A moment of time has its qualities, whether it is the moment of a human birth or the moment of the crystallization of a problem, as in horary. The analysis and interpretation of that moment is our art, and shows the interrelationship and oneness of the universe, for astrology is the comparison of heavenly positions with events on earth. From our analysis, if we are good horary astrologers, we should be able to predict the possible outcome of a situation.Not many people believe we can predict, to the general public this is an amusing idea, a sort of parlor game. Indeed, many contemporary 'astro-psychologists' in their hearts do not believe it either, because they have never learnt how to do it themselves. In these articles I will discuss the techniques and methods written down and explained to us by our prede-cessors, who, although they lived at a time of different technology, had the patience to observe and discover many facts of astrology that have been almost lost today. There are, of course, some contemporary 'astrologers' who presume they know better than astrologers of previous generations, and there are those who, without realizing it, base their knowledge on no writer before the twentieth century, relying on a system that has no root or foundation, one that has, to a large extent, been 'invented' by some would-be astro-psychologist to attract notice or financially rewarding clients.
Americans have been fortunate in that they have had the books of Ivy Goldstein Jacobson, who kept horary astrology alive during the twentieth century, but admirable though she is, her astrology by her own admission is 'simplified'. More than three hundred years ago William Lilly pro-duced his great masterpiece, the first astrology book in the English lan-guage, Christian Astrology, in 1647. Lilly translated directly from the Latin, incorporating the information from over three hundred great as-trological works of the past. By Mrs. Jacobson's time much of that infor-mation had been watered down. It is not that it is wrong, but it has lost much of the wealth of detail and added dimensions that early writers sup-ply. Astrology must be nearly as old as humanity; we have history from Chaldea, Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Arabs and Jews, and then its arrival back in Europe with Bonatus in the 13th century. There is a wealth of research to be done.
Here in England where I live we had a great flowering of astrology at the time of William Lilly - that was during our civil war in the mid 17th century - but then came the Age of Reason and the Royal Society, which, with all good intentions in the world, decided nothing could be true unless it could be scientifically proven, which of course many things like religion, faith, hope, great art and astrology cannot. These things are observable but not scientifically provable. So astrology fell into decline. Then, in 1914-1917, the police prosecuted a leading astrologer, Alan Leo, for fortune telling. He had told a client (a policeman in disguise) that he could expect a death in the family, and although he protested that he only gave 'tenden-cies' in his interpretation this excuse was not accepted. Leo had a heart attack and died, but not before he had adapted and bent the truths of astrology to fit in both with British law and with psychology, a subject more acceptable to the attitudes of his time. This entailed emphasizing Signs out of all recognition and many other false ideas that continue to be taught to this day as astrology.
We were therefore fortunate that in the 1980's the books of earlier writers were rediscovered: Lilly's original Christian Astrology (of which only some 25 copies had survived), and the writings of Gadbury, Ramesey, Coley, Partridge, and others. Then Robert Hand and his colleagues in Project Hindsight and ARHAT began a series of translations from Greek, Latin and Arabic. The richness of our subject began to dawn, and many astrologers have started to rethink and research more deeply. But to fully appreciate those early works a simple explanation of the techniques and methods used will help. Hence this series of articles.
If you are a horary astrologer there is, in the first place, the moment of the question to consider. Recognition of such a moment is very important. It is a moment of deep and sincere thought on a subject, and the question should be written down, with the time, when you are quite sure of the wording. If someone else who is not an astrologer brings such a question to you, the time to take is when you, the astrologer, understand the question. The participation of the astrologer is relevant.
The questioner, whoever he or she is, is shown by the Ascendant and the planet ruling the sign thereon, and partly by the Moon. If the astrologer asks the question he is shown by the Ascendant and its ruler, just the same as anyone else.
If the question is something that should not be asked the chart will tell you so. Lilly discusses Considerations Before Judgment as a warning to the astrologer that he should "well consider whether the figure is radical and capable of judgment." I believe that those who follow Mrs. Jacobson tend to ignore this and judge all charts, but I follow an older way and will discard unsuitable charts. It may be true that all charts can be read, but it is undoubtedly true that there are many it would be wiser to reject, for one reason or another. We can postpone the discussion of the Considerations because they presuppose knowledge of triplicities that are not used by some astrologers. Ptolemy's Table of Dignities, which lists the triplicities, will be explained later.
In horary the questioner (or Querent) is represented by the Ascendant and its ruler, and partly by the Moon. The matter being asked about, which is known as the Quesited, is represented by the house that rules the matter. It is therefore very important to understand the categories of things ruled by each House.
There is also the action, which is generally indicated by the Moon. It acts like the minute hand of a clock, pointing to the result.
