We all know the
feeling: we have had a really interesting horary
question posed, we've read the books, the articles,
attended lectures and now we have the opportunity to
test it all. So, sitting there with our horary chart,
still warm from the printer, it all looks different
somehow. Racking our brains to retrieve all that
information, we are sure that it seemed much easier in
theory and when demonstrated by that clever speaker. It
is at about that time that we suspect that it is our own
inadequacies that prevent us from finding the answer.
Worse than that is not even knowing where to start.
The secret is in the
method, the steps a working horary astrologer takes to
'enter' the chart. One of the best ways of starting
horary judgement – I know that this will fall on stony
ground – is to hand draw the chart. All preparation
for judgement can be viewed as a ritual, it should be
more or less the same every time. Drawing the chart
serves two purposes: it enables the practitioner to get
a sense of the chart immediately and to place the
planets and cusps in a way that is instantly
recognisable. The computer generated chart is very
useful, but it is either too big or too small, the
planets can be placed too near or too far away from the
cusps, the data included on the form is either too much
or too little and so on. Certainly for someone new to
horary judgement, the hand drawn chart is of great help.
I don't want to push this point too far in case you
think that I still use wax tablets and an astrolabe.
So, we have our chart
lying on the desk pulsing with information – what
next? What follows is my method of approaching the
chart, I encourage my students to do this at first, but
it is by no means definitive.
1
Radicality
The first step, and the
most important, is to check for radicality. Now there is
the argument, with which I have sympathy, that this
begins when the question is received. For example, I
recently received the question, "Will I marry my
dream girl?". The wide generality of this question,
assuming that the girl in question hasn't presented
herself yet, is unlikely to produce a radical chart. If
this person had asked, "Will I marry?",
radicality is more likely, as long as his getting
married was truly feasible.
Radicality is checked in
a number of ways and these are listed in most books on
the subject, there isn't space here to detail all of
them. The single most important of these is description
and by this I mean that the chart should describe the
people and situations connected with the querent and
question. Lilly used physical description to ascertain
radicality, a little used technique modernly, but it
emphasises the need for checking the chart's validity.
You should find that the position and aspects of the
significators tally with what you know of the current
circumstances. If there is no such description then the
chart should be treated with the utmost suspicion and, I
would say, should be discarded.
The means of finding
radicality is usually reflected in, what Lilly calls,
'the considerations before judgement'. I assume this to
mean, points to be taken account of before proceeding to
judge the chart. Some would say that they are, in fact,
strictures which suggests that the chart should not be
read at all if there are any in evidence. I disagree
with this primarily because I follow Lilly's method and
he provides example charts with some of these
'considerations' in operation, but also because they can
aid description. For example, the consideration that I
pay great attention to is the ruler of the hour agreeing
with the ascendant. This agreement is achieved in three
ways according to Lilly and his sources: if the ruler of
the hour also rules the rising sign's triplicity (taking
into account whether the chart is diurnal or nocturnal
since these usually have different triplicity rulers),
if it actually rules the rising sign, if the hour ruler
and the ruler of the ascendant are of the same nature (I
want to emphasis that the rule is not that the hour
ruler agrees by nature with the rising sign).
Lilly's charts and
practical experience show that this can be extended
somewhat to include the hour ruler angular or if it has
natural or accidental rulership of the matter under
consideration, or if it is placed in a significant house
which can mean much the same thing as the previous two.
Since this is the first
of the considerations that I look at I'll offer some
explanation. Agreement of the ruler of the hour with the
ascendant offers 'permission' to proceed, I usually
explain this as showing that the querent is in step with
the flow of events surrounding the question. If the
agreement is achieved through the extended criteria
detailed above, then there is some implied difficulty in
achieving a satisfactory outcome. If there is no
agreement at all it might be that the problems might be
insurmountable or that it will be very difficult to
achieve. It might also be showing that it is an
impractical aim. You should always ask yourself why the
planetary hour is not in accord with the querent. One
horary question that sticks in my mind in this regard
was from a woman who wanted to know the sex of her
unborn baby. A straightforward question like this
shouldn't present any problems unless there are problems
with the pregnancy and in this case there were none
known and the chart gave no indications either. The
querent was aware of the need for a clear question and
was definite about her motives, so there should have
been no reason for the planetary hour waving a red flag.
