Gryphon Astrology Blog

Accurate astrological prediction is supposed to be complex and incredibly time-consuming. It can be, and if you want detailed predictions, you will have to put in serious time studying the natal chart, directions/progressions, and other steps. However, there is an easy method for determining how good your life will be. Joseph Crane mentions it in his book, Astrological Roots (click for review), but the method comes from the ancient Greek astrologer Dorotheus, whose book, Carmen Astrologicum,  or the Song of Astrology, is widely available in English today.

Everyone’s life has peaks and valleys, times of good fortune and bad, and this method accounts for those variations. But this is not just about one’s material well-being, though of course money will play its role. This method shows which parts of our lives will be happier and easier than others.

Predicting with Dorothean Triplicities

Here is the basic method, step by step:

1. Examine the natal chart. Note which planets are strong or weak by sign, house, and aspect.

2. Determine the length of the native’s life. This is tricky, and merits a full chapter in a book, if not a book in itself. If you’re not familiar with this technique, you can use 75 years for our purposes, and be right much of the time.

3. Identify the luminary of the time (i.e.: the sect luminary). For those born at night, this will be the Moon; the Sun rules day births.

4. Note the elemental triplicity (earth, fire, water, air) of the sect luminary. Look up the planets in the table below, noting their order. For day births, note the planets in the order written. If you were born at night, the planet marked N will go first, then the planet marked D, followed by P:

5. Each planet rules one third of your life. The happiness during that third of your life will depend on the strength of the planet in question.

Example: Barack Obama’s Horoscope

We can try out this method, with abbreviated commentary, on Barack Obama’s horoscope, which is below.

Barack Obama's Horoscope

Obama was born just after sunset, but it was still daylight, so we can consider his horoscope diurnal. Therefore, the sect luminary is the Sun in Leo. Leo is of the fiery triplicity, so the first third of his life is ruled by the Sun, the second by Jupiter, and the last by Saturn.

First third of Obama’s life – Sun in Leo, ruler of the 7^th house, placed in the 6^th house.

The strength of the Sun in its own sign tells us that Obama’s youth was generally positive, but the sixth house rules slavery and low social status, which might indicate difficulties early on in life. The sixth house also rules illness. Because the Sun rules the seventh house of other people, significant others, and open enemies, we might assume that he suffered through interpersonal relationships at this time, and that they created obstacles for him.

Second third of Obama’s life – Jupiter rx in Aquarius in the 12^th house, ruling the 2^nd and 11^th houses, opposing Mercury in Leo in the 6^th house, trine the Moon in Gemini in the 4^th house.

This part of Obama’s life is auspicious for his career and wealth, as Jupiter rules the 11th house of good fortune and ambition, and the second house of money. Jupiter is moderately strong, as it is a triplicity ruler of Aquarius, but it is afflicted by house placement in the malefic 12th house of secret enemies, and by being retrograde. This might indicate partial success, but hindrances from enemies and secrets. There could also be health issues at this time, because the sixth/12th house polarity is involved. The Moon is relatively weak in Gemini, and ruling the sixth house might cast aspersions on his heritage (Moon in the 4^th).

Last third of Obama’s life – Saturn rx in Capricorn in the 12^th house, ruling the 12^th and 1^st houses, trine Mars in Virgo in the 8^th, square Fortuna in the 3^rd.

The last part of Obama’s life will be good, though not without some suffering. Saturn is a malefic placed him in the 12th house, so again we see suffering through hidden enemies. The contact to Fortuna promises financial success, but not without effort. Saturn’s trine to Mars might bring career success, as Mars rules Obama’s 10th house of success and fame. However, the weak house placement of the two planets indicates incomplete success, or even harm through his public standing.

Take a look at your own chart and see what comes up using this method. Is it accurate for you?

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Concluding our tour of the malefic houses of the horoscope, the eighth house is thoroughly and completely malefic; it is associated with death and fear. The only neutral meaning of this house is that of other people’s assets, including inheritances; if we want to know whether our spouse will be wealthy, we might look, among other indicators, to the eighth house. This is because it is the second house from the seventh — our partners’ money.

The reason that the eighth house is malefic is because it does not form a major aspect to the ascendant, through which light enters the horoscope. Therefore, the eighth house is harmful to the life force, along with the sixth and twelfth houses.

