Some Beginning Steps in Horary Astrology
Table Of Contents:
The Hour and Day Rulers
Degrees of the Moon’s Travel
Horary uses the Ancient Rulerships
What Planet Rules the Quesited
Horary Question: When Will He Propose? Nov. 27, 2001 03:01AM, Union City, NJ
The Hour and Day Rulers
There are several steps which must precede any viewing of a horary chart, to determine if it is fit to be judged. There are considerations before judgement. That’s the traditional term for it.
The ancient astrologers were oftentimes challenged and their safety lay in knowing never to give an answer while certain considerations applied. In particular, never give an answer for the Horary which has the Saturn in the 7th. In the old work, the 7th was more than the partner, it was also the consultant. Saturn‘s presence in the 7th was a sure “sign” that the Astrologer was giving the wrong answer.
However, the chart itself may be partly “elected,” knowing that a favorable aspect was about to occur; in other words, a time is “chosen” by the astrologer and not prompted by the event. Wishful thinking is different than the sincerity which reveals the true intention borne of prayer. Sometimes a question is brought on by an event which causes concern and presses hard on the soul for an immediate answer. In any case, the astrologer does not need to answer each and every one. Sometimes the question is fleeting, other times the person who is asking is not authorized to know.
The Hour and Day rulerships restrict the number of possibilities for deciding that a chart is “fit to be judged.” It means that the astrologer must also abide by the stars in his own practice, and to allow this to inform his personal and professional decisions. If the day/hour rulers do not “coincide” with the chart, it is treated less seriously. It is a time which perhaps helps the astrologer to dismiss it as not truly “valid.”
In other words, a chart must address a query asked at a valid time for a chart to be worthy of interpretation. A query may have been asked frivolously. “When Will He Propose?” is one of the most important questions of love for a woman. If the Hour and Day Rulers agree with the Ascendant or some other important factor, then we can say the heavens agree to give her an answer at that moment.
Locate the hour ruler and day ruler and see if they accord with the subject matter of the question. If the hour ruler and the ruler of the sign rising are not in aspect, or in any way connected to the ascendant, something is missing. The chart does not show “validity” by virtue of a mismatch to the hour ruler and the chart ruler, even though Libra rises. It is not a valid chart.
The Hour and Day rulers must agree with the House ruler selected for the question. In this case, the proposal of marriage is clearly a 7th house matter. The question is a 7th house query. (See Ivy Goldstein, page 210.) The ruler of the 7th is Mars.
The Hour Ruler is Mercury. The Day Ruler is Moon.
The Day Ruler Mercury is in a house ruled by Mars (Scorpio rules the 2nd). This is a weak argument, since Mercury is in Sagittarius (so accuse me of padding it a bit heavy on this one, but I’ll count it anyway… just because).
The Day Ruler is the Moon. The Moon is in Mars‘ sign Aries. And, the Moon is in the 7th house. Venus, ruler of all questions of Love, is in a sign also ruled by Mars. And, Mars is in a square aspect to the ruler of the chart, Venus. There seems to be enough concordance to the 7th house and Venus to make the chart valid. The Mercury may have a little more compliance ruling in favor of judging the chart, if we say that Mars (ruler of the 7th) in Aquarius is received (Aquarius, ruled by Saturn) by Saturn who is himself in Mercury’s sign of Gemini. Again, the Mercury is only involved in the chart as a validating hour ruler in a kind of stretched out, second-generation “hit,” not really an “on the money, the chart’s valid, let’s go,” confirmation.
Astrologers are trained to expect certain archetypes to present themselves at times as described by their practice; they seek not just harmonious aspects to their chart, but to be able to be aware–and thus render themselves more harmonious–of the entire circle of possibilities. This made the hour appropriate to elicit an answer from the gods. In another era, astrologers were commanded to deliver the oracle in correctly disguised language so as not to attract the animus of harsh governing bodies, such as the Spanish Inquisition. Lives were often at stake. They protected themselves (and sometimes others) by these rules of validation of a chart. If a chart wasn’t valid, he could say to whomever that the moment was not correct for the query and thus reccommend another option for choosing when to become involved in an argument between church and state, or for his own life.
Rising Degrees
Degrees under 3 rising, the question was “too soon,” in its development and that alone gave part of the answer. Degrees much later, 27, 28, 29 and that was an answer for “too late,” in the development.
Degrees of the Moon’s Travel
Follow the remaining degrees of the Moon. In your imagination count how many degrees the moon has remaining while still in her current sign. Count and list in order the number of aspects she makes to any other planets before leaving that sign. That tells the story of how the question will go.
The Moon is at 23, and in a fiery sign. The Horary chart does not take into consideration the “non-Ptolelmaic” aspects. This is based on a numerological principle, so just take me at my word.
