This is a regular question and answer column for those new to astrology, or those who have gotten their feet wet a little in their study of astrology, but are looking for more answers. These are questions I have received and those with which I have seen newcomers struggle. Do you have general questions about astrology?  Contact me.

Q: What are the real dates for astrology signs? They are different in all the books and newspaper columns. What sign am I?

A: There are a number of people out there who live in the strange twilight zone of not knowing their Sun sign for sure.  The good news is that you don’t have to be one of these poor lost creatures for a moment longer.

The dates show when the Sun moves into a new sign; it takes the Sun one year to travel through the twelve signs of the zodiac.  The reason the dates are different in various sources (usually varying by a day or so) is that the Sun isn’t on the exact same schedule every year.  For example, in 2009, the Sun entered the sign of Aries on March 20, but in 2003, the Sun entered Aries on March 21.  The only way to be sure of your Sun sign if you are born near one of these dates is to consult an ephemeris for the date of your birth, examine your astrological chart, or get an astrological reading.

Some astrologers claim that people born within a day of a Sun’s change of  signs are “born on a cusp” and therefore have qualities of both the preceding and the next sign.  This is most definitely incorrect; the Sun is either in a sign or it’s not.  Believing that the Sun is in two signs at once is like saying that one can be a little bit pregnant, or only slightly dead.  One sees this notion most often in Sun sign books or columns, but few professional astrologers incorporate it into their practice in any significant way.

The other reason that the concept of being born on a cusp is incorrect is that astrologers who espouse the idea do not extend the same reasoning to the other planets which are part of one’s horoscope.  For example, many people are born on the same day that the Moon changes signs, because the Moon changes signs every 2 1/2 days, but no one claims that such people share the qualities of both the signs that the Moon occupied that day.

Finally, there are no clear guidelines as to when being born on the cusp starts and ends.  Is it within an hour or day of the Sun’s changing signs?  No one has a definitive answer, and there are no written sources that resolve the question once and for all.  Best advice: forget all about cusps, and instead get your horoscope done or learn astrology so you can discover the right Sun sign.

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The lunar eclipse of July 7 will intensify the current US debate regarding an overhaul of health care, and this time will also emphasize the trouble in which much traditional media find itself. there may also be additional discussion of the government accessing private citizens’ data, and also a highly publicized cutting of social services for the public, in the name of reduced funds.

The lunar eclipse will happen just above the horizon in Washington DC, at 9:21 AM GMT, July 7. The French astrologer Jean-Baptiste Morin said that locations where the body being eclipsed is angular will see the strongest effects from the eclipse. In Washington DC, the lunar eclipse has the Moon in the seventh house, and above the horizon, so it will be visible as well as angular. This eclipse is especially important because the Moon, which is being eclipsed, was the ruling planet of the U.S. horoscope for this summer. The ascendant of the lunar eclipse horoscope will be in the sign Cancer, which is the sign most prominent for the summer horoscope for the United States. This means that the lunar eclipse will bring to bear some of the effects promised in the Summer 2009 horoscope for the United States. Many of the issues below were highlighted for the U.S. for this summer, and this lunar eclipse, due to the similarity between this horoscope and the summer horoscope, will activate these topics and make them more apparent and intensely debated.

The Lunar Eclipse and the US Healthcare Debate

The chattering classes, especially in July and early August 2009, will be all abuzz about the impending Congressional bills regarding an overhaul of American healthcare. This battle will be fought very much in the press, and in the court of public opinion. A health care bill will be passed this summer, but Pres. Barack Obama will not get everything that he wants in the bill. It will be very difficult to get the bill through in the form that he envisions, and his ability to dictate the terms of the bill will be hobbled by the fact that there is not enough money to pay for the changes that he wants. the resulting bill will be an improvement on the existing state of things, but it will likely be far short of a major change from the current system.

President Obama’s political opponents are very much aware of the power of public opinion, and they will use all of their considerable media influence to shape the debate.  Prepare for a blitz of attack advertisements following this lunar eclipse.

The Decline of Newspapers and the Power of Technology

American newspapers have not been doing well financially, as they find they cannot compete with online media outlets. There will be renewed attention to this situation, and some traditional media will embrace or merge with Internet or other electronic news formats.  The idea of branding will be especially important, in that a well-known media or Internet brand will change dramatically, or even close down entirely.

A new and noxious electronic virus may be making the rounds and getting public attention as the lunar eclipse nears.

Swine Flu Regains the News

There will be additional attention to matters of public health, which this summer likely means the swine flu. The flu will continue to grow in strength, and the media and public hysteria will grow in step with the spread of the illness.

To find more astronomical data about the July 7 Lunar Eclipse, visit the NASA Eclipse Page, and download the July 7 Lunar Eclipse fact sheet (pdf).

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The 2009 Iran election is over, and the people had filled the streets in protest.  Now, there is a minor lull as the authorities have cracked down violently on the protesters.  What will happen next in this stalemate?