Death

Despite what some astrologers may claim, we will all die, and it is unlikely to be a fun experience. Traditional astrology acknowledges that the quality of death varies dramatically from person to person. Strong planets in the natal eighth house represent a saving grace that helps us cheat death, or they might give an easy, peaceful death. Malefic planets in the eighth house promise the contrary. A heavy emphasis on the eighth house in predictive techniques, such as the solar return, or in progressions or directions, can indicate death. Most often, the other malefic houses, the sixth and the 12th (possibly the fourth, being the house of endings) will be activated as well.

For example, the French astrologer Jean-Baptiste Morin had an ominous solar return in 1656, well into his 70s. The solar return ascendant was conjunct the cusp of his natal eighth house, and the solar return Sun conjoined the natal 12th house cusp, along with Jupiter, ruler of the natal eighth house of death. The solar return Jupiter, ruling the eighth house of death in the natal chart, was exactly conjunct the solar return ascendant. The ruler of the natal sixth house of illness, Mercury, was conjunct the solar return Sun. Morin died in November 1656. [Data from The Art of Forecasting Using Solar Returns by Anthony Louis.] We can see that the eighth house alone may not predict death in the natal horoscope, and other malefic houses will often be involved as well.

Fear

This meaning of the eighth house tends to show up most strongly in horary charts, and disproportionately often, the ruler of the ascendant is in the eighth house, showing the querent’s fear about the issue at hand. Phobias, as such, are more of a 12th house affair. The eighth house experience of fear is more temporary and event-specific.

To round out the parade of horribles, the eighth house also rules the organs of excretion (in contrast with the organs of reproduction, ruled by the 7th house).

Other People’s Money

A couple of years ago, I did an informal study of a couple dozen natal horoscopes of those who made their money through marriage or relationships. I expected to see a strong eighth house, reflecting the spouse’s assets. However, I was disappointed, because it was usually the native’s second house or other personal indicator of wealth that was strong, not the eighth house. It was usually the natal second house or related indicators that were connected to the seventh house ruler, the Lot of Marriage, etc. The eighth house never really stood out in these horoscopes.

There is an important lesson here for astrologers. The eighth house as other people’s money is really only indicative in horary charts, where someone might ask about the assets and wealth of a prospective spouse, customer, or business partner. In the natal context, we would revert back to the usual indicators of personal wealth.

What has been your experience with the eighth house in your chart or that of others?

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Can we find creativity in the horoscope? We will look at Leonardo da Vinci’s horoscope to determine whether his tremendous inventiveness and flow of ideas were shown in his chart. To do this, we will use a method called determining the “quality of the mind.” This is a much more nuanced examination than an astrological IQ test, because unlike such tests, this method shows the person’s facility in various thinking modes. The horoscope shows one’s level of interpersonal intelligence, creative intelligence, physical intelligence, and so on.

1. Leonardo da Vinci’s Mind.

We look at the conditions of Mercury and the Moon, the left brain and right brain, respectively.

Mercury is angular in the 4^th house and thus is better positioned than the Moon. This means the native is more likely to rely on the left brain, analytical functions of the mind. However, Mercury is not very strong by sign – it is in Aries, where it moves very fast – perhaps too fast to do the kind of comparison, pro-and-con thinking Mercury loves and excels at. But Mercury was actually moving very slowly at the time of da Vinci’s birth, likely leading to a tense frustration between Mercury’s motion and its fast sign.

Opposition to an exalted Saturn can give good spatial reasoning, but there is the sense that cold, hard reality bumped up against da Vinci’s lightning-fast mind. Saturn rules the 3^rd house of communication, and he may have had difficulty conveying his ideas to others in the same purity of vision he had in his mind. Mars in Aquarius on the third house cusp made his communication fast and perhaps a touch abrasive.

The Moon is in its joy, the third house. Being cadent, the Moon is much more “tucked away” than Mercury, but for all that, it is a veritable fountain of inspiration. First, the Moon is in the phlegmatic, or watery 4^th quarter, and it is in Pisces, the most fertile of the signs. This in itself shows a pouring forth of creative ideas from the native’s right brain. As if that weren’t enough, the Moon is conjunct Jupiter in Pisces – the two most fertile planets in the most fertile sign. The third house rules communication and indeed, Leonardo’s writings and jottings are legion.

The Moon-Jupiter conjunction is sextile Leonardo’s Taurus Sun placed in the fifth house of creativity. The Taurus Sun, combined with the Saturn influence on Mercury, tell us that da Vinci’s creativity will be channeled toward the practical, tangible world. Still, Pisces is what it is, and the inventions may often seem outlandish and otherworldly. The Sun rules the 9^th house of faith, so there is a sense of divine inspiration in da Vinci’s horoscope.

