Day. The interval of time between two
successive passages of a star over the meridian is a Sidereal day 23h, 56m of
mean solar time). The interval between two successive passages of the Sun's
center over the same meridian is a solar day (24 hours); of the Moon's center a
lunar day (24h, 50m). In old astrological texts the Lunar Day refers to the day
of the Full Moon. Because of the Earth's motion in orbit the mean solar day is
4 minutes longer than the sidereal day and because of the Moon's daily motion in
orbit the lunar day is 50 minutes longer than the solar day. The term natural
day is a misnomer, loosely applied to the 24-hour period of the Earth's
rotation. The mean solar day becomes the civil day when reckoned from the hour
affixed by law. In most countries this is from midnight to midnight. With the
Hindus and Babylonians it was from sunrise to sunrise; with the Athenians and
Jews from sunset to sunset; with the ancient Egyptians and Romans at
Army and Navy time during recent
years has been largely superceded by numbering the hours straight through from
0h at midnight to 24h of the next midnight; which also is 0h of the next day.
Astronomical Day. Until
Julian Day. On
Civil Day. The civil day begins at
Loosely speaking, a day is the
period of light between sunrise and sunset, the period of daylight or sunshine.
In the
In astrological parlance a Day
Horoscope is one cast for a birth moment in which the Sun was above the
horizon, hence in one of the Houses numbered from 7 to 12; a Night Horoscope
one in which the Sun is below the horizon, in a House numbered between 1 and 6.
Day House. v. Ruler.
Day of Week, to determine v. Dominical Letter.
Daylight Saving Time. v. Time, Daylight-saving.
Day Triplicity. Older authorities deemed that in
the daytime some planets are stronger when posited in Signs of a certain
element; i.e. Saturn in an Air-Sign, the Sun in a Fire Sign, Mars in a Water
Sign, and Venus in an Earth Sign.
Debility. An embracive term, preferably
applied to any planet disadvantageously placed by virtue of its House position,
but frequently employed loosely as a synonym of Detriment.
Decade. Ten consecutive years; any
grouping of ten.
Decanate, Decan. A term applied to a subdivision of Sign into 10° arcs, referred
to as the first, second and third decanates or decans. The interpretation of
Decans is based upon a system of rulerships, of which there are two in common
use. One method ascribed Mars to the first Decan of Aries and thence carried a
fixed series throughout the 36 Decans, ending again with Mars ruling the third
Decan of Pisces. The series is Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Saturn,
Jupiter; as follows:
..............First
Decan..Second Decan..Third Decan
...Aries........
Mars ........ Sun ....... Venus
...Taurus.......
Mercury ..... Moon ...... Saturn
...Gemini.......
Jupiter ..... Mars ...... Sun
...Cancer.......
Venus ....... Mercury ... Moon
...Leo..........
Saturn ...... Jupiter ... Mars
...Virgo........
Sun ......... Venus ..... Mercury
...Libra........
Moon ........ Saturn .... Jupiter
...Scorpio......
Mars ........ Sun ....... Venus
...Sagittarius..
Mercury ..... Moon ...... Saturn
...Capricorn....
Jupiter ..... Mars ...... Sun
...Aquarius.....
Venus ....... Mercury ... Moon
...Pisces.......
Saturn ...... Jupiter ... Mars
The other method employs the Ruler of
the Sign as specifically the Ruler of the First Decan, with the Second and
Third Decans associated with the Rulers of the other two Signs of the same
triplicity. Thus the First or Aries Decan of Aries is ruled by Mars; the Second
or Leo Decan, by the Sun; and the Third or Sagittarian Decan, by Jupiter. This
gives this series:-
....................1.............2...........3
...Aries..........Mars..........Sun.........Jupiter
...Taurus.........Venus.........Mercury.....Saturn
and so on.
Decatom: a Dichotome (q.v.).
Decile: v. Quintile.
Declination. The manner of indicating distance
N. or S. of the Celestial Equator. The maximum possible declination of the Sun
is 23° 28' which occurs at the Solstices, when the Sun passes the Tropics (0°)
of Cancer and Capricorn, the limit of the pole's greatest inclination from the
plane of the Earth's orbit. The first degrees of Aries and Libra have no declination,
since at these points the ecliptic intersects the equator. However, planets at
this longitude may have declination. (v. Celestial Sphere.)