Astrological omens indicate that the action is not yet over, and indeed, may just be beginning.  The summer of 2009 will bring violence and bloodshed in Iran, specifically violence involving the government committed in the name of Islam.  Women will be very important in these events, particularly women from Iran’s ruling class.  The rulers will display their enemies’ injured bodies as public deterrents, perhaps ensuring that images of death get out to the public and the world.  The astrologer Masha’allah said that in years where Mars governs and is in the 10th house, the king will “put his enemies in a gibbet.”  Among the president’s enemies will be those from his own circle (from domicile of significator of the president).  There will be great conflict among the clerics, and also contention between the common people and the clerics.

The horoscope for the summer promises serious conflicts, with Mars aspecting Saturn out of the Midheaven, indicating the weakness of the ruler.  The horoscope for this summer in Iran is below:

Mars governs the horoscope, as it is at the top of the chart, and it is about to enter the 10th house, the house of the king.  However, it will be shortly overtaken by Venus, and then trine Saturn.  This is likely indication that the violence (perpetrated in the name of Islam, as it is a Venusian religion, and Mars is in Venus’s sign) will be done with the help of the government and of the people (paramilitary groups?), and that the current rulers will harm their enemies.  Mars is in Taurus, the sign of its detriment, indicating violence and harm to the rulers.

This horoscope is similar to the Capricorn Ingress of 1978, presaging the exile of the Shah, who fled the country in early 1979.  In that horoscope, Venus was in the Midheaven in the sign of her detriment.

End of July (around the Solar Eclipse of July 22, 2009, which will be visible in Iran) indicates possible changes in leadership in Iran this year.  There will be more on this eclipse later, but for now, suffice it to say the eclipse shows difficulties for the existing government.

The horoscope for 2009 promised violence and death this year in Iran, particularly the deaths of young people, indicated by the Mercury-Saturn opposition out of the 8th house of death.  Again, Mars was prominent in the 7th house.

Interestingly, the Iranian regime is having its own Saturn return, a time said to be difficult for individuals and organizations alike; Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile in February 1979, when Saturn was at 12 Virgo.

Regardless of the short-term outcome, this summer’s events plant the seeds for a much more serious showdown in Iran several years from now.

P.S.: Late last year, Gryphon Astrology did a seven-part series on the astrological history of revolution in Iran.

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This Full Moon is in 17° Sagittarius and it looks to be a very interesting month indeed. In astrology, the Full Moon is thought to bring forth the potentials promised by earlier horoscopes.  The Full Moon chart will only do something if an earlier horoscope promises it. Before we talk about the effect of this Full Moon on current events, let’s talk about a few of the characteristics of the Full Moon chart that will be effective worldwide.

Saturn at 15° Virgo squares the luminaries, creating a configuration all in mutable signs. Because two of the signs are ruled by Mercury, we look to it to get additional information; it is moving very slowly in Taurus, having just come out of retrograde motion, and it is conjunct the malefic fixed star Algol. Mercury is also square Jupiter in Aquarius. Jupiter receives the moon by rulership, so we can see that the Mercury-Jupiter square will be important during this Full Moon.

The Full Moon chart set for Washington DC is below.

General Trends

Using Morin’s method of determining the ruler of the chart, we see that Saturn is the indisputable ruler of this Full Moon horoscope. Obviously, this does not bode well, because Saturn is a malefic, and it brings unpleasant things like illnesses, poverty, exalts, panics, disasters, and death. It is configured in the 12th house, so we will expect respiratory diseases (Saturn in the Mercury sign), and the revelation of secrets and scandals, things to do with prisons, charities, the homeless, and large animals. It is disposed by Mercury in the eighth house of death, and it is on Algol, so there is a strong determination to violent death in this Full Moon chart. Because Mercury is the planet of communication and speech, it signifies a revelation of secrets or scandals, quite possibly of a sexual or financial nature. Mercury is disposed by Venus conjunct Mars in Taurus. The 12th and eighth houses dominate here, indicating some kind of tragedy. The prison/torture scandal will gather momentum.

Bad, But Not Terrible…

However, let’s remember that this Full Moon horoscope only be effective if it is linked to another, preceding chart. The Aries ingress horoscope set for Washington DC is below.

It also has a strong emphasis on the 12th house, with Venus and Mars ruling it, and in mutual reception. The similar 12th house emphasis again speaks of imprisonment, secrets, and scandals. However, Saturn is not involved as a ruler in this chart, and therefore some of the worst effects in the previous paragraph will not be seen in Washington DC or by extension, the United States.

In other words, it is a positive that there isn’t great similarity between the Aries ingress and the June 7 Full Moon chart. A good rule of thumb is that the more similar the two charts are, the more likely it is that the Full Moon horoscope will bring forth its full promise.  As a result, I would expect only those characteristics of the Full Moon chart that coincide with that of the Aries ingress to actually occur this coming month. So there may well be the revelation of secrets and scandals, and issues having to do with prisons. But at least for the US, the worst will not happen.