The judgement was given by the astrologer and proved
incorrect, on my advice the querent was questioned more
closely and it was discovered that the child's sex had
not been uppermost in her mind, but whether the
pregnancy had been the result of an adulterous
relationship or not.
Where you are not the
querent, that is, in client work, debilities of or
afflictions to the 7th house and its ruler should be
noted. This has been said to show that there is
something wrong with your ability to judge the chart,
although I have found more frequently that the querent
has little respect for the answer you give or for you
yourself. This can often show in their not paying you!
So, the considerations
relating to the 7th house in client work and sometimes
those of the ruler of the hour are the ones which are
likely to persuade me not to judge the chart. The other
considerations are descriptive and can be incorporated
into judgement, or used on their own for judgement. For
example, if you are asked a question about a financial
investment and the ascendant is in late degrees or the
Moon is in the Via Combusta or Saturn is retrograde in
the 1st house, say, then you might warn your client
against this investment. In this instance you are not
judging the chart in detail, but you are being warned
that you might have to give a negative answer. No
astrologer likes this situation, we all want to give the
client what he or she wants. Where this isn't likely we
are being given the option of refraining from judgement,
or accepting that things are unlikely to be good and
telling the client as much.
2 Nominate
significators
The underlying criterion
for radicality, then, is description and moving on to
the next step in judgement has probably been covered
already. Nominate the significators, that is, the planet
or planets that will represent the querent and the
quesited.
Take account of planets
placed in the significant house as well as the ruler of
the sign on that cusp because such a planet could be
more descriptive. Also take note of the natural ruler of
the matter under examination. The Moon is usually the
querent's co-significator, but not always, and where you
find that the Moon represents the quesited because
Cancer is on that cusp, take care. The Moon is generally
accepted as the significator of the events involved in
the matter. In horary questions we assume that the
querent is able to influence the matter that they have
asked about and so the Moon is often closely related to
them. Where the quesited is shown by Cancer and the Moon
you can be assume that action depends upon that person
or matter. When this is the case in a question such as,
"Will I marry John?", it is more likely that
the question should have been "Will John
marry me?". The emphasis is different and the
decision, and to some extent the control, is taken away
from the querent.
3 Locate
significators
This is simply answering
the question, "where in the chart are they?".
This is also a descriptive element if, for instance, you
find the querent's significator in the 10th house in a
question referring to a job. The house position of
significators provides a good idea of prominence, so an
angular significator is always going to be able to
perform better than one in a cadent house.
4 Essential
dignity
Essential dignity is an
issue here, but again lack of space precludes going into
detail. Suffice it to say that where your significators
have essential dignity you have better hopes of
achieving the desired outcome because they are able to
act in the capacity described by that dignity.
Where you have only
accidental dignity, that is strength by position and
aspect, it places your querent in a strong position.
This might only be because they are in the right place
at the right time and says nothing about their abilities
or natural propensities, but you can still get the job
even if you aren't the best qualified.
5
Angularity
It is difficult to know
where to put this category in an orderly list because it
is likely that you will notice this very early on, or
you should. But for the purposes of this article I have
put it in this position, as long as you recognise it
before you start looking at points like aspects and so
on it doesn't matter.
Most of you will be
aware of the importance of angular significators, but
you should also take notice of any angular planet. This
is a planet that has to be noticed, it is jumping up and
down trying to get you to recognise its importance. Your
response should be to question that position and come to
a conclusion about it.
Where there is no
angularity, or worse, where your significators are
cadent you cannot hope for much. A weak chart promises,
at best, a weak outcome and often shows a weak or
unnecessary question.