The declination of a body whose
longitude and latitude are known is found by this formula:
1. Radius (10,000): Tangent of
Ecliptic (23° 27'):: sine of longitudinal distance from equinox: tangent of
Angle A.
2. Cosine of Angle A: cosine
(latitude plus/minus 90°- minus Angle A):: cosine of Ecliptic Obliquity (23°
27'): sine of the Declination. (In this equation the latitude is taken from go,
if the latitude and longitude are of different denomination; but when of the
same denomination they are added, and from this sum Angle A is subtracted.)
The Moon, Mercury, Mars reach a
declination of 27° north, and on rare occasions Venus reaches 28°. Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus and Neptune have practically the same declination as the Sun.
Decreasing or Increasing in
Light. From the
New to the Full Moon the Moon is increasing in light, and from the Full to the
next lunation it is decreasing in light. In a Figure measured from the Sun
position, if the Moon is less than 180° counterclockwise from the Sun it was
waxing, or increasing in light; if less than 180° clockwise from the Sun it was
waning or decreasing in light. Although generally applied to the Moon, it is
also applicable to any planet when passing from an opposition to a conjunction
with the Sun. It usually occurs when approaching the Sun in the order of the
signs; but Mercury and Venus, after they have reached their greatest elongation
East or West and are retrograding toward the Sun, decrease in light against the
order of the signs. It is generally accepted as weakening the planet's
influence.
Decumbiture. Literally, a "lying
down." A horary figure erected for the moment when a person is taken ill,
wherefrom to judge as to the possible nature, prognosis and duration of the
illness.
Deductive Type. Referring to a certain quality
or habit of mind that characterizes those born when the Sun was in a Mutable
sign: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces. v. Signs.
Deferent. In Ptolemaic astronomy, an
imaginary orbit pursued by a celestial body, around which another body moved in
an epicycle (q.v.). A deferent was employed in conditions wherein the
natural motion of the body was not involved. The term reflects the fact that
Ptolemy was ignorant of the Earth's motion.
Degree. One 360th part of the circumference of a circle. The rough
measure of an angle of one degree is the apparent diameter of a dime held at
arm's length from the eye. The apparent diameter of the Sun and Moon is about
0.5°. The longest dimension of the bowl of the Big Dipper is about 10°. A
degree is divided into 60 equal parts called minutes of arc. The length of a
degree of latitude on the Earth's surface increases from 68.71 miles at the
equator to 69.41 miles at 90°. The length of a degree of longitude on the
Earth's surface varies from 69.65 miles at the Equator to 53.43 at 40°. Degrees
are equally applicable to the Zodiac or the Ecliptic. As a time unit it is applicable
to the Equator thus:
Degrees of Arc......Hours and minutes of time
......360°...............24 h.
.......30° (1 Sign).......2 h.
.......15°................1 h.
........1° (60')..........4 m.
........1' (60")..........4 s.
Degree Rising. The degree of the zodiacal Sign posited on the Ascendant (q.v.), or
cusp of the First House at birth, and generally considered the most important
in the Nativity. The rising degree is based upon the exact moment of birth, or
of the event for which the Figure is cast, and the correct geographical
latitude and longitude. Should either factor be unknown the Figure is usually
cast for sunrise, which places the Sun's degree upon the horizon, resulting in
what is termed a Solar Figure. As it is based only on the Earth's apparent
motion around the Sun some authorities term it a Heliard Figure.
Degrees, Individual. Several works, symbolical, speculative and statistical, treat of
influences presumed to repose in certain individual degrees. Maurice Wemyss in
the four volumes of his "Wheel of Life" even introduces some
hypothetical and as yet undiscovered planets to account for certain qualities
and effects. It is probable that many of the qualities ascribed to individual
degrees have to do with sensitive points created by Eclipses, major
conjunctions, or a close conjunction in both longitude and latitude between a
solar system body and a fixed star, which points are accented by the transit of
another planet at a later date. For ready reference a list of such points is
arranged in a zodiacal sequence, which includes: (1) the degrees created by
important stars, nebulae and clusters; (2) the planets' Nodes; (3) the points
of the planets' Exaltation and Fall; (4) the major planetary conjunctions from
1940 to 1946 inclusive; to which others can be added at will from the
Ephemerides; (5) Solar Eclipses, from 1940 to 1946, inclusive; and (6) such
other degrees which from experience appear to exert a decisive influence.