…For Most Locations

Locations that had Saturn ruling the Aries ingress will not be so lucky, however, and there we would expect some of the worst effects (death, tragedy, etc.) to occur during this Full Moon.  Unsurprisingly perhaps, this is the case in India and Pakistan, where more suffering will certainly ensue. There, Mars is on the seventh house of war, and Saturn is on the ascendant. In these locations, the full unpleasantness of Saturn will likely manifest this coming month.

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I read about the Air France flight that disappeared over the Atlantic this morning, and my immediate thought was: “Are the Air France plane and its passengers okay?” I am sure that being an optimist is somewhat laughable in the situation, but I do think that good things can happen, and perhaps the passengers and crew escaped the worst.  I cast a horary chart for my question, below, because I genuinely want to know what became of the Air France flight.

I used William Lilly’s horary criteria from Chapter 26 of Christian Astrology: “Of a Ship, and Whatever Are in Her, Her Safety or Destruction.” This should apply to more modern conveyances as well, and an airplane would certainly be very similar to a ship in this situation.

As I discussed elsewhere, for horary questions that don’t directly concern me, I like to doublecheck the radicality of the question, and make sure that it is appropriate. Here, we have a horary question about transportation by air, with Mercury ruling the hour, and Gemini rises, so because of the planet-sign agreement, we have a very radical horoscope.

• Because in this horary question, I identify with the flight and the people on it, and am concerned for their well-being, we must give the plane the Ascendant, its ruler, and the Moon.
• Mercury is in its second station in the 12th house in Taurus, on the malefic fixed star Algol.
• The Moon is just inside the fifth house in Virgo, within orb of a trine to Sun in Gemini. Its last aspect was a trine to Mercury.
• The Ascendant is with the fixed star Aldebaran, which is of the nature of Mars and therefore malefic. The Sun is just inside the first house, and therefore will be important to our judgment. It rules the fourth house.

Lilly says that if we find out the Lord of the Ascendant in the eighth house, in any “ill configuration” with Lord 8, 12, 4, 6, or the Moon combust or under the Earth, the ship is lost and the men drowned, unless there is mutual reception. If there is reception, the ship was wrecked, but some of the men escaped.

Here, Mercury is in the 12th house, which is bad, and it is square Jupiter, ruler of the seventh and 11th houses, and it is also trine Saturn. The connection to Jupiter might indicate that some hope still remains, but more likely it might indicate that the plane had encountered some winds, because Jupiter is in the 10th house in an air sign.. The trine to Saturn in the fourth house, which is particularly malevolent in these types of questions, is rather disconcerting. Mercury receives Saturn by domicile and exaltation, but what we really care about is whether Mercury is received by Saturn, and being at 22 Taurus, it is not. With no reception, Saturn will not spare Mercury, and therefore, the Air France plane is not in good shape. Mercury is essentially motionless in second station, and in a fixed sign, indicating that this plane is not going anywhere.

The Moon under the Earth is a bad sign, and the fact that it had been void of course shows that no news had been available from the plane. The Sun is kind of a secondary significator in this chart, because it is placed in the first house. It, too, aspects Saturn, but by a square. Neither of them receives the other, which makes the situation serious.

The fixed stars in this chart look pretty grim, with Mercury on Algol and Aldebaran rising.

Lilly has a handy chart of parts of the ship assigned to the different astrological signs, and since we see Saturn in aspect to the Ascendant, the Sun, and Mercury; essentially all of our main significators, we can see that it is the “belly” of the plane that will have been affected, as that is the part of the ship associated with Virgo. It could be that the plane smacked down on the ground or water and broke from the bottom.

The Moon will aspect the Sun in about 13°, indicating that some news will be heard of the Air France plane in 13 hours or days from this chart (which was cast 6 AM Pacific time on June 1).

This is one of the charts where I sincerely hope I am wrong, but the testimonies look pretty serious indeed.

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James Herschel Holden, the premier English translator of the works of Jean-Baptiste Morin, recently published this essential volume, Book 17 of the Astrologia Gallica. Book 17 discusses the qualities of the 12 houses, and, as is typical for Morin, he lays out and refutes the objections of those who say that the division of the sky into 12 parts is arbitrary. Never one to shrink from ambitious projects, Morin discusses the reasoning behind the meaning of each house, and makes some of his own emendations according to his own logic. Then, he moves on to discussing the various house systems, and makes arguments for his own preference for Regiomontanus, after which he explains his own eponymous system. Book 17 concludes with some theoretical discussion of the calculations used in determining house cusps, which is primarily of theoretical and historical importance, though less so for practicing astrologers today.

Briefly…

A slim but essential book for understanding Morin’s system of horoscope construction and interpretation. The theory behind house construction is interesting, primarily for those with interest in the history of astrology and astronomy. For astrologers who simply want to understand Morin’s assignations of the house meanings, there is plenty of food for thought and in-depth discussion as well. Perhaps the most unique feature of Morin’s house meanings is his linking of opposite houses. For example, the traditional meaning of the sixth house is that of illness; Morin also assigns this as one of the meanings of the opposite, the 12th house, precisely because the two are opposite and therefore share some essential meaning. Book 17 of Astrologia Gallica will be of interest to intermediate to advanced astrologers, but beginners can get a great deal out of it as well, provided they can keep up with the various historical references to other astrologers and some of the more obscure astrological/astronomical terminology. For those who want additional information by Morin about the houses, he wrote a short work called The Cabal of the 12 Houses, which was translated in 1659 by the English astrologer Sir George Wharton.

