How Morin Directed Lunar Returns

This post is a continuation of the previous one in which we discussed how Morin directed his Solar Return of 1613, the year in which he graduated with a Doctorate of Medicine on 9 May 1613 in Aix-en-Provence, France. Because he spent the day of his solar return at his birthplace, he cast the chart for that location. He spent the day of his Lunar Return of April 1613, just prior to his graduation, in Aix-en-Provence, so he cast the Lunar Return for that location. This is what the Lunar Return looked like by modern calculation.

Morin’s Lunar Return prior to his graduation from medical school on 9 May 1613.

Morin was off in his calculation. He had an MC of 20 Aries and an Asc of 5 Leo. The modern chart has an MC at 14 Aries 29′ with a R.A. of 13d 19′. (d = degrees)

The graduation apparently took place at Noon on 9 May 1613. The Lunar Return occurred about 11:15 AM on 16 April 1613. According to Morin, by his calculations there is a difference of 22 days 23 minutes between these two events. By modern calculation, the difference appears to be 23 days 45 minutes. (There are 14 days from April 16th until 11:15 AM on April 30th. Then, from 11:15 on April 30th until Noon on May 9th, there are 9 days and 45 minutes. 14 + 9 = 23 days.)

If I understand him correctly, Morin’s method is to project the tropical month onto the 360 degrees of Right Ascension of the Celestial Equator. The tropical month has a duration of 27.321582 mean solar days (that is, 27 days 7 hours 43 minutes 5 seconds).

360 degrees = one tropical month = 27.321582 mean solar day ==>

360 / 27.321582 = 13.17639659 degrees per day, or 13d 10′ 35″ per day.

In other words, each calendar day of the Lunar Return, the directed MC will advance by 13.176 degrees of Right Ascension.

To direct Morin’s figure of 22 days 45 minutes, or 22.03125 days, we multiply by 13.176 degrees of R.A. per day, and then advance the MC by that amount.

22.03125 x 13.176 = 290.28 degrees of R.A. = arc of the direction

The R.A. of the MC of the Lunar Return = 13.32 degrees to which we add 290.28 degrees, and the result is 303.6 degrees of RA, which corresponds to a directed MC of 4 Aquarius. Calculating the Asc at Aix-en-Provence for an MC of 4 Aquarius, we find that the directed Asc lies at about 29.5 Taurus. In Morin’s calculations, he got a directed Asc at 1 Gemini.

If we direct 23.03125 days (the modern calculation): multiplying by 13.176 degrees R.A. per day, we get a result of an arc of direction of 303.46 degrees of R.A. which we must add to the MC:

303.46 + 13.32 = 316.78 R.A., which corresponds to 14 Aquarius as the directed MC, and 11 Gemini as the directed Asc.

Here is a triple wheel with the solar return in the center, surrounded by the lunar return prior to graduation, and finally the natal chart as the outermost wheel.

Morin’s charts: center = 1613 solar return at birthplace,
middle = lunar return of 16 April 1613 at Aix-en-Provence where he graduated,
outer = natal chart.

The solar return has Leo rising, ruled by the Sun, which in the lunar return lies at the MC of the solar return chart and conjoins Morin’s natal Asc — symbolism fitting his graduation as a Doctor of Medicine.

The directed lunar return Asc lies at 11 Gemini (if my modern calculations are correct) in partile trine to an angular Mercury in the solar return. The directed lunar return MC on the date of graduation lies at 14 Aquarius in partile sextile to the lunar return MC which occupies the 9th of higher education of the solar return chart. The directed lunar return MC also trines Mars in the solar return chart in which Mars rules the MC.