The most important thing in horary is to know the House you are deal-ing with. William Lilly was very specific on this point:
He that shall learn the nature of the Planets and Signs without exact judg-ment of the Houses, is like an improvident man, that furnisheth himself with a variety of household stuff, having no place wherein to bestow them.Everything in this life belongs to one of these departments, one of the houses. Partnership belongs to the 7th, whether in business or marriage; dreams belong to the 9th; ambitions and hopes to the 11th; and so on.
After you have decided the department you are dealing with - and this requires a clear and precise question in the first place - then consider the ruler of the Sign on the cusp of that house. If the question concerns the profession, look at the 10th cusp. If Sagittarius is there, look at Jupiter - weigh up its position, its strength and weakness, its connections.
THE FIRST HOUSE rules the querent, the first person, the physical body. If you ask a horary question for yourself the ascending Sign will often be your own natal Ascendant, or your Sun or Moon sign, especially with the first chart you try. It is 'myself', ourselves, the vehicle in which we travel - if you were asking about a ship you were to travel on, you would look at this cusp.
It will describe the shape of the physical body. It symbolizes the head and face in particular, and Saturn, Mars or the South Node here, badly placed, will show a blemish on the face or on the part of the body that is symbolized by the Sign on the cusp. If few degrees ascend it will be higher, if many degrees ascend it will be lower.
In Mundane Astrology, at the time of the Spring Equinox or when there is a major conjunction of the planets, it represents the people or the general state of the country where the chart is drawn.
Because it has a connection with the color white, a planet here makes one paler. It will tell you, if you should ask and if a significator is here, that the color of clothes or animals is a pale color. It also tells you that a lost article is at home with its owner, in the house of whoever enquires.
Because of its particular connection with the head, Mercury here, which can symbolize the tongue, may denote a good speaker, someone who is good with words and who has a good memory and imagination.
It is the east angle and a masculine house.THE SECOND HOUSE will be examined if you have a question about a personal possession, which is movable. If you have lost something, note the Sign on the cusp of the 2nd, consider its ruler and identify the house it is in - for example, if the 2nd-ruler is in the 12th, the missing object will be in the bedroom. This house rules all money, wealth, profit and gain, income and loss, your bank account and all things that are yours.
At an eclipse or major conjunction this house is used in Mundane As-trology to indicate a nation's wealth, resources and armaments.
Of the body, it represents the neck and the back part of it towards the shoulders. Of colors, it signifies green.
Jupiter here increases money, but the Sun or Mars show it being dispersed.THE THIRD HOUSE signifies brothers and sisters, relations, neigh-bors, also short journeys, messengers, rumors, newspapers, reporters, writing, letters, communications, post offices, telephone calls, and cars.
It rules the shoulders, arms, hands and fingers.
Its colors are red and yellow and a light reddish brown.
The Moon in this house means much moving about, and Mars is less unfortu-nate here than elsewhere.THE FOURTH HOUSE is concerned with our beginning, our base, our ancestry, inheritance and father; with real estate, towns, castles and buildings; with the soil, fields, gardens and orchards; with the quality and nature of the ground one buys, whether it is woody, stony or barren. It is also the end of anything, and rules treasures hidden in the ground. A significator here may denote drowning, as with a chart I recently drew to know where a satellite would fall.
It is a feminine house and the North angle. Its color is red, and of the body it rules the breasts and lungs.
When looking for a missing article, the significator here can indicate that it is in a room in the center of the house, or where the most elderly person in the family likes to be. The 4th house relates to misplaced articles rather than lost ones, which are a 2nd house matter.
The 4th house used to be called the Angle of the earth.
In nativities the father is represented not only by this House, but also by a planet in the 4th, or by the Sun in a daytime chart and by Saturn in a nighttime one.THE FIFTH HOUSE represents pregnancy and one's children. It also represents enjoyment and entertainment, games, gambling, speculation and the Stock Market, theater and banquets.
The old books also say it represents ale-houses and taverns, so I sup-pose that must mean pubs and bars.
Its colors are black and white and a honey color. Its body parts, the stomach, liver, heart, sides and back.
Mr. Lilly wrote: "It is a house of pleasure, delight and merriment."
It is the House of the Muses.
But note well that it does not rule love affairs as some books say. They belong to the 7th house.
Saturn or Mars in this house shows disobedient children.THE SIXTH HOUSE rules such matters illness, healing, service, and a preoccupation with work. It also concerns trade and merchandise, espe-cially grain.
It rules such people as employees, office workers, factory workers, farm workers, lodgers, tenants, accountants and secretaries. It concerns employment, work, toil, and its preoccupation with detail makes it include computers and calculators.