Contents and Structure

The book is divided into three major parts: Section 1, “The Cabal of the Astrological Houses and Its Natural Foundation That We Have Revealed,” Section 2, “The Erection of Celestial Figures for Astrology,” and Section 3 “In Which the Essence or the Formal Reason for the Astrological Houses Is Stated.”

Section 1 begins with restating basic arguments that Morin made in Book 14 of Astrologia Gallica, namely that the “birth, bigger, decline, and the death of things” are all distinct periods of life on earth, and therefore are shown by different parts of the heaven. Philosophically, Morin assumes agreement with the basic notion of “on earth as it is in heaven.” Chapter 2 begins with the most basic distinction in the heavens; above the horizon and below it, with the ascendant, or the rising place being the most powerful of all the points in the heavens. The Midheaven is the apex of the path of the body as it travels through the heavens, the setting represents decline, while the angle of the earth or the fourth house is directly below the Earth and represents the death or end of something. In Chapter 3, Morin provides a table listing the meanings of each of the houses. The two major differences between his meanings and those of the older astrologers is the assignment of illnesses to the 12th house and the assignment of both the parents to the fourth house, whereas before it was only associated with the father. It is interesting to note here Morin’s reference to Kepler, who correctly stated that it is the earth that turns, and not the heavens. Morin apparently went to his grave believing that the earth is stationary, in accordance with the Church dogma of that time.

Chapter 4 affirms that there are 12 divisions of the heavens, and they are divided by three because of the divine Trinity. Thus, it follows naturally in Chapter 5 is an explanation of the threefold division, the triplicity. Each of the four triplicities is associated with with one of the angles; for example, the first house in the first triplicity is that of the ascendant, followed by the ninth house of religion, and then the fifth house of children. Morin calls it the triplicity of life. He goes through each of the triplicities in turn, concluding that everything that happens to humans can be shown by one or more of the 12 houses. Chapter 6 presents Morin’s view that the opposite houses are related, as discussed above with the example of the sixth and 12th houses. Chapters 7 and 8 are theoretical reputations of anti-astrological writers, including Pico Mirandola, and an additional exploration of the relationship of the fall of man and the division of the heavens into 12 houses. Morin comes to the conclusion that even if we lived in a prelapsarian state, the heaven would still have been divided into the 12 houses we know today. Here, he runs into the theological problem of suffering, which is only said to have begun after Adam’s exile from Eden. This makes it difficult to place houses four, eight, and 12, which are associated with suffering, but he performs a little logical legerdemain.

Section 2 takes up the division of the houses into two halves, that above and below the horizon, and of the vertical division of the Meridian. Chapter 2 examines and rejects be equal house system which divides the ecliptic into 12 equal parts. Morin attacks that on the basis of the two most important points of the horoscope, the Ascendant and the Medium Coeli, not starting their appropriate houses. In Equal House system, the first house would begin at 0° of the given sign, and the Ascendant would be somewhere in the house, but not necessarily copresent with the beginning of the house. Morin also shows the horoscope of Cardan, “the Prince of Astrologers,” to demonstrate the efficacy of systems other than the equal house system. Perhaps somewhat inevitably, Morin shows his own nativity, which he uses throughout Astrologia Gallica, and complains of his Pisces stellium in the Vale of Miseries, also known as the 12th house. This is an interesting chapter, because in it, Morin gives great autobiographical detail, and reveals his character indirectly. He uses the difficulties of his life to show that in the Regiomontanus system, his miseries were shown by all the planets in the 12th house, whereas in the Equal House system, they would have been in the benefic 11th house. Of course, some might argue that his life was indeed very fortunate, prosperous, and highly accomplished. He then uses as an example another nativity that shows up throughout Astrologia Gallica, that of Gustavus Adolphus, the King of Sweden. He died in battle, and his chart is indeed very violent and indicative of a military death. Another horoscope is given, that of the Duke of Montmorency, and that of Albert Wallenstein, the Duke of Friedland. These were all military commanders during the war-filled 17th century, all of whom died violently in battle.

Chapter 3 lists a few other house systems of which Morin disapproves, including that of Porphyry and Alchabitius, the latter having been used extensively before and during Morin’s time. In Chapter 4, Morin examines the Campanus method of house division, and finds it wanting, partly because the system divides the ecliptic and the equator into unequal parts, and often does not intersect the ecliptic. Moran also shows his natal chart as it would have been drawn using the Campanus system, and points out that in that system Saturn would have ruled his ninth house of religion, rather than Jupiter, and Saturn would not have made Morin as deeply devout as he had been. He then displays the Nativity of François de Bonne, the Constable of France, who ascended through the ranks of the nobility, which is better indicated by the Regiomontanus system. Chapter 5 comes to the inevitable conclusion that the Regiomontanus is the better house system, and Morin’s own variation of it, which later becomes known as the Morin house system, is by far the best method to use.