Individual Degree Tables (in following
articles)
The stars listed in these tables of
Individual Degrees are located as of 1925. To adjust them to other dates add 5O
1/3" of longitude for each year later, or subtract for each year earlier. (Apolo's Note: for 2003,
78 years later, this gives an addition to make of 65.4333', ie
1º5', or approx. 1.1º.)
The ancients ascribed names to the
various stars, and many of these names are still in use. In 16O3 Bayer devised
a more scientific system whereby the stars in a constellation are known by the
name of the constellation to which they belong, the individual stars within the
constellation known by Greek letter prefixes, according to size, beginning with
the largest as Alpha, and continuing downward to Omega. The system is still in
use, except for the telescopic stars, of which a million have been classified,
and these are identified by a catalogue number.
The sequence of the data on the Fixed
Stars, supplied in the following lists, is as follows:
Longitude, Latitude (magnitude) (where specified - for
the fixed stars etc.), popular name, astronomical designation,
description (Nature
according to Ptolemy - with additions by Alvidas - and others) and
its astrological significance.
The interpretations given are mostly
from ancient authorities, who apparently were inclined to place undue stress
upon the direful.
To see these tables, v. Degrees,
Individual, Aries; Degrees, Individual, Taurus, etc. etc.....
Degrees, Individual, Aries (accurate
1925; add 1º 5' for 2002 positions of fixed stars etc.)
(Abbreviations: neb, nebulae; cl, cluster; v, variable.)
Aries
0°.....A positive nature that creates its own destiny. Cusp of
First Lunar Mansion, a so-called Critical Degree.
1°.....Degree of the Surgeon; an organizer.
1°14', 20° 48'S (2) Diphda, Beta Ceti. A yellow star in the Whale's
Tail. (Saturn - Mercury Mars) Sickness, misfortune, compulsory changes,
self-destruction by brute force.
1° 50'.Mars-Jupiter conj.: January 6, 1940.
2°.....Degree of abscesses; literary and poetic.
3°.....Birds and aviators; collisions; goitre.
4°.....Cruelty.
5°.....Unsatisfied ambitions.
6°.....Jaundice.
7°.....Degree of life and death
7°51', 12° 36'N (3) Algenib. Gamma Pegasi. A white star at the
top of the wing of Pegasus. (Mars Mercury)Notoriety, violence, the pro-
fessional beggar.
8°.....Degree of courage; immorality.
9°.....Triumph; great generals
10°....Spiritual triumph; scientific interests; a degree of
electricity.
11°....Spiritual intuitions.
12°....Cusp of Second Lunar Mansion.
13°....Degree of the Physician; of food and drink.
13°24' 25° 41'N (2) Alpheratz, alpha Andromedae. A double star,
purple-hued white, in the hair of Andromeda; often called Andromeda's head. Its
name, from Al Surrat al Faras,
or The Horse's Navel, indicates it was formerly listed in the constellation
Pegasus. (Jupiter Venus - Mars) Riches, horrors, independence and a keen
intellect.
14°....Degree of apoplexy or suicide.
15°....Persuasive oratory; public life.
16°....Children.
17°....Oratory.
18°....Mental fertility and physical passionateness.
19°....Exaltation of Sun: Fall of Saturn; a Fortunate Degree.
20°....Abscesses; accidents; electricity.
20°50' 20° 20'S (3 1/2) Baten Kaitos, Zeta Ceti, the Whale's
Belly. A topaz-yellow star. (Saturn) Enforced migration, accidents; shipwreck,
with rescue.
21°....Hope; artistic.
22°....Music.
23°....Philosophy.
24°....Literature; travel.
25°....Cusp of Third Lunar Mansion; exploration and discovery.
25°42' 5° 22' N (4) Al Pharg, Eta Piscium, associated with
the Greck Head of Typhon. A double star near the tail of the Northern Fish.
(Saturn Jupiter) Determination, preparedness, and eventual success.
26°....Degree of tuberculosis of the lungs; of opposition and
strife; militant leaders. Great soldiers are found on this Aries- Libra axis.