2.  Leonardo da Vinci’s Significator of the Mind.

The significator of mind (aka Significator of Manner in some texts) describes the native’s personality, and the way he or she thinks and interacts with the world.

The SoM should be a planet with influence over both Mercury and the Moon. For Mercury, this is most likely Mars, as Mercury is sextile Mars and in Mars’s sign. However, we must also include the opposition to a strongly placed Saturn. The Moon is most strongly influenced by Jupiter, due to the conjunction and the fact that the Moon is in Jupiter’s sign. Ptolemy writes that Saturn and Jupiter together give a “virtuous, respectful, well-intentioned mind…prudent, patient, and philosophical.” Mars adds a bit of recklessness, a big mouth, and fierceness. Leonardo probably shunned the limelight, but had a fierce streak when challenged.

Bonus question: Who can see Leonardo’s famous “mirror writing” in his horoscope?

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The sixth house is traditionally considered malefic and harmful to life. This is because it is one of the houses (including the 8th and the 12th) that does not get the light which enters the chart from the Ascendant. In the natal horoscope, the sixth house is primarily associated with those lower on the social scale who work for the native (or slaves), disease, and small animals.

The Sixth House and Slavery Today

The ancient astrologers quite literally saw the sixth as the house of slavery and slaves. Many pages are dedicated to determining whether a native’s parents were slaves or whether he himself would end up a slave. At first glance, we can think that slavery is no longer applicable to our lives today. However, we do well to remember that even though slavery is illegal throughout the world, it is quite rampant even in the United States, though it is now called human trafficking. Therefore, for the average practicing astrologer to see a chart with indications of slavery for the native or others in his life is not at all unlikely.

Even outside of the explicit slavery context, many people all over the world hold jobs that are very low in prestige and income, and are quite menial. Again, as an example, if we saw an indication of the native’s parents being slaves, and we could rule out the fact of slavery, we might say that the parents were always employed in menial or miserable conditions.

In the traditional society, the sixth house also represented one’s clients, people who depended on the native for favors and patronage. The word client has different connotations today, but in a traditional society, people with reasonable assets were expected to take care of and aid those below them. Similarly, today, the sixth house represents one’s employees and staff.

Disease in the Sixth House

Some modern authors say that the sixth house rules health and disease, but this is sloppy thinking. Because the sixth house is associated with largely unpleasant things, or lowly people and animals, the positive concept of health does not belong in the sixth. Rather, the sixth house in the natal horoscope can show one’s propensity toward disease, and the types of diseases to which the person is prone. Mostly, the type of disease to which the person is predisposed will be shown by an overall analysis of the whole chart, but the sixth house, if implicated, can give clues to the kinds and sources of illness the person may expect.

If the sixth house afflicts some of the life-giving planets and houses seriously enough, we will know that the native does not make it to adulthood, or even to childhood. Such is the power of the sixth house and its ruler to afflict one’s well-being.

The Sixth House and Small Animals

Ibn Ezra says that the sixth house rules animals which are not “mount for man,” and this definition includes most animals that people have as pets today. But how can pets be so bad so as to deserve the malefic sixth house? I believe that the sixth house ultimately rules people and animals assisting us in household tasks. Thus, dogs and cats and even birds meant to guard and enrich our homes are ruled by the sixth house. Believe it or not, some people still have a use for their cats other than hairball production: cats keep their houses mouse-and rat-free!

But enough from me. How has the sixth house manifested in your own horoscope?

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The South Node is a respectable supporting player in all forms of astrology (horary, natal, or mundane), though its use and meaning is sometimes fuzzy. First, let’s talk about what the South node actually is, astronomically speaking. As the Moon circles the earth, it doesn’t do so in a straight line, it sort of bobs up and down as it travels, above and below the ecliptic (the apparent path of the Sun). The point at which the Moon moves upward through the ecliptic is the North node. The point in the ecliptic at which the Moon will dip down is the South node.

The Moon thus passes through the ecliptic twice in its monthly orbit. Since the Moon’s trajectory changes each month, it intersects the ecliptic at different points each time (this is the nodal cycle which takes 18.6 years), which is why the nodes appear to travel – or precess - in the horoscope.