Section 3 is the most theoretical and perhaps mathematical of the entire book, and begins with the assertion that the essence of an astrological house is the relation of its location to the native’s location on the earth. Chapter 2 states correctly that the houses are determined by a line that passes through the center of the earth, even though a human is born on the surface of the earth. The difference between these two locations should be corrected by parallax, but Morin does not apparently do so for any of his charts. Chapter 3 determines that the heaven should be divided into 12 houses, rather than some other number, and reaffirms the privacy of the ascendant degree. Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 discuss some of the ambiguities that are writes from dividing the sky into houses. Chapter 6 briefly discusses some traditional divisions of the houses, such as into four quadrants. Moran quickly dispenses with these, stating that it is illogical for the fourth quadrant, comprising houses one, two, and three, to be called that of the old age, because it contains the first house, which represents the beginning of life, not its end.

Observations

Book 17 of Astrologia Gallica is challenging, but essential for understanding some of the concepts that Moran later takes for granted in the following volumes. It is particularly useful to look at the concepts that he retains from the tradition, and those that he discards, such as the division of the heaven into four quadrants, as shown in the last chapter. The book is also worthwhile for examining the lives and natal horoscopes of people largely forgotten by history, and to watch over the master astrologers shoulder as he interprets them. Another highly recommended book from the Astrologia Gallica series.

—+ + +—

Astrologia Gallica: Book Seventeen, The Astrological Houses
By: Jean-Baptiste Morin
Translated by: James Herschel Holden, M.A., Fellow of the American Federation of Astrologers
American Federation of Astrologers, 2008
21.95 USD
Available from Amazon.com, AstroAmerica.com, and Astrologers.com.

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There was a talking fish in a New York market a few years ago, issuing warnings in Hebrew to repent because the end is near. Many people interpreted it as an ill omen for the then-impending Iraq war. I find omens fascinating, but most of them verge on the ridiculous (yes, I speak of the grilled cheese Virgin Mary). This seemed just odd enough to warrant an astrological inquiry. After reading about the talking carp, I immediately wondered whether the story was true; the Guardian article mentions that it could have been a practical joke, but I had my doubts. So, I cast a horary chart, asking “Is the talking fish story true?“

Is the Horoscope Valid?

First, I checked the horoscope for radicality, the indication that the question was asked properly and not out of idle curiosity. Because this is not a story which involves me personally, I wanted to make sure that the chart was solid, and that the heavens were on board with this question, as it were.

The ruler of the hour is Mars, which is of the same nature as the rising sign, Leo. Both are hot and dry, and therefore the chart is radical. Moreover, Mars is in its own domicile in Aries, placed in the ninth house of religion and God. As is often the case with Mars, the lesser malefic, the story does not end well for either the butcher, who, in attempting to kill the fish, sliced into his own thumb and had to be hospitalized, nor for the carp, which was eventually chopped up into gefilte fish. If it was an omen presaging a war in distant lands, then Mars in the ninth house would take on another layer of significance.

Find the Fish

The carp is symbolized by the Moon, which rules all fish; Al-Biruni says that the Sun rules all large fish, and carp definitely counts as a large fish. Moreover, the Moon is in the terms of Mercury, so it is a large fish endowed with the gift of speech. Note that the Moon and the Sun are in mutual reception by major dignity; it is as though the fish had been suddenly enlightened, the heavens parted, and it spoke. The Sun, of course, represents divine inspiration.

But Did the Fish Really Speak?

William Lilly, in his Christian Astrology (p.192-194), has a few pointers on determining whether a rumor is true. Our horoscope, amazingly, hits all of the points mentioned by Lilly:

• Lilly says that the Moon in the Ascendant means the rumor is true; here, we have the Moon in Leo on the Ascendant.
• If Lord one is angular, the rumor is true; this chart has the Sun in the 10th house.
• If the angles are fixed, the tale is true; all the angles in our chart have fixed signs.
• The Moon angular makes the story true; we have already established that this is the case in our horoscope.
• If the dispositor of the Moon is angular and in a fixed sign, the story is true. The Moon’s dispositor is the Sun, and it is in Taurus in the 10th house.
• If the Moon is separating from a malefic and applying to a benefic that is angular, the tale is true. Here, the Moon separates from a trine to Mars and applies to a square with angular Sun.

One cannot help but draw the conclusion that the story is indeed true. If the heavens speak to us in signs we do not understand, we must try to unfold their meaning.

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The full title of this book is America Is Born: Introducing the Regulus USA National Horoscope. In it, the pseudonymous author, Dr. H., brings his horoscope rectification skills to bear on the U.S. national horoscope. He uses medieval astrological techniques and a great deal of historical data to arrive at a rectified version of the well-known Sibly horoscope for July 4, 1776.