26°15'.Mars-Saturn conj.: February 11, 1940.
26°43' 33° 21'N (Neb.) Vertex, 31m Andromedae, the great nebula
N. of Andromeda's head. (Mars Moon) Eye weakness or blindness, violent death.
27°....Tenacity of purpose; hair; Mars in this degree indicates
red hair.
28°....Power to realize a lofty ideal.
29°....A prophet of a new order.
29°17' 25° 56'N (2) Mirach, Beta Andromedae. A yellow star in the
Zona (girdle) of Andromeda. (Venus - Mars Moon) Beauty, love of home,
brilliant mind, fortunate marriage, renowned for benevolence.
Degrees, Individual, Taurus (accurate
1925; add 1º 5' for 2002 positions of fixed stars etc.)
(Abbreviations: neb, nebulae; cl, cluster; v, variable.)
Taurus
0°.....Powerful in combining old principles in new applications.
1º.....Magic.
2°.....Degree of plot and strategy. Important degree in
nativities of great military generals.
2°5' 8° 29'N (3) Sharatan, beta Arietis. A pearly white star on
the Ram's North Horn. (Mars Saturn) Unscrupulous; defeat; destruction by war,
fire or earthquake.
3°.....Exaltation of the Moon; a fortunate degree. One accustomed
to the exercise of authority.
4°.....Founder of a sect; the seat of law.
5°.....Occultist, healer; hermit.
6°.....Degree of many enemies.
6°32' 9° 58'N (2) Hamal. Alpha Arictis. A yellow star in the
Ram's forehead -- the "following horn." (Mars Saturn - Venus Saturn)
Cruelty; premeditated crime.
7°.....Determined and resourceful.
8°.....Cusp of Fourth Lunar Mansion. A critical degree.
9°.....Neurasthenia.
9°6'...Jupiter-Saturn conj.; February 15, 1941.
10°....Architecture (10° - 12°).
11°....Experimental scientist.
12°....Air pressure and gravitation.
12°30'.Jupiter-Saturn conj.: October 20, 1941.
13°....Circulation of money: unfortunate for marriage.
13°7' 27° 48'N (2) Almach, Gamma Andromedae. An orange, emerald
and blue binary or ternary star in left foot of Andromeda. (Venus) Eminence;
artistic ability.
13°12' 12°35'S (2V2) Menkar, alpha Ceti. An orange star in the
Whale's jaw. (Saturn - Venus Moon - Mars) Injury from wild beasts;
loss of fortune.
14°....First point of stabilization; a fortunate degree;
religious nature.
14°27'.Jupiter-Saturn conj.: August 8, 1940.
15°....Growth; music.
16°....Painting; influential in organizations.
17°....Appendicitis.
17°14'.Mercury North Node.
18°....Leader of a party.
19°....Self-made man.
19°8'..Mars North Node.
20°....Cusp of Fifth Lunar Mansion; a critical degree;
oratorical.
21°....Water travel.
22°....Success at any cost.
22°18'.Mars-Saturn conj.: February 22, 1942.
23°....Patient in toil.
23°5' 40° 22'N (cl) Capulus, 33 Uranus vi Persei. A double
cluster in the sword-hand of Perseus. (Mars Mercury) Defective eyesight.
24°....Poet and recluse.
25°....Autocratic and unscrupulous; death of partner; a bad
reputation.
25°3' 22° 25'N (v) Algol, Beta Persei. A white binary and
variable star, marking the Medusa's head held in the hand of Perseus. (Saturn)
Said to be of a violent nature, the M.C. directed to this position arousing mob
violence and murderous tendencies, which dispose toward a tragic end. It is
reputed to be the most malefic of the stars. Conjunct the Sun, Moon or Jupiter
it gives victory in war.
25°34'.Jupiter-Uranus conj.: May 8, 1941.
26°....Fortune by marriage.
26°38'.Mars-Uranus conj.: March 1, 1942.
27°....A fortunate degree; steadfast; fortune through employment
28°....Literature; powerful will, and organizing ability.