This should give you an idea of why the South node is considered malefic; it is the point at which the Moon moves down through the ecliptic. Downward motion is considered bad, from a symbolic point of view. We moved down from Spirit into body, thereby losing some of our intrinsic spiritual qualities, cloaked as they are by gross matter. Similarly, planets that can join the South node are considered minimized in some way. If we have Venus in Libra conjunct the South node, some of that benefic Venusian influence will be lost. If Venus is in Aries, the sign of its detriment, and it is conjunct the South node, Venus now has less power to do harm.

Sometimes people wonder why the South node doesn’t make malefic planets even more harmful. This is because the South node is not a “thing,” like a harmful planet or star. The South node is an abstract point, so it’s best to think of it as a hole into which planets fall when they conjunct the South node. Their influence, for better or for worse, is now diminished.

It is impossible for the South node to cast aspects to anything. For an object to cast aspects, it has to be a thing. So abstract points like the nodes do not qualify. The only exception to this general rule seem to be the fixed stars, perhaps because they are so small and plentiful, and they don’t seem to work by much more than a conjunction. The nodes are similar, in that only a close conjunction seems to have an effect.

Some people claim that in the natal horoscope, the South node indicates our past lives. An interesting theory, though of course unverifiable. A more concrete application would be looking at any close conjunctions to the South node, and viewing the affected planet as made somewhat weaker in influence.

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Saturn is probably blamed for more problems than any other planet; this is one of the first things we hear about when learning astrology. If I had a dollar for every e-mail or comment I get having to do with Saturn problems, I would be the world’s richest astrologer. And, Saturn is traditionally known as the Great Malefic, indicating that our ancestors really disliked Saturn as well. The malign influence of Saturn has been blamed for everything from bad teeth to heartbreak, even old age and death.

So is there some way to fix our Saturn problems, so that we can avoid these problems once and for all? It turns out that people have been thinking about exactly this problem for centuries, and more like millennia. Below is a list of suggestions I found in traditional texts for dealing with Saturn issues:

1. Saturn is good to his own kind. Therefore, if you have been dealing with Saturnian problems, the key is to become more Saturnian yourself. Embrace a life of isolated contemplation (we didn’t say this would be easy!); move to a secluded mountain top. Spend a lot of time alone, and wear lots of black. The Renaissance philosopher Marsilio Ficino called this “divine contemplation.”

2. Saturn will have his due; make some space in your life for him. Most often, our Saturn problems arise from not having enough positive Saturnian influence in your life. Boundaries, meditation and contemplation, seriousness, and responsibility are all Saturnian. Make every Saturday (Saturn’s day) your day of meditation and retreat. Ficino called this “the day of Saturn unfit for action in peace or war but fit for contemplation and for beseeching divine patronage on that same day against dangers.” Brush your teeth and take responsibility for yourself. Restrict harmful things in your life. Go on a healthy diet.

3. Jupiter is an antidote to Saturn. Jupiter is the Great Benefic, and therefore is the only planet that can take on Saturn. Jupiter also governs spiritual contemplation, but more specifically, faith and hope. Jupiter rules positive thinking, and charity. If you feel you’re not getting enough from life, perhaps you should look into giving more yourself.

How have you coped with Saturn problems?

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The 12th house is one of the most fascinating astrological houses, because what we find connected with it often solves a mystery. Below is a discussion of some of the major traditional meanings of the 12th house:

Self-Sabotage, Secret Enemies, and Witches

These are the enemies who hurt us by clandestine means. Such a person might spread rumors or mail anonymous letters in order to harm us. For example, some of the classical astrology writers had many examples of horoscope so famous people who met a bad end because their 12th house was afflicted and their secret enemies eventually got executed or whatever.

Similarly, a witch would naturally also harm others via clandestine means, and we examine this house carefully when answering the question: “Am I bewitched?”

However, neither of these bad characters are as harmful as we ourselves. The 12th house is where we undercut our otherwise positive efforts. These are the strange compulsions that keep on surfacing, and that span the range between overeating and depression. Which of these actually manifest depends on the connection to other houses, and upon the person’s overall tendencies and temperament. For example, a very watery, phlegmatic type with a series of 12th house afflictions, especially in the water signs, might feel compelled to take to drink, or other drug abuse.

Secrets and Imprisonment

An active 12th house, in the right context, can show that there is secrecy afoot. In one of the Gryphon Astrology radio shows, I discussed the natal horoscope of an individual (now deceased) who had a “respectable” day job and by night was a high-risk sex worker. The 12th house was very active, and was connected to a debilitated Saturn-Venus combination. This double life eventually led to death, so the 12th house took on the dual meaning of secrets and of self-undoing.