Along the way, he demonstrates his primary direction sequence as a means of predicting events from the horoscope, as well as Abu Ma’shar’s method of directing planets via primary motion through the bounds (aka the planetary terms). As was the case with Dr. H.’s previous book on rectification, much of the really juicy material resides in the book’s appendixes. For example, Appendix C contains the rectified horoscopes of several individuals who strongly influenced the U.S. national consciousness, and the links between their horoscopes and that of the USA.

Briefly…

Another excellent, substantive book from Regulus Astrology, America Is Born is primarily suited to intermediate and advanced astrologers. Dr. H. really works the medieval techniques, and assumes his readers will have some familiarity with such methods. This is a book for enthusiasts of mundane astrology; the art of predicting political and public events, but many methods are presented that could also be used for natal horoscopes, such as directing planets through the planetary bounds. America Is Born is best read in conjunction with, or after, A Rectification Manual, which goes through the building blocks of astrology in greater detail.

Structure & Contents

America Is Born has perhaps the most fascinating preface I have ever read – in an astrology book or elsewhere. In it, the author discusses the symbolism of afflicted Mercury in the USA natal chart, suggesting that astrologers, being Mercury-ruled, are in particular danger should they make public their predictions of US events. This is interesting, but begs the question whether other Mercury-ruled professions in the US are in similar danger with going public (writers, finance people, accountants, lawyers, etc.).

Chapter One discusses the role of national horoscopes in mundane astrology, showing that the widespread adoption of the national horoscope really arose with Charles Carter in the 1950s. Dr. H’s book makes a compelling case for the use of such horoscopes, but one should note that such usage is not traditional; the medieval astrologers used planetary conjunctions and ingresses to make mundane predictions.

Chapter Two jumps right in, using primary directions to test the broad-brush positions of the Sibly chart; the chart’s sect and the position of the Moon. Chapter Three is an interesting meta-analysis of the “astrological moment,” the time that is most propitious for an astrologer to actually perform a rectification.

Chapter Four details Abu Ma’shar’s system of distributors and participators. This is essentially the method of moving a planetary significator by primary motion through the planetary terms. This method is a time Lord system, so for example, the distributor for 27 Aquarius 51 (the position of the Moon in the Sibley chart) is Saturn/Aquarius. Saturn refers to the Egyptian term ruler for that position. The author’s point is that we do not simply look at the nature of the planet ruling the bound, but also the sign, and we interpret them as a whole. The participator is a planet which has most recently contacted the point under examination (27 Aquarius 51 in our example), and which must be analyzed as a time Lord of the same influence as the distributor.

Chapter Five introduces the calculation of primary directions, with the author taking us through some of the key steps of calculating primaries. This is a very useful chucker for those who want to learn how to calculate primary directions, as well as those who want to understand the astronomical justification behind this method. Chapter Six gets to delineation and comparison of important events and periods in the United States history compared with some of the distributors of the time. For example, the period between May 27, 1960 and September 28, 1966 was ruled by Venus/Leo. The author’s attributions to this influence include Camelot, cocktail culture, and the Rat Pack, all indicative of pleasure, partying, and celebrity.

Chapter Seven introduces all of the planet-ascendant primary directions of the Regulus USA horoscope. This is the participator portion of Abu Ma’shar’s method introduced in Chapter Five. Chapter Eight starts with the Moon and its directions to the Regulus USA horoscope. The subsequent chapters all discuss each of the planet’s primary directions; the Sun through Jupiter, in Chapter 15.

Appendix A provides a list of events used for the chart’s initial rectification, comprising about five small-type pages. Appendix B gives a list of all ascendant directions by primary motion, direct and converse, that had been presented in previous chapters. For example, approximately the first three years after 1776, the distributor was Mars/Sagittarius sextile the Moon. Given that, per Dr. H.’ s analysis, this Moon has as one of its significations the political philosophy of human equality, it is fitting that the Revolutionary war (Mars) should be connected to these ideals. Appendix C shows the influence of directing through the balance on individuals, specifically those who particularly exemplified an era in American history. For example, the rectified horoscope of John Marshall, with his Capricorn Saturn in the 12th house, is associated with the Saturn/Capricorn distribution in the United States horoscope.

Appendix D details the author’s test of the efficacy of Egyptian versus Ptolemaic bounds, concluding that the Egyptian bounds are more accurate. Appendix E shows the author’s results from test of solar arc directions as compared to primary directions. He concludes that solar arc directions show more public events, where his primary directions show events more directly tied to the individual.

Observations

In some ways, America Is Born is a more specialized book than the author’s prior manual of rectification. This is because many of the techniques introduced in the previous book are taken for granted here, but for astrologers interested in the political prediction or interpretation, America Is Born is a gold mine of historical and astrological information. For starters, there are few horoscopes purporting to show the beginning of the United States of America that are as well supported as the one presented by the author in his book.  There are certainly few horoscopes supported by as much test data, and additional information (much of it at the author’s website, Regulus Astrology). For those who use national inception horoscopes, the author makes a very compelling case that his rectification should be used. Highly recommended.

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America Is Born: Introducing the Regulus USA National Horoscope

Dr. H. (pseudonymous) via Regulus Astrology LLC

Regulus Astrology LLC, 2008, 407 pages, paperback.