6 Moon's
aspects
Make a note of the
Moon's separations and applications. I do not mean that
you should note all the aspects the Moon has made or
will make in its current sign, only its separations and
applications. These are the aspects it moves away from
(separation) or moves towards (application) whilst
being within orb of aspect. The orbs of each of
the planets is given in Christian Astrology.
Each planet is ascribed its own orb of influence which
surrounds it, for practical purposes we say that half
the orb, its moiety, extends in front of and behind the
planet. When the moieties of two or more planets are in
contact with each other they are in aspect.
Thus application and separation are technical terms
describing this action. When there is no such separating
aspect the Moon (or any planet) can be termed as
separating from void of course.
Likewise, if the Moon is
applying to no other planet it is, or is applying to,
void of course. By the way, the trans-Saturnians have
not be given orbs so far as I know and so if you use
these planets only the moiety of the traditional planet
can be used.
Furthermore, any
application or separation can cross sign boundaries
meaning that the applying aspect would become exact,
perfect, in a subsequent sign. In terms of separation,
the aspect would have perfected in a previous sign. So,
aspects do not have to perfect in the current sign to be
valid and you will notice that Lilly does this
throughout his example judgements.
(See the following chart
judgement for an example of an out of sign application.)
When the Moon is void of
course it implies little or no action, although Lilly
says that it does operate to an extent if it is in
Taurus, Cancer, Sagittarius or Pisces. This lack of
action is usually referring to the querent since the
Moon is usually their co-significator, but as mentioned
above, it could refer to the quesited if they are
represented by the Moon. So, the party represented by
the Moon cannot or will not act on this matter.
It has been said
variously that the void of course Moon means 'nothing
will come of the matter', 'there is nothing you can do
about it' and 'there is nothing to worry about'. These
interpretations are, of course, simplifications, but can
be applied in certain instances, not all. Generally
speaking the Moon void of course shows lack of
continuation in the matter and this can be that the job
you are worried about losing is lost, that the missing
person is dead, that the relationship is finished. It
might mean none of these things and simply show a lack
of substance and will be decided by the context of the
question and the chart as a whole.
7 Anything
else
At this point you have
done all of the basic preliminary work, but you might be
interested to know what fixed stars or antiscia are
active. This would be the time to be looking at those. I
do not use these very often but many astrologers do and
will always make note of them. Arabian Parts probably
fit in here, too because you will probably want to
include the Part of Fortune in most if not all of your
charts.
8 Proceed
to judgement
Only now should you be
looking in detail at producing the judgement proper. You
will by now have a pretty good idea of how the land lies
with respect to your horary chart, but confirmation by
way of aspects between significators and so on is the
last thing you do. Only major aspects (conjunction,
sextile, square, trine and opposition) will perform the
task, although background information might be obtained
sometimes through the minor aspects. Although I should
point out that you cannot apply the planetary orbs to
minor aspects which are usually only addressed when they
are within 17' of arc.
Summary
This all looks like a
lot of work, in fact it takes very little time to
collate this information and get it down on paper. Which
leads me on to my next point, always write this
information down, a chart that looks unfathomable
becomes progressively clearer as you follow these steps.
By writing your conclusions down you are crystallising
your thoughts and getting them into a clear order and I
strongly recommend this.
I can get all of this
information on to the blank half page or so below the
wheel even though my notes are untidy. I don't write on
or around the wheel itself because I like to keep this
as clear as possible.
The following checklist
offers you a synopsis of the foregoing, but bear in mind
that variations will occur in the order:
- Check and secure
radicality. Proceed with caution where any of the
considerations before judgement occur;
- Nominate
significators;
- Locate significators;
- Take note of
essential or accidental dignities;
- Take note of
angularity or lack of it;
- Note the Moon's
separations and applications;
- Anything else;
- Proceed to judgement.
Keep this list, or one
of your own making, in front of you while you work and
make sure that you follow it. This will reinforce the
ritual of judgement in its preparation and ensure that
you do not become entangled in unnecessary detail at the
beginning.
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