Horary Astrology Reading: Is the Vanished Air France Flight Okay?
June 1, 2009 by Nina Gryphon
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.
Horary Astrology Reading: Is the Talking Fish Story True?
May 25, 2009 by Nina Gryphon
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.
Book Review: Horary Astrology Re-Examined (Barbara Dunn)
May 3, 2009 by Nina Gryphon
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 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 10th 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 1st, 3rd, 8th, 9th, 11th, and 12th 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.
—+++—
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
Free Horary Astrological Reading: Back in the USA?
August 24, 2008 by Nina Gryphon
I am petitioning to work as a nurse in California. Can you see when I will be back in the US? And will I be able to shift to medicine (I’m a graduate of nursing and medicine) and be a doctor when I am there?
–M.
Dear M.,
The horary chart for your question is pretty clear; that is what happens when you have a clear question (other free reading requesters, take note 
). The astrological chart is below:
You are ruled by Saturn, ruler of the first house of self, and by the Moon. We see that the benefic North node is just inside the ascendant, which is a generally positive indication, though not the final word. Saturn is hanging out in the seventh house, trine Jupiter, but not making any immediate aspects. We do notice that the Sun has just moved into Virgo, and Saturn is now combust. This can indicate that you do not see clearly in the situation; it may be that you do not get updates on the application process, so you really know where you stand. You may also not know exactly what is involved in becoming certified as a doctor in the US as compared to your home country.
We see that the Moon is translating light between Saturn and Venus. It looks as though Venus conjunct Mercury in Virgo in the seventh house represents the United States. The seventh house can indicate “over there,” and with Venus so strongly influenced by Mercury both by sign and by aspect, there is a definite medical flavored to Venus. The Moon applies to Venus by a square aspect, indicating delays, obstacles, and struggles. However, you should be able to get back to the US sooner or later. The aspect between the Moon and Venus will perfect in about 6 1/2 degrees; because we are dealing with double signs, we could be looking at your returning seven or eight months from now. This could actually be weeks, but that seems a little rapid for what a bureaucratic process.
Will you be able to be a doctor in the US? Of course you are able to; all you have to do is just pass a bunch of exams. I think this will be a little trickier, though, because you are represented by Saturn in Virgo, which is in the detriment of Jupiter, the planet governing your career. You might not be focusing enough on what it takes to make your American M.D. credentials happen. If you want to be a doctor here, it is absolutely essential that you focus on getting the right qualifications, which I am told is not easy or simple. The medical profession protects itself, so you must prove your worth.
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Free Astrological Chart Reading: “Will He Leave His Wife? Will We Marry?”
August 8, 2008 by Nina Gryphon
I met G. nine years ago when I interviewed him for a news story I was writing. I felt an instant kinship. But since he had a wife of two years, I kept everything professional. Fate kept having us collide once or twice a year and we always had memorable conversations that were deep and compelling…we just clicked. About 2 years ago, we began meeting to converse more frequently — he says he feels more intellectually stimulated with me than with anyone. We talk for 4 to 6 hours at a time about philosophy, etc. Now, we’re constantly getting drinks together and wanting to be with each other.
There’s almost like a psychic energy between us. We have never kissed or slept together because we are both very noble and good people. We want to make each other stronger and more successful — not destroy one another’s lives. But we seem to love being together and can’t stand being apart. Once we met at a place with a huge parking lot and came out to find we had somehow parked right next to each other. It was surreal … and yet, things like this happen with us. It’s as if the Universe wants us together.
He loves his wife. I don’t want to be a mistress. But emotionally, I’m more than a friend. I wish he would conclude the marriage and marry me instead. Will this happen? Will we have an affair? Am I what he needs in his life to be fulfilled? I don’t want to “take” him if she is the better suited for him. I want everyone to be with their highest soul matches.
—S.
