Astrology Book Review: The Strengths of the Planets (Astrologia Gallica 18)
July 12, 2008 by Nina Gryphon
Why Review Astrological Books?
There are innumerable astrology books out there; many are not very useful, but a few are worth their weight in gold. The problem is, how to find them. The astrological book market being what it is, many of the best books are not heavily marketed or advertised, and these gems often do not register in the public awareness. To address this, Gryphon Astrology will feature a weekly or biweekly book review column to help you find some of the best available astrological publications. The frequency of the column will depend on our book acquisition funds!
If you have written or published an astrology book you would like reviewed on Gryphon Astrology, please contact me at nina [at] gryphonastrology.com or write to me here (don’t forget to include your contact info).
Astrologia Gallica, Book 18: The Strengths of the Planets
Written by: Jean-Baptiste Morin
Translators: Pepita Sanchis Llacer and Anthony Louis LaBruzza
Recommended For: Intermediate or advanced astrologers comfortable (or who wish to get more comfortable) with concepts like planetary dignities, mutual reception, and qualities of the houses. Great for exploring the nuances of planetary rulerships and interrelationships at a theoretical level, supported by many real-life example horoscopes.
Jean-Baptiste Morin was a 17th century French physician and astrologer who wrote prolifically; his most famous and longest work being the huge Astrologia Gallica. This monumental work is being gradually translated, volume by volume, by dedicated astrologers who can read Morin’s Latin treatise.
Morin saw his work as an elucidation of much older astrological tradition from the medieval and Arabic times. In the process of cleaning up after the “confused and inadequate” ancient astrologers, as he calls them, he ends up making changes to the tradition. As a result, his works are commonly considered to comprise “the Morin system,” which is based on, but sometimes varies from earlier astrological tradition.
Many of the earlier volumes of Astrologia Gallica are astronomical/astrological and philosophical treatises, not of immediate interest to working astrologers or hobbyists. The present volume, Book 18, is extremely useful, however. Morin discusses in great detail the strengths and weaknesses of the seven visible planets, and the ways these qualities manifest in practice.
For example, Morin explains how a planet can rule two different signs, one of which may not be in apparent agreement with the planet’s elemental nature. His example is Jupiter, which rules Sagittarius and Pisces. Jupiter, in Morin’s view, has an outward fiery nature, which puts it in agreement with the fire sign Sagittarius; however, he also says that Jupiter has a watery hidden side, which is compatible with the water sign Pisces. As a result, whenever Jupiter resides in any fire sign, his fiery domicile, Sagittarius, is strengthened. The same is true for Pisces when Jupiter passes through a water sign.
While this is a logical approach to planetary rulership, it is rather different from the way ancient authorities may have approached the topic. Sign rulership theory is but one of the many examples of Morin’s subtly changing or re-emphasizing parts of the existing astrological tradition. In that sense, the Morin reader gets one view of the astrological tradition, but it is by no means the only view or even the prevailing practice.
Later in the book, Morin tackles the way planets are affected by reception. He makes the point that mutual reception between planets is only beneficial when either of the planets can offer something constructive to the other. Morin likes to use contemporary astrological charts, and he gives the example of a contemporary named de Hayes who had been decapitated by order of the King. The native’s mutual reception between Mercury in Pisces, ruler of the eighth house of death, and Jupiter in Gemini, situated in the eighth house, could not save him, as both planets were in signs of their detriment and so had nothing positive to offer the native.
The book is full of gems such as this, with many examples clearly illustrating Morin’s approach and conclusions. Morin goes on to discuss planetary strength based on planets positions relative to luminaries; planetary strength based on their motion (speed and direction); and planetary strength based on diurnal or nocturnal condition.
The second part of The Strengths of the Planets discusses planetary strength based on position in the chart; aspects and house positions. Here, Morin revamps the relative strengths of the houses, based on a simplified point system. The results are interesting and somewhat odd, whereby the malefic eighth house is given 3.5 points, but the ninth house is only given 2. While Morin gives his reasons for assigning the point values he does, his assignments do not always coincide with older authors’ use of the houses. For example, the ninth house, associated with religion, higher learning, and travel, is considered more benefic and “stronger” than the eighth house of death, even though the ninth is cadent and the eighth is succedent.