USD 39.95

Available from astroamerica.com, amazon.com and astrologers.com

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This essential work has been re-released by the AFA more than 20 years after the first edition appeared in print. The Judgments of Nativities is a classic of natal astrology, and a remarkably lucid and systematic exposition of traditional astrological principles. Many astrologers keep their copy of The Judgments of Nativities close to hand, and most copies from the 1988 edition are disintegrating at this stage from frequent use. Thus, the re-release is a most welcome step by the AFA, who obviously took great care in the presentation of their new edition. The new edition font is clear and easy to read, while the cover is a handsome glossy red abstract design. Inexpensive printing options have clearly advanced a great deal in the last 20 years!

Briefly…

The content in the 2^nd edition is unchanged, as far as I could tell. The translator’s 1988 preface is still there, providing a good, beginner-friendly introduction to this 1000-year-old astrology text. In the introduction, Holden actually gives a summary of the history of astrology, placing Al-Khayyat’s book in proper historical context. The book is suitable for intermediate astrology students, since some previous knowledge of concepts like triplicity rulers, for instance, is assumed. An excellent text on natal astrology according to the Arabs.

Contents & Structure

The Judgments of Nativities starts with material on rearing of children and the length of life; the traditional astrologers, including Al-Khayyat, always started their analysis by determining whether the native will survive infancy, and if so, the length of his life. There is also material on the native’s quality of mind (what we might call personality today), and several example charts apparently taken from Greek sources. The examples illustrate the triplicity lord method, indicating the success of the native by looking at the condition of the sect ruler’s triplicity lords.

Al-Khayyat then goes house by house to determine the quality of the different areas of the life. There are many aphorisms sprinkled throughout this portion of the text with a distinct Hellenistic provenance, such as “if any one of the fortunes is in the 11^th sign from the Part of Fortune, it signifies the acquisition of money and of assets from good things.” There is also some interesting material on determining the parents’ length of life.

Chapters 39-50 are cookbook style materials on the placement of the planets in the houses and signs, with some material on the placement of the Part of Fortune. The latter materials appear to be specific to profection of the Part of Fortune, rather than just natal placements.

There are some excellent appendixes in this text. Appendix I goes through the many example horoscopes provided in the text, figuring out their approximate dates (they are from the 1^st and 5^th/6^th centuries AD. Appendix II is from Masha’allah’s Book of Nativities, giving additional techniques for calculating the native’s length of life, so the reader can compare Al-Khayyat and Masha’allah’s methods, which are very similar, but not identical.

Observations

As always, James Holden’s translation is clear and easy to read, bringing this old text closer to modern readers. Because of Al-Khayyat’s thorough and succinct approach, this text is highly recommended for astrologers who want to get started with traditional natal astrology. An extremely accessible and cohesive text.

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The Judgments of Nativities

Abu ‘Ali Al-Khayyat, translated by James H. Holden, M.A.

American Federation of Astrologers, 2008, 146 pages, paperback.

USD 23.95

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Reading Horary Astrology Re-Examined brought me back to the days when I was just beginning to learn horary, with Olivia Barclay’s book, Horary Astrology Rediscovered, at my side.  Dunn is a student of traditional astrologer Olivia Barclay, and Horary Astrology Re-Examined is similar to Barclay’s book, in that it is a compendium of traditional quotations on various topics from many authors.  Essentially, Dunn appears to have updated Barclay’s book with the new translations that had been obscure or unavailable when Barclay published her book in 1997.  Dunn has taken over Barclay’s horary course a few years ago, and it appears that in writing Horary Astrology Re-Examined, she has updated the course book as well.

Briefly…

This is perhaps the most thorough survey of traditional thought on horary astrology.  However, precisely because of its depth and breadth, I would not recommend this for a beginning horary astrologer.  The book is not written especially didactically, “soup to nuts,” but rather gives the reader absolutely everything, and more, right from the start.  Horary Astrology Re-Examined is more like a compendium of horary.  For the intermediate to advanced practitioner, Dunn’s book is a treasure trove of information, with seemingly everything traditional ever written about horary in one book.  It is best used as an encyclopedia when one wants to understand a specific topic in depth, with footnotes and references to primary sources galore.

Contents & Structure

Horary Astrology Re-Examined is organized into two major parts; Part I is methodology and doctrine, and Part II contains house-specific questions and judgments.

The Introduction sets out the author’s argument for traditional astrology, which is portrayed as losing ground to the new age facsimile of the art.  I am not convinced this is the case, as traditional astrology has come a long way just in the last decade, but Dunn’s basic hypothesis is sound, in that she views traditional astrology as a valuable, internally cohesive system that can be used for accurate methods of prediction.  The introduction is followed by a dozen or so pages of Terms of Art, which the student should understand as they learn horary.