Dear S.,
I have been getting a lot of questions about hidden relationships in the last few weeks. Perhaps the planetary configurations are just right to describe such situations. I cast a horary chart for your question:
Powerful Physical Attraction
There is a lot of physical attraction here. The Moon, one of your significators, is in Scorpio, where it is in the sign and triplicity of Mars. Mars can symbolize sex in relationship questions, which seems accurate here. You are emotionally very focused on the physical attraction to G. He is represented by the Sun, ruler of the 7th house of partners (or potential partners), and is likely attractive. The Sun in its own sign, Leo, can be quite magnetic, even dazzling. A person represented by the Sun in its own sign will put out some very seductive vibes; not necessarily because he is deeply attracted to you, but just because that’s how he is. The Sun shines for everyone.
Things certainly seem headed toward a physical encounter, at least from your perspective. Venus, which shows your physical attraction, recently moved out of Leo, and into the sign of its fall, Virgo. Virgo is ruled by Mercury, which represents his wife. You now feel that his wife stands between you and your happiness. Your third significator is Saturn, which is also in Virgo, repeating the same theme on a more conscious level in your mind.
The Sun is about to conjoin the malefic South Node, which shows a sudden “fall” in that planet’s strength. There are an awful lot of planets falling in this chart; the Moon in Scorpio, Venus in Virgo, and shortly, the Sun. This is not uncommon in charts about affairs, so someone is certainly contemplating an affair. Whether it will happen is another matter.
Prognosis
I do not see him motivated enough to leave his wife for you. The Sun is in a fixed sign, Leo, which is also the Sun’s own sign. He’s not moving from where he is. However, and you might already be aware of this, his wife might be. She is Mercury, in Leo, so in her husband’s house. However, shortly, Mercury will leave Leo and enter its own sign, Virgo.
Your energy is certainly focused on his wife right now. In fact, the Moon recently opposed Mercury by antiscion, indicating some kind of hidden aggression between you and his wife in the recent past. You didn’t put a curse on her, I hope! Whatever happens between him and his wife, I don’t really see an upcoming connection between you and him. The Moon’s next aspect is a sextile to Saturn, followed by a sextile to a very weak Jupiter in the 12th house of secrets. Jupiter rules your 11th house of hope, so you might hope for a secret relationship, but I’m not sure there is more here than that. There are hints of an affair or something secret going on here, but I don’t really see marriage. An affair is a possibility, but not clearly shown.
Compatibility
You wondered about the compatibility between him (Sun) and you (Saturn), and him and his wife (Mercury). Given that he does not seem terribly motivated to pursue this relationship with you, that probably says everything. However, I do see that in this chart, you are represented by Saturn, and he is represented by the Sun. These are not considered traditionally friendly planets, as one is the bringer of death and the other, of life. Mercury and the Sun are a bit better together, because Mercury is the messenger of the Gods; the planet that circles around the Sun like a faithful servant.
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Interview with Astrologer Deborah Houlding (Part 3 of 3)
July 10, 2008 by Nina Gryphon
This is the third and last part of Gryphon Astrology’s Interview with astrologer Deborah Houlding. If you have missed them, read Part 1 and Part 2 of this interview first.
Deb will be lecturing on forensic astrology this September in San Francisco.
Can we expect a forthcoming book on horary astrology or on another astrological topic from you? What books do you have out already?
Yes, there will be a forthcoming book, and I hope to have several forthcoming books on horary before too long, but I have a few large projects currently nearing completion and these are my priority for the moment. I came close to publishing a book on horary astrology a few years ago, but then all of these new translations started becoming available, and I decided to research and re-evaluate my understanding of some of the traditional writings on horary technique before committing myself to print.
I am pleased now, that I have not rushed to publish a horary book so far, because I feel that my theoretical knowledge has become far more robust over the last few years, and I want the book that I write to be a sum of my astrological knowledge, and not a summation of a stage where I was still exploring some of the theoretical principles.
One of the long term projects I have been doing involves going through Christian Astrology again, annotating it with more explanations and cross-references to other texts. I published an annotated version of Christian Astrology before, but that is out of print, and it was getting ready for an update anyway. Unfortunately the electronic files were lost, so it has been the case of starting again from scratch.
Although it has been more time-consuming, in a way it’s a good thing that I’ve started again from the beginning, because now I don’t have any restrictions in being tied to an old format. I do enjoy this sort of work, but it’s a monster of a project. Sometimes I wonder if I am seriously preparing something for publication, or using it as a place to park my own endless notes and annotations! Of course, I also wrote Houses: Temples of the Sky a few years ago, and that is still available.