The Strengths of the Planets is slim, weighing in at 131 pages, but it bears slow, careful reading, to extract maximum value. The book was first translated from Latin into Spanish by Pepita Sanchis Llacer, and then translated into English by Anthony Louis LaBruzza. The translation is extremely readable and accessible by modern-day audiences, no doubt largely thanks to the skill of the translators. The book is heavily footnoted and annotated by both translators, as well as by the renowned astrological writer and translator of other Morin books, James Holden. Robert M. Corre, a disciple of Morin, also contributed many footnotes to the translation.
The Strengths of the Planets costs $17.95 at astroamerica.com.
Free Astrology Advice: Horary Question – Should I Write?
February 23, 2007 by admin
Horary Question:
I am currently a stay-at-home mom, and before that I was a teacher. However, I am still wanting to work. What is the best career path for me? Does writing play any part in my future? I would like to know, because for the last year I’ve been laboring away on a novel and since the baby I never seem to have time to return to that passion.
—T.
Nina Gryphon:
Dear T.,
For vocational questions, it is best if we have a few alternatives to examine, since the number of jobs out there in the world is literally infinite. You provided one possibility, which is writing, and we can certainly discuss that. However, you will see that there are other possibilities in the chart, and this way, I can only guess what is appropriate to your situation. The horary question for your chart is below:
In this horoscope, writing is going to be shown by Mercury, which is the planet naturally ruling intellectual pursuits such as writing. We see that Mercury is in Pisces, and it is retrograde. Mercury is separating from the Sun at 5° Pisces, and the Sun rules you in this horoscope, because it is the ruler of the first house of self. So at first glance, we could say that you and your writing are on divergent paths.
As you said, a big part of the problem is that you’re busy taking care of your baby. And, of course, the chart shows that. Mercury is in the sign of its detriment and fall in Pisces, so we have to look at the ruler of Pisces to see what is afflicting Mercury. That planet is Jupiter, ruler of your fifth house of children. Moreover, Jupiter is in the detriment of Mercury, in Sagittarius. So the baby harms the writing.
Let’s see what lies ahead, however. We see that the Moon will shortly square Mercury, and indeed, the Moon has just entered Mercury’s sign, Gemini. So you have been thinking about taking up writing again. My concern is that the writing will turn out to be yet another chore for you. The fact that the Moon and Mercury are applying with a difficult square aspect tells me that there will be some effort involved here, and it may not be entirely pleasant. Also, Mercury is disposited by the ruler of Pisces, Jupiter, so the writing will always have to take a backseat to the needs of the baby.
Shortly, Mercury will enter Aquarius by retrograde motion. At that point, Mercury is going to be Peregrine, which is a considerable step up from its bad state in Pisces. However, in Aquarius, Mercury will also be in the detriment of the Sun, so we see that it’s going to be harming you. Most likely, it will be hard to both be a new mother and a writer.
Usually, when we are provided no vocational options, we cast about for any other likely planet. Here, I would have to go with Mars, which is in its exaltation and in house of its joy, the sixth house. Mars in the sixth house of illness might indicate some kind of medical profession, so this is one alternative you could investigate.
— Readers who are interested in a horary reading with Nina Gryphon (free or paid) may contact her via her astrology readings webpage.
Free Astrology Advice: Horary Question – Will I Be Published in 2007?
January 17, 2007 by admin
Horary Question:
Will I be published in 2007? I have been writing since I was nine but ten years ago, I began to take workshops for fiction and then I went to grad school for non-fiction writing. I graduated in January 06. I haven’t been published but then again, I haven’t really made enough of an effort in putting my stuff out there. I enjoy writing fiction more but I have found that people respond better to my non-fiction autobiographical essays. However, writing about my life makes me feel EXTREMELY exposed plus I really don’t feel that it’s my best writing.
Anyway, I am 37 and I feel that it’s time to really put my writing out there. I would love to support myself through my writing someday, and I wanted to know if this year I can at least make a start.
—M.