Perhaps because 12th house habits are so problematic, they often lead to imprisonment. The “right” combination in the natal horoscope can show a more than casual brush with the judicial system.

Large/Wild Animals

Since the 12th house shows that part of us which is animalistic and wild, we also look for such animals in that house. A particularly strong 12th house, combined with the right kind of personality traits, could show someone especially attuned to working with animals, such as horses or cattle.

I am curious what your experiences with the 12th house are, whether your own or that of others.

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Yesterday, we talked about the purpose of using planetary hours as a simple form of electional astrology, and how they are calculated. Today, we get to the good stuff: how to use the planetary hours in our daily lives. It is very simple – first, we must determine the planetary nature of the activity in which we want to engage, and then find the right hour.

But what if our activity can be described by two planets? To use the example I chose yesterday, if we want to paint or compose a song, both Mercury and Venus accurately describe the activity. In this case, we can have it both ways: Start on the day of Mercury (Wednesday) in the hour of Venus, or vice versa. For extra credit, we would want the planets in question to be strong, so Mercury in Gemini and Venus in Taurus, for example. If one or both are strongly placed by house and aspect at the time we choose, so much the better.

Below is a list of planetary hour activities from Henry Coley’s Clavis Astrologiae Elimata (modernized as much as possible). Use it only as a guideline - always rely on your understanding of the planets first. To get a more comprehensive understanding of each of the planets, click on the name of the planet below:

Saturn – In the hour of Saturn take no voyage to sea, neither take any long journey by land; for crosses will assuredly attend, and small success may be expected; take no physick: entertain no servant, for they will prove idle, careless persons: not good to put on a new garment, or cut your hair; but this hour is good to buy, or take leases of houses, or lands; good to buy any kind of grain, or to dig in the earth, or plow; not good to borrow money in this hour, or to fall sick in; for it threatens a long disease, and sometimes terminates in death.

Jupiter – in the hour of Jupiter ‘tis good to apply to ecclesiastical persons, and all great men, to obtain their favor. In this hour ‘this good to take a journey; or to go out of the house with success; good to sow all kind of seeds, or to plant; not good to be let blood; he that falls sick in this hour will soon recover; good also to lend, or borrow moneys; not good to enter a ship; not good to buy beasts; to conclude, this hour is good to contract matrimony in, etc.

Mars – In the hour of Mars begin no worthy action, or enterprise, for it is a very unfortunate hour in all things, and therefore as much as may be to be avoided, it is ill to take a journey, for you shall be in danger of thieves, very ill to take a voyage to sea, and generally in all things.

Sun – The hour of the Sun is not to be chosen, as being generally infortunate, unless in making application to great persons, not good to begin a building, or put on new garments, not good to enter into a man’s own house, for discontent and brawling may then be expected to follow, this hour is good for a man to receive preferment in, not good to court the female sex, or lay down moneys upon any account, ‘tis also very dangerous to fall sick in.

Venus – In the hour of Venus ‘tis good to court women, or to begin a journey, but not a voyage, good to enter upon any play, sport or pastime; not good to be let blood in, good to go out of a man’s [own] house with success, but not so good to return again in, good to take physick in, but if a man falls sick in that hour, the disease proceeds from some venereal distemper, this hour is generally good to undertake any business relating to women’s concern, or any delightful actions, not good to begin a new garment, but singular good for marriage, and contracting in matrimony, etc.

Mercury – The hour of Mercury is very good to merchandize in, buy or sell, or to write letters, or to send messengers, to take physick in, to send children to school, to begin a journey, to lend or borrow moneys in, to put forth apprentices, to begin any building, but not good to contract marriage, or to buy houses or lands, or to re-enter your house being abroad, lest discontent or brawling arise; nor good to take or hire a servant, or to redeem a prisoner, but good to plan or graft in, and finally to make suit to great persons.

Moon – The hour of the Moon is not accounted good to buy cattle in, especially of the smaller sort, nor to take physick in, or to make new clothes; ‘tis good to court the female sex in, or send children to school, and in some cases to take a journey, or to pursue an enemy, and to conclude, you may make choice of this hour to leave your native country in (if designed to travel) but choose another hour when you return, and are to re-enter your own country in.