You have a well-established astrological presence on the web with your website. I discovered it a few years ago, but it took me some time to realize that it belonged to a Deb Houlding. The site really is not about you, but about astrology, which is rare and refreshing.
I did not want the site to be just about me, as part of me does not like too much attention (I have the Moon in Virgo in the 4th house), but because of that, I think, people have been extraordinarily generous in letting me use their content on the site. One person could never have done it all, and I think because the site was always about the astrology first and foremost, other people have contributed much more than if I had made it all about myself and my own views. I found that I would just start something, try out an idea on the site, and someone else would volunteer to make it happen and take it further; so if someone else was involved, I was now more invested in it myself.
I am finally now thinking of putting up a small personal site, separate from the Skyscript website, that will talk about upcoming events and such. But at the moment having time for students and my own research is my main priority, and in that respect I know that self-promotion is a double-edged sword, so I’m approaching it with caution.
Thank you for taking the time to talk, Deb, and I look forward to seeing you in California in September!
Deb Houlding kindly provided her birth data, and agreed to share her horoscope with us. The horoscope is below. I didn’t publish the birth data, as I’m old-fashioned and don’t believe in revealing ladies’ years of birth
Fertility and Conception: Free Astrology Reading. “Will I Conceive and When?”
July 8, 2008 by Nina Gryphon
My husband and I have been trying to have a baby for more than a year now and have not been successful yet. We started fertility medicine this June. Our doctor said we are both able to have children. When will I get pregnant and what will be the sex of the baby?
—M.
Dear M,
Horary astrology is really excellent at questions such as these; and lots of people benefit from knowing whether a treatment will be successful, especially when the treatment is costly. I think there is a good possibility that you will have a baby through this treatment. It’s not a slam-dunk as you are not super-fertile, but you already knew that, since you are on fertility treatment. The horary chart for your question is below:
At first glance, the picture is not overly encouraging. We see that several important planets in the horoscope are in barren signs; the Moon, which rules your first house of self; Mars, ruling the 5th house of children, and Saturn, ruling your husband – are all in Virgo. But all is not lost. We have the benefic planet Venus, in Cancer, the most fertile sign, right inside the ascendant (the house ruling your body). This is very positive in a question like yours.
Most important of all, the planets do seem to show conception through fertility treatment. We see that the Moon (you) has most recently conjoined Saturn. Then, we have Mars (the baby) applying to conjoin Saturn. So Saturn here acts as a collector of light from Mars and the Moon. Saturn would be the treatment, bringing you and the baby together.
When will this happen? Moon already contacted Saturn, but Mars has yet to do so; we have to see when the other shoe will drop, so to speak. Mars conjoins Saturn in about 1.5 degrees. Because Mars is in a common sign, we can stretch that a bit, and expect maybe 3-4 time units. I would expect this to be months, since the situation has been going on for a while. However – and this is important – it is possible that the conception will happen in 3-4 weeks. This is because we have such a fertile planet right inside the Ascendant. Also, the Moon will shortly sextile the Sun, which might mean a more imminent conception than 3-4 months. But it’s good to be conservative and be pleasantly surprised.
You asked about the baby’s gender. There are more testimonies for a girl; especially again because Venus in a feminine sign is so prominent.
Good luck, and please let me know what happens!
Free Astrology Readings: Horary Astrology – “Will My Boyfriend Marry Me?”
February 13, 2008 by Nina Gryphon
Horary Astrology Question:
We are both divorced with 2 children each, 3 of which live with us. We are hoping to move house and set up a cattery at the new home so I can be at home more. B is great (most of the time!) very un-emotional and does not show or talk about his feelings, his father died tragically when he was 11. I would love dearly for some commitment from him but fear it will never happen. We have been together for 8 years now. I think he thinks that setting up the cattery is enough commitment, he owns the house, etc., and I feel I have put all my eggs in one basket (again) and will end up on my own.
—L.
Nina Gryphon:
Dear L.,
Your situation is difficult; a certain pattern has been set up that will be difficult to change without an effort on your part. But, let us see what the astrology says.