Nina Gryphon:
Dear M.,
I am always excited to get questions from writers, as I love literature and the whole literary world. And I can relate, at least vicariously, to the struggles of trying to get published. What’s good about your question, astrologically, is that it is a straight yes or no question, so we can see very quickly whether you will get published this year or not. There are not a whole lot of shades of gray in this scenario.
I cast a horary chart for the time that I understood your question. Horary astrology answers almost any question, with the horoscope being based on the moment that the astrologer understood the question. The horary chart for your question is below:
First, we will want to see whether you will sell your manuscript. To do this, we would want some kind of aspect between you and the publisher or agent, who is shown by the seventh house of partners or “any old people.” You are shown by the ruler of the first house, Mars in Capricorn in the ninth house. The ninth house is a cadent house, showing that you do not have a ton of control in the situation, because of course the final decision is left up to the other party. The agent or publisher is shown by Venus in Aquarius in the 11th house, which is considerably better positioned to control the situation than Mars.
Mars and Venus are not coming to an aspect, nor are we seeing translation or collection of light, whereby other planets can help make the aspect happen. We are also not seeing the Moon (your co-significator) about to meet Venus, which would give us some hope. So it is unlikely that you’ll sell your manuscript in 2007.
It may be helpful to see why the manuscript will not sell this year. There are two main reasons as shown in this horary chart: one, Venus is in the detriment of the Sun, because of Venus’s placement in Aquarius. The Sun rules are fifth house of creations, so we can see that the agent or publisher will not love your manuscript. The good news, of course, is that this is something you can remedy by rewriting or changing your work. Second, we see that your work is afflicted because of a very debilitated Saturn in your fifth house of creative work. Saturn rules your 10th house of career, or your mom, and also the 11th house of money from your career. So it may be that you are simply too busy working and making money to spend as much time on your work as is necessary.
Of course, none of this precludes your selling the manuscript in 2008 or at some other time. The best advice for 2007 would be for you to spend the time that you need working on the manuscript and making it as good as you possibly can.
—Readers who wish to get a horary reading may do so via the astrology reading form on the Gryphon astrology website. If you are seeking a free astrology reading, please be advised that space for free horary readings is extremely limited.
Free Astrology Advice: Will My Memoir Be Successful?
September 14, 2006 by admin
Astrology Advice Question:
I have been writing a memoir about having had a profoundly life-changing enlightenment experience that is connected with astrology. I do not have much experience in writing nor astrology, but I want to know whether the memoir will succeed? Success, to me, means reaching as many people as possible and influencing their lives for the better with my book.
—S.
Nina Gryphon:
Dear S.,
I love getting questions on writing, as I enjoy writing myself, and definitely sympathize with the anxiety underlying all writing: Will they like it? Will it absolutely change their entire world-view? Of course, we hope the answer is “yes,” but you can never tell until you actually get your work out there.
As always, I set the horoscope for the moment I received your question.
You are shown by the Lord of the Ascendant, Mars in Libra on the 7th cusp. Since the 7th is “other people,” or your readers, we can see that you are really, really interested in what they have to say about your work. This is understandable, but I can see that because Mars is in its detriment, this focus on “what will they think” is bothering you a bit. The best advice here, and I know it’s easy to say, is just let it go. Do your best writing and don’t worry about the public’s reception – your writing will be better that way.
How is your memoir itself? It is shown by the 5th house (your creation), and is shown by the Moon in the 1st house in Aries. In the first house, the Moon is very, very, very strongly placed, so it is very well placed to be noticed by the public. The Moon is peregrine (without good or bad essential dignity in Aries – the word peregrine means “traveling”), indicating that the writing could use some more tightness and focus right now.
And finally, for the most important question. How will the audience like the memoir? We know the audience is ruled by the 7th, so they are Venus in this chart. The memoir is the Moon. So how does Venus like the Moon? Venus is in Virgo, in the triplicity of the Moon. The triplicity reception, according to John Frawley, is like a good friendship, where you see the other for who they are and like them anyway. That is how the audience will view the memoir – like a good friend, whose kind and timely advice they can turn to when needed.
- To schedule a private, in-depth reading, email Nina Gryphon at nina@gryphonastrology.com.
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