reliance,” and (2) “unless pursued in conjunction with Natal Astrology, it is apt to lead to erroneous judgments.” Interestingly, in his 1909 text on horary Alan Leo cites classic authors including “Alcabitius, Aedila, Morbecca, and various Arabian astrologers” and also “Zael, Haly, Abenragel, Gerald and others.”

Alan Leo’s astrology business, with an office in London, generated income by answering horary questions which were sent by mail. For example, on page 43 of his 1909 text Alan Leo describes a horary question he received form one of his clients, a prominent businessman whose natal chart he had interpreted. His client wanted to put a new food preparation on the market and asked whether such an enterprise would be successfully received by the public with lots of sales or whether it would lose money. The question arrived in the mail, and Leo read and understood it at about 8:10:38 AM in London on 26 October 1989. Here is the chart with Regiomontanus houses as Lilly would have done it (Leo had cast it in Placidus).

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Alan Leo read and understood the question on a Mercury day during a Moon hour.

The 12th part of the Ascendant lies in Taurus, ruled by Venus. There are no other planets in Taurus, so we look to the location and condition of Venus in the chart. Venus occupies Sagittarius, the sign on the 2nd cusp of income, and conjoins Saturn. The question has to do with possible gain or loss of income, which is what was on the querent’s mind according to this technique. In Jyotish, the 2nd house symbolizes what we put in our mouths, and this question has to do with a new food product.

Because Scorpio rises, the querent (the businessman) is ruled by Mars. Alan Leo points out that the querent was somewhat secretive and very set in his ways, as befits Scorpio rising. Mars in the water sign Cancer has dignity by triplicity but is also quite debilitated in the sign of his fall, which is one argument against his initiating a successful venture. Mars is also cadent in the 9th house both from a quadrant house perspective and from a whole sign house perspective.

A business venture is symbolized by the 10th house with Virgo on the cusp. Thus, Mercury rules the proposed new enterprise. Unfortunately, Mercury is totally without essential dignity (peregrine), lies in the 12th house of loss and disappointment, and is combust the Sun. The proposed business venture is not likely to succeed. In addition, Mercury and Mars are not connected by an applying aspect.

Profits from the business would be shown by the 2nd from the 10th, which is the Libra 11th house ruled by Venus, which has essential dignity only by term/bound. Venus is conjunct Saturn, which lacks essential dignity and is therefore peregrine, thus signifying loss of income. Venus also rules the 7th cusp of the general public, implying that the consumer base is not likely to take well to the new food product. Looking ahead in the emphemeris, we would see that Venus will turn Stationary Retrograde on November 11th, just a couple of weeks after the date of the horary question

Jupiter rules the Sagittarius 2nd house of personal income. Jupiter has minimal essential dignity (only by face) and is under the Sun’s beams. Jupiter is Libra occupies the sign of detriment of Mars (the querent) and is unlikely to benefit the querent very much.

Alan Leo, who also used modern planets and minor aspects to analyze this chart, advised his client: “You will be very determined in your efforts to place your food preparation upon the market, but the company will not be floated and I judge you will lose a considerable sum over the venture. The figure shows waste of money, and I cannot advise you wasting much money to prove the truth of this judgment.”

Nonetheless, the querent ignored Leo’s advice and made a determined effort to launch the product, which resulted in failure and the loss of a considerable amount of money.

Leo apparently learned after the fact that the querent was inclined to heed his advice but the son of the querent, ruled by the fallen Mars (Aries on the 5th cusp), disdained astrology and insisted on going ahead with the project which ultimately produced significant losses.

Interestingly, the next aspect to be made by the peregrine Moon is a trine to the fallen Mars, signifying both the querent and his son. In addition, the Moon at 23 Pisces 55′ lies in a “pitted” degree, about which Lilly states “that if either the Moon or the degree ascending or lord of the Ascendant be in any of them, it shows the man at a stand in the question he asks, not knowing which way to turn himself and that he had need of help to bring him into a better condition; for as a man cast into a ditch doth not easily get out without help, so no more can this querent in the case he is without assistance.” (CA., p.118) It is as if the Querent has fallen into a pit and needs assistance if he wants to get out of the hole he is in.

[image error]In Lilly’s Table above, the numbers refer to the ordinal number of the degrees. For example, the “deep or pitted” degrees in Pisces are the 4th, 9th, 24th, 27th and 28th degrees. In Alan Leo’s horary example, the Moon lies in the 24th degree of Pisces.