The horary horoscope for your question is below:
We have an early degree on the ascendant, indicating the situation is as yet underripe. This is somewhat puzzling, because the relationship has been going on for eight years, hardly an immature situation. It may be a reference to the fact that there will never really be a “right” time to take this relationship to the next level, and it may remain in this embryonic state always.
We see that you are very much interested in marriage, and even though before, you were content just to have a stable companion, you are now ready to get married. We see that the Moon in Taurus, which represents your emotions in the situation, is in the sign and triplicity of Venus; Venus rules the Arabian Part of Marriage at 11 Libra.
The most dramatic element in this chart is the extent to which all of the main significators; your planets and his, are in strong dignities of Saturn. Whatever Saturn represents has a huge influence over the situation, and will eventually decide whether you will marry your boyfriend or not. Moreover, we see that Saturn is right inside the seventh house cusp of partners, where it is strongly tied to your boyfriend.
So what does Saturn represent? It can be his children, as it rules the fifth house from the seventh, or it can be something hidden or secret, perhaps the emotional trauma you speak of. Whatever it is, it is harmful to you and your hopes of marriage. Saturn is in the detriment of Jupiter, your main significator, and also in the fall of Venus, the planet the rules marriage and his horoscope. Unfortunately, your boyfriend is very much under the influence of whatever Saturn represents — both of his planets, Mercury and the Sun, are in Aquarius, in Saturn’s sign and triplicity. I wonder if Saturn doesn’t represent the cattery; it rules his sixth house, but because of Saturn’s negative reception to you and to Venus, I would strongly recommend not setting up the cattery, for fear of perpetuating an already difficult situation.
The bigger concern I have is that neither of his planets seem particularly interested in either marriage or your planets, showing something of an indifference to you. If there is true mutual interest between two people, even a roadblock such as Saturn in this chart can be overcome. I am concerned, however, that there are some fundamental weaknesses in this relationship, and it will be difficult if not impossible to marry this man without addressing these issues first.
We see that the Moon is opposite the antiscion of the Sun, and the aspect will become exact about the same time that the Moon trine’s Saturn. It looks as though you will have to make a momentous decision in the near future, one that will make you rethink this relationship, and hopefully will bring out some of the problematic undercurrents more into the open where you can address them.
As always, I like to ask that in return for your free reading, you update me (either by email, or in the comments on this page) on what happened. I don’t mind being wrong, but I like to learn from what I did well or badly.
—Readers who wish to get a horary reading from Nina Gryphon may purchase one at top left, or learn more at the Gryphon Astrology Readings page.
Horary Astrology: Free Astrology Reading – “Should I Pursue the Affair?”
October 23, 2007 by Nina Gryphon
I´m married and not fulfilled in my marriage. I fell in love with colleague. Magnetism. I just know. He is married, 2 adopted children, wants to be friends yet admits to a strong desire for me. I´ve rejected his request for friendship and said goodbye. Any hope he´ll regret this? Ought I just to just get over it?
—T.
Nina Gryphon:
Dear T.,
It’s so tough to know whether these flings ever turn into anything serious; they don’t seem to most of the time, but every now and then, we do see a very strong relationship forming. Below is the horary chart I cast for your question:
Your feelings seem to be smarting a bit since he rejected you, but emotionally, you are quite interested in him. Venus shows your identity as a woman, and it is in the detriment of Jupiter (his main ruling planet), so you don’t love the fact he turned you down. However, the Moon shows your emotions, and it is in Pisces, the sign of Jupiter. So you do seem rather attached to him on this level.
The problem is this: you do seem rather emotionally unfulfilled in your life, perhaps due to your marriage, as you said. From your perspective, this new man seems like he would be perfect to counteract that. But consider that the moment you became happier, you would likely lose interest.
He does seem attracted to you physically, but this is about to change. The Sun, which signifies his male “need mate” side, is currently very interested in Venus (you), but soon will enter Scorpio, which is the detriment of Venus. So his attraction is about to pass. However (and this is a big however), just as soon as the Sun enters Scorpio, it conjoins with Mercury, which is the ruler of your first house of self. There may be some kind of meeting or confrontation with him, perhaps even with sex involved. But because of his lack of interest, it just won’t go.