In a Mundane chart it indicates the Civil Service. Its connection with health and sickness includes the kind of illness and its cause, its curability, and its duration. Healers and dentists belong to this house, and both t and r here shows a good doctor.
It rules small animals up to the size of, and including, sheep and goats.
In the body, it rules parts of the belly and intestines. Its color is black. It is a feminine house and considered unfortunate.
Until recently we were not allowed to use astrology to diagnose illness in England. The AFA have published a very interesting book of extracts from two books by Culpepper, his Astrological Judgment of Disease and his The Decumbiture of the Sick.THE SEVENTH HOUSE concerns all forms of partnership, whether these are marriage, business, or love. It gives judgment on all kinds of love questions, and will describe the person asked about. Just as the 1st house is 'the self' so the 7th is 'the other'. It is the house of open enemies, whether in divorce, lawsuits, contracts or war. It is also the house of thieves.
In a chart of the Spring Ingress, it shows if war or peace may be ex-pected. The parts of the body ruled are the haunches and buttocks.
Its color is black. I have come to the conclusion that pale colors belong to the left side of a chart and dark to the right, and that when the old books say black they mean very dark. The 7th house however is allocated dark black.
Mars or Saturn here shows an unfortunate marriage. The Moon in the 7th shows change of partnership or ownership.
It rules fugitives, runaways and banishment. It is the angle of the West and is masculine.THE EIGHTH HOUSE was called the house of death, but now it is generally used as the house of other people's money. This house will never show the death of the Querent. In certain cases it will refer to the death of people, but one needs a great deal of additional evidence. It will show, for instance, the sinking of a ship.
The 8th house rules the deceased's estate, wills, legacies, dowry, and describes the sort of death. It rules undertakers.
It shows the resources of 'the other', as the partner's money and in a lawsuit those assisting your opponent. It rules tax collectors.
In a mundane chart it shows the resources of the enemy.
In the body it rules the sex organs, piles, stone, and the bladder. It rules surgery and cutting. It is a feminine house and associated with black (or a dark color).
Culpepper had some vivid remarks to make about this house.THE NINTH HOUSE, the House of God, rules distant travel whether in mind or body: overseas travel and foreign countries, voyages, foreign trade, explorers, marching, and world assemblies.
It rules deep thought, religion, the clergy, Bishops and the Church, learning, further education, ceremonies and publishing.
It also rules dreams and visions since they come from God.
In the body it rules the hips and thighs. Its colors are green and white.
y in this house indicates a religious person.THE TENTH HOUSE signifies royalty, kings, queens, princes, dukes, and those who are held in esteem in the world; judges, magistrates, anyone in command, presidents, commanders, captains and prime ministers.
It also rules the profession or trade - the position of the ruler of this house, plus the Sun, will show one's profession.
It rules such abstract values as honor, authority, dignity of office, and victory.
In its capacity as the seventh from the 4th house of fathers, it signifies mothers.
It rules the knees and calves, and the colors red and white. It is the South angle, the MC and it is feminine.
The Sun or Jupiter in this house is considered fortunate, but Saturn or the South Node here will deny honor in the eyes of the world and not much luck in one's trade or profession.THE ELEVENTH HOUSE was called the House of the Good Daemon by the ancients. It rules friends, hope, trust, confidence, ambition and praise.
It also rules the resources of the 10th house, therefore the resources of the kingdom and the resources of the profession or business.
It rules societies and their members.
If someone asks about something they hope for, though they do not disclose what it is, this house may judge it.
Its colors are yellow and orange. It rules the ankles and legs. It is a masculine house.THE TWELFTH HOUSE shows secret enemies, hidden matters, family scandals, sorrow and undoing, witches and informers, and afflictions.
It rules large institutions like hospitals and prisons, and therefore jail-ers.
It rules solitude, mysticism, monks, nuns, and sleep. If you have lost something here, it is in the bedroom, a place of retirement.
It rules large animals: horses, elephants, and whales.
The 12th house rules the feet and the color green. It is a feminine house. "Saturn does much joy in this house," says William Lilly, "for Saturn is the author of mischief."Lee Lehman has compiled a list of rulerships, derived from the writ-ings of Al Biruni, Culpeper, Gadbury, Lilly, Partridge, Ptolemy, Ramesey and Saunders, which is published in her The Rulership Book. I recom-mend its use. Other books on the subject, written during the twentieth century will mislead you - beware.
For a straightforward explanation of horary techniques, my own book is called Horary Astrology Rediscovered and is obtainable through book-shops . Try it. I can answer questions that are directed to me through our editor, Ken Gillman.
To be continued
Webmaster's Note
This article was reproduced from Considerations Magazine (Volume XV, No. 2). Ken Gillman kindly offered text files to save my time of retyping.HSK