Only the Conjoyning (using Medieval English) The Opposition, the Sextile, Square and Trine are used in Horary. It is a love question, but here the Moon does not make an aspect to Venus: they are semi-sextile, and that is a “modern” aspect so we ignore it.
We move a degree at a time starting from the degree of the Moon at 23 Aries. (We find Venus at the same degree of Scorpio. Since both are in signs ruled by Mars, draw a different conclusion–it’s Mars, not just lovey-dovey stuff, as we shall soon see). Follow the consecutive order of the lunar influences. Previously to the chart’s time, the Moon sextiled Uranus. In Horary I have come to use the modern planets for modern stuff. Aviation and electronic techno stuff comes to mind for the Uranus. The Internet for the techno tools mass-manufactured with standards which make them uniform and integrative; all are modern-era innovations. The last aspect the Moon made before the chart was drawn, and previous to the question, sets the condition for asking the question in the first place. What is she worried about? This will help to give the hopeful fiancee a more complete picture by seeking the last aspect made by the Moon.
The Moon previously sextiled Mars, ruler of the 7th. Counting, that’s Uranus and Mars at 21 Aquarius, and Moon at 23 Aries.
If Mars had last been squared by the Moon, there would have been a “bite” or a “cut off” or interruption of the relationship, at least. Perhaps a disagreement.
I find this chart meaningful besides these rules in that the co-ruler at all times of the querent is the Moon and she is angular. This shows the querent to be under the sway of the partner; to some this position of the moon might also “accidentally” (by house position) validate the question instead of the more usual “essential” dignity by rulership or exaltation because it is simply a 7th house question.
Horary Uses the Ancient Rulerships
One of the first things that shocks the newcomer to the Ancient Work of Horary is the rulerships. Aquarius is ruled by Saturn, Jupiter rules both Sagittarius and Pisces and Mars rules Aries and Scorpio.
Consistency with the ancient rulerships works best, and their use as the rulers of houses or signs has improved my astrology enormously. Rulerships are based on a design pattern which is apparent only after learning them and using them in practice. This idea is one that deserves a longer treatment.
Outer planets do not rule any signs or houses, but they do figure in the chart.
The Planet That Rules the Quesited
Early in the process we determined the 7th house belonged to the marriage proposal question. Therefore we can name the bride to be the Libra ascendant, and her betrothed (to be) as her 7th. Now the astrologer pursues the “zodiacal condition” of that house ruler.
The Moon is the “fortuna” of the chart, she leads the entire drama by her “swelling” (since she is the source of all waters) that we see magnified by her reflected light or soft blur dwindling or increasing, by the month. The Moon is the second-hand of the watch, ticking off the events as they occur.
The partner, as signified by Mars, the 7th house ruler, is on the cusp of the 5th of lovers, yet squaring the ruler of Love, Venus. Venus is at 23, Mars at 21. Venus passed Mars some days before the question. She is a faster-moving planet, and not in retrograde motion. The faster planet made its exact aspect a day or two ago. It might suggest a past disagreement. It may also suggest a kind of “Mars problem” between them, since the ruler of the chart Venus is in Scorpio (ruled by Mars) and the Moon, her co-ruler is in Aries. There is a question of strategy, or even “war” between them, like a competition. Further, the moon no longer makes any aspects. The astrologer asks herself whether these two had a run-in (squares equal tension). Happily, all these aspects are in the past insofar as the motion of the Moon is concerned.
This aspect may reveal the motivation behind asking the question: Would their recent fight signify the knock-out punch (Mars) of the relationship, or was marriage (Venus) still in the works for them? She had asked the astrologer only the last part of her question. It is up to the astrologer to arrive at this comment on the question itself.
The Moon is angular, meaning powerful, but she is “void.” She’s at 23 Aries, with only 7 more degrees in the sign Aries, and no other planet at that degree or later in Ptolemaic aspect (conjuction, sextile, square, trine, opposition). The Moon may tell her story using only the Ptolemaic aspects and these only to planets, no asteroids or parts, etc. She makes no more aspects gives her status “void,” so, “Nothing furthers the question.”
The Moon in Void of Course has no event to report. It’s like the gas that has gone out of the bag, the balloon freely floats or just hangs limply, without action. The mood is over. We are back to the situation as it is, no change. Taken with an invalid chart (though this one seemed “valid” to me) the client can breath a sigh of relief as the question goes nowhere and daily life continues as it had…for now. I say breath relief because had a valid chart given a disappointing answer, this client might have been unhappy.
See also: The Moon in Horary Astrology
Last updated on April 22, 2017 at 5:34 pm. Word Count: 1925