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In traditional astrology, the seven classical planets rule everything. We are familiar with the idea that all planets rule physical, tangible things.  For example, Venus rules tangible things like women, sweet foods, and works of art. However, the planets also rule intangible constructs, like time. According to modern thought, all time is the same, divided into equal portions, with one hour being just like another hour. However, traditionally, all the hours in a day were ruled by different planets, and the quality of a Saturn hour would be considerably different from a Jupiter hour. This is a very basic but powerful form of electional astrology - the idea that we can affect the outcome of events by beginning our project during an astrologically propitious hour. As an example, if we want to create the most beautiful painting within our means, we start working during a Venus or Mercury hour.

How Planetary Hours Work

1. Each day of the week is ruled by one of the seven planets. Sunday = the Sun, Monday = the Moon, Tuesday = Mars, Wednesday = Mercury, Thursday = Jupiter, Friday = Venus, and Saturday = Saturn. Each day begins at sunrise and ends at sunrise the following day. As a result, if the sun rises at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, and it is currently 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning, we are ruled by the previous day’s planet, the Moon. When 6 a.m., Tuesday, rolls around, the day ruler is now Mars until sunrise on Wednesday.

2. Each day is divided into two halves: daytime and nighttime: daytime is sunrise to sunset, and nighttime is sunset to the next sunrise. Then, each half, daytime and nighttime, is divided into 12 equal hours, giving us a total of 24 hours in one day.

Still with me? If you’re thinking ahead, you will realize that in the depths of winter, when night is a lot longer than day, the 12 nighttime hours will all be very long, whereas the 12 daytime hours will all be quite short, as all twelve of them have to squeeze into a short amount of daytime. The reverse is true in the summer, when the night is very short and the day is long. This is why the system is also called “the unequal hours” system. A daytime hour and a nighttime hour will usually be of unequal lengths, depending on the time of year.

3. Every day, the first hour after sunrise will be ruled by the same planet as the day ruler. Therefore, the first daytime hour of Saturday, the day ruled by Saturn, will be ruled by Saturn as well. The planets always go in this order, indefinitely (from the slowest planet to the fastest): Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon. So a Saturn hour is always followed by a Jupiter hour, and so forth. A Moon hour is again followed by a Saturn hour.

So how do you figure out what planetary hour you are currently in?

Yes, you could calculate it all by hand, but I prefer software. If you use Windows, get ChronosXP. It’s not beautiful, but it is highly functional. If you’re a Mac user, you’re in luck, because you can get Astroclock, the world’s most gorgeous planetary hours screensaver. When I first saw it on someone’s computer, I seriously considered getting a Mac. Astroclock also shows you the dodecahour (5 minute) and sub-dodecahour (2.5 minute) planetary rulers. I don’t use these minor subdivisions, but they certainly sound cool.

Tomorrow: What to Do with Planetary Hours?

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I get enough questions on some of the terms and expressions I use casually in my blog posts, that I thought it would be helpful to start an occasional column explaining some of the terms. Last week, I got a very good question asking about the meaning of affliction, like when I say a planet is afflicted.

There is no particularly scientific definition of this, but a planet can really be afflicted in three major ways. It can be weak by sign placement, it can be afflicted by aspect (to another afflicted planet, pretty much regardless of the type of aspect involved), and it can be afflicted by placement in a negative house or by retrogradation.

If you look at your own horoscope, you’ll find that your planets are usually afflicted by one or maybe two of the above factors. The more of the above factors are present, the tougher it will be for that particular planet to behave well in your chart. For example, if you have a very afflicted planet ruling your 11th house of friends, you either have few friends, or there will be something wrong with your friends.

Typically though, you will see that while a planet may be afflicted, another positive factor helps it out. As an example, we can look at the chart below, which is the horoscope for Justin Timberlake, the pop star:

He has a somewhat afflicted Sun, because it is in the sign of its detriment Aquarius, and it is in the malefic sixth house of illness, and it is not helped by the negative reception from Jupiter and Saturn (which are in the sign of the Sun’s fall, Libra). Even though it is exalted, Saturn is still Saturn, and Jupiter is not strong enough to lend a particularly helpful hand here. This might point to Timberlake experiencing long-term health issues later in life, especially since the Sun rules his first house of the body and the overall vitality.

Tomorrow, I will talk about the types of difficulties associated with each planet, and use Justin Timberlake’s chart to discuss some of the difficulties associated with his planetary afflictions.

—Readers who are interested in a natal analysis of their horoscopes (afflicted planets and all), may contact Nina Gryphon via her reading requests page.

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