Note that his main planet is Jupiter, which is in its own sign and house, Sagittarius, and it is in the detriment of Mercury. This means that he is pretty happy with things as they are, and is not really interested in pursuing this relationship.
Because we do have two applying aspects between your planets and his (Moon’s square to Jupiter, and the Sun’s conjunction with Mercury), I would expect there to be some kind of last contact, but not much beyond this.
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Free Astrology Readings: Horary Astrology – “Did My Friend Poison Me?”
October 16, 2007 by Nina Gryphon
Horary Astrology Question:
A very good friend of mine from graduate school got me an interview which led to a job doing research in the same lab as her. She had been working there 10 years prior to me when I started. She was very fond of her boss and considered herself his second wife or work wife as she called it. During my employment the boss and I had developed a very good rapport of which she became very jealous. She would taunt me with her suspicions of a relationship between the boss and myself, which I tried unsuccessfully to explain to her was completely unfounded and ridiculous.
One day I became very sick and had to be hospitalized. Although every kind of test from blood tests to a lumbar puncture were run, the neurologists were at a loss to determine what casued my strange symptoms and just attributed it to a viral infection that attacked my brain stem.
We often prepared lunch for each other in the lab and just prior to my becoming ill, my good friend of 18 years prepared lunch one afternoon that she refused to eat. She said it was just for me. I thought it was unusual because she ate just a cold cut sandwich and she hated to eat a cold lunch, but she was so insistent on not eating the hot prepared lunch and I never thought anything of it. However, another friend of mine believes she could have put a neural toxin into my lunch. She does use them in her research and my other friend believes her jealousy was her motive. So she had means and motive, but did she do it?
—T.
Nina Gryphon:
Dear T.,
If there was an award for most dramatic question, yours would surely be one of the top contenders. I confess that my initial reaction was: “There is no way.” But as I looked at the chart, I became less certain. The horoscope for your question is below:
I believe there are two main houses with which we are concerned here: the 11th house, which represents your friend, and the 12th house, which represents secret enemies. The way that the rulers of these houses interact with your planets will give us a sense of whether there was something more to the situation that was apparent.
You’re represented by Jupiter, ruler of the first house of self, and also by the Moon. The first thing which jumped out at us is the separating aspect between the Moon and the sun in Libra on the cusp of the 11th house of friends. While the Sun does not represent your friend as such, we do see that something nasty happened to you recently, perhaps not unconnected with your friend. You also mentioned that you left that job on difficult terms, so perhaps this is a reference to that event.
We do see that your friend seems to hate you; as you say, she certainly seems to have a motive. She would be represented by the ruler of the 11th house, Venus in Virgo, the sign of its fall. Benefic planets that are in debility represent situations or people that look good on the outside but are rotten within. Venus in Virgo is in the detriment of Jupiter, thereby hating or harming whatever Jupiter represents. Jupiter represents you.
Note that Venus has recently separated from an opposition by antiscion to the Sun. This would be the very Sun that just contacted your Moon. Contact by antiscion always represents matters that are hidden, and this is but one of two major antiscial contacts in the chart.
More disturbingly, we see that the Moon has just separated from an opposition to Mars by antiscion. Mars rules the 12th house of secret enemies, and it is in the sign of its fall. This gives us a sense that your illness was, in the words of William Lilly, “more than natural.” Perhaps most dramatically, we have a very close aspect between Venus and Mars, a sextile precise down to the minute. So this nasty Mars is closely linked with the planet representing your friend.
Note also Venus and Mars’s separating aspects to Saturn, which rules the second house of food. Saturn itself is debilitated by its close conjunction to the malefic South node, and its placement by sign also shows your food harming you. Saturn is in the detriment of Jupiter, just like Venus. Both Venus and Saturn are closely square the ascendant, afflicting your body, specifically the head, which is associated with the first house.
The evidence seems rather troubling, and the chart reflects the many hidden aspects of the situation. I cannot say whether neural toxins were involved, if she merely coughed on your food, or if she was sticking pins in a voodoo doll. Any of these are equally possible with the 12th house, and we should not automatically assume the worst.
—Readers who wish to get a horary reading from Nina Gryphon may purchase one at top left, or learn more at the Gryphon Astrology Readings page.
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