Part I starts with a chapter about the planets; their nature, joys, friendships, associations (Morin, Lilly, and Abu Ma’shar), and rulership of the days and hours.  Chapter 2 describes the houses, the house systems, the nature of the quadrants and directions, and the nature of the angles/succedent/cadent houses.  There is a good-sized listing of the meaning of each house, drawn from the traditional authors (Lilly, Al Biruni, Morin, and Ptolemy).  This is not a substitute for a good book on the houses, such as Deb Houlding’s text, but is a very good start.  Included is a good discussion of the triplicity rulers of the houses, a natal technique.

Chapter 3 discusses the signs of the zodiac, their divisions, and associations with parts of the body, the seasons, colors, directions, fertility, places (for lost objects), and geographical locations.  Chapter 4 covers planetary sect, hayyiz, and the way these concepts are used in natal horoscopes, including the notions of oriental and occidental planets.  Chapter 5 explains planetary movement and aspects, antiscia, beholding, and orbs.  Oddly, not much time is spent on the nature of the major aspects, the heart and soul of horary, specifically the ways in which they can bring about perfection (square brings perfection with difficulty, for example, while the trine does so with ease).  The material on planetary movements is quite valuable, and unique, in the sense that no one has brought together this material as comprehensively as the author.  Concepts discussed include committing disposition – though we are never told what disposition is, exactly – pushing nature, pushing power, pushing two natures, pushing counsel, and the uses of a separating aspect.  There is also some discussion of void of course and feral Moon.

Chapter 6 deals with essential dignities, discussing domicile, exaltation, triplicity, term, and face, according to each of the ancient sources.  The author then gives information on the debilities of detriment, fall, and peregrination.  In the interest of comprehensiveness, it would have been most useful to include Ibn Ezra’s description of the dignities, both here and in the following chapter. 

Chapter 7 continues this theme with a discussion of accidental dignities and debilities, with a heavy emphasis on William Lilly’s point scoring tables, which apparently continue to exert fascination over astrologers despite their limited utility in practice.  There is also a table detailing the nature of the planets when occidental and oriental.  The table dates from the 1930s edition of Al Biruni’s treatise on astrology, and, in my humble opinion, should have been reset for easier reading.  A section on accidental dignity and debility follows, discussing each of the factors that strengthens or weakens a planet, depending on its position in the horoscope and relative to other planets.   Chapter 7 closes with a wealth horary by Lilly, demonstrating Lilly’s checklist of essential and accidental conditions of each planet. 

Chapters 8 and 9 address reception and almutens, respectively.  Both are very well presented, in that they summarize and quote the traditional authors on these multi-faceted topics.  Almutens are not as important in horary as in other branches of astrology, but they are important to know and understand.  A thirty-page chapter on signification follows, dedicated to the method for selecting the correct significator(s) in a horary chart.  There is a good discussion of natural significators, which tend to be under-utilized in today’s practice of horary.  Another good portion of the chapter is the section on planets and their role in appearance, another forgotten but highly effective horary technique.

A chapter on Considerations before Judgment is a good summary of the various pre-judgment cautions given in traditional texts.  Chapter 12, on The Question, is a particularly welcome and unique addition to this book.  Most books gloss over the importance of asking the question properly, but the author does not skip this rather unglamorous part of the proceedings.  An added bonus is a rather amusing deconstruction of a psychological horary analysis.  Chapter 13 gives a big picture view of how to judge a chart, including a section on timing.

Chapters 14 and 15 are titled “The Possibility of the Matter Propounded,” and “The Impossibility of the Matter Propounded,” respectively, and since they match the subtitle of the book, we can assume they form the center of the author’s work.  The chapters essentially summarize the ways that outcomes can perfect or fail to perfect; the assiduous student could create a checklist for each chapter and refer to it when judging a chart.  The more experienced astrologer may not find these chapters as useful, but they are essential to learning to read horoscopes.

Part II focuses on the specific horary types for some of the more popular houses; the 2^nd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 10^th houses are detailed.  It is unclear why, with her obvious penchant for thoroughness and completeness, the author did not address the less riveting but still essential 1^st, 3^rd, 8^th, 9^th, 11^th, and 12^th houses, especially given that the traditional authors usually described them all.  The houses that are not addressed are the ones that have subtle meanings, and that give students the greatest trouble, so one would think that a comprehensive approach would be worthwhile.  The houses that are covered are done very well, with a detailed description of some of the criteria of the ancients, and supplemented with the author’s own examples. 

The book wraps up with an excellent bibliography and index.

Observations

An excellent book to round out one’s horary collection.  This is not the book to start with, due to its sheer comprehensiveness, and one would be better off starting with something a bit pithier.  Olivia Barclay’s book is useful, and, of course, John Frawley’s Horary Textbook is a great introductory text.  The attraction of Horary Astrology Re-Examined is that it encourages the reader to peruse the primary sources for himself, rather than rely on restatements by modern authors.  The frequent footnotes and rich bibliography make it easy to discover the sources for oneself.  Highly recommended.

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Horary Astrology Re-Examined: The Possibility or Impossibility of the Matter Propounded

By Barbara Dunn

The Wessex Astrologer, 2009, 536 pages, paperback.

28.00 GBP (44.00 USD), amazon.com, astroamerica.com, wessexastrologer.com

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