28°52° 4° 2'N (3) Alcyone, Eta Tauri. A greenish yellow star; the
brightest of the Pleiades, representing one of the seven daughters of the nymph
Pleione, by Atlas, who by Neptune became the mother of Hyreus. The names of the
other six are Maia, Electra, Taygeta, Sterope (or Asterope), Celano, and the
invisible, or "lost" one, Merope, who concealed herself from shame at
having loved a mortal. That Alcyone was at one time presumed to be the center
of the Milky Way Galaxy indicates that the ancients may have visualized Atlas
as resting on this point while supporting the Earth on his shoulders. (Mars
Moon) Eminence; if conjoining Sun or Moon - accidents to face, or blindness
from smallpox; a strong love nature.
29°....Degree of fate; favored by fortune; a dramatic area; a
famous actors' degree.
29°19'.Saturn-Uranus conj.: May 3, 1942.
Degrees,
Individual, Gemini (accurate 1925;
add 1º 5' for 2002 positions of fixed stars etc.)
(Abbreviations: neb, nebulae; cl, cluster; v, variable.)
Gemini.
0°.....Degree of draftsmanship (also 1° and 2°).
2°.....An ambassadorial degree.
3°.....Exaltation of Moon's North Node: a point of spiritual
illumination. Cusp of Sixth Lunar Mansion: a critical degree.
4°.....Degree of aviation; of mental stability.
4°41' 5° 44'S (4) First of the Hyades, Gamma Tauri (Saturn
Mercury - Mercury Mars) Contradiction of fortunes; injuries to the head by
instruments; impaired eyesight.
5°.....Degree of quiet fortunes.
5°8'...Mars-Uranus conj.: January 16, 1944.
6°.....A degree of brilliant intellectuality; of expression in
language.
7°.....Degree of cantankerous irritability.
8°.....Ascendant and Uranus in U.S. horoscope.
8°40' 5° 28'S (i) Aldebaran, Alpha Tauri. The Watcher of the
East; the Bull's Eye. A red star, the brightest of the Hyades, a group of seven
stars called "Weepers" because when they rise or set heliacally they
were anciently supposed to bring rain. The Sun conjoins them during the latter
days of May and the beginning of June. (Mars - Mercury Mars Jupiter) Said to
have rulership over hands and fingers, and when afflicted to be conducive to
pneumonia. In conjunction with Mars or Saturn, or either luminary, it was said
by the older astrologers to presage a violent death. It is rendered increasingly
malefic by the opposition of Antares in 8°39' Sagittarius.
9°.....Degree of homicide; elevation through partnership or
marriage.
10°....A Fortunate degree.
12°....A degree of hope realized.
13°....Degree of accidents to wheeled vehicles; of imitation and
acting.
13° 43'Uranus North Node.
14°....Degree of dumbness from impaired speech organs.
15°....Inheritor of a home.
15°43' 31° 8'S (1) Rigel, Beta Orionis. Orion's left foot.
(Jupiter Mars) Preferment, riches, great and lasting honors. If culminating:
great military or ecclesiastical preferment.
16°....Cusp of Seventh Lunar Mansion; a critical degree. A degree
of sleep and trance.
16°11'.Venus North Node.
16°20'.Mars-Jupiter conj.: April 3, 1942.
16°53'.Mars-Uranus conj.: August 17, 1945.
17°....A degree of homicide.
19°50' 16° 50' S (2) Bellatrix, Gamma Orionis. (Mars Mercury)
Said to confer military and other honors that end in disaster. Conjoining Sun
or Moon, blindness. If culminating: a forger or swindler.
19°54'.Mars-Saturn conj.: March 7, 1944.
20°44' 22° 55'N (1) Capella, Alpha Aurigae; Hircus, the Goat.
(Mars Mercury) When culminating: said to confer martial or ecclesiastical
honors and riches, attended by waste and dissipation. It is too far north to
conjunct Sun or Moon, or to rise or set.
21°16' 23° 37'S (2) Mintaka, Delta Orionis. Slightly variable
double star, brilliant white and pale violet, in Orion's belt. (Saturn Mercury
- Mercury Saturn Jupiter) Good fortune.
21°27' 5° 23'N (2) El Nath, Beta Tauri. (Mars) Eminence.
21°55' 28° 42'S (Neb) Ensis, 42m Orionis. (Mars Moon) Blindness
or defective sight; illness; violent death.
22°....Degree of Literature.
22°22' 24° 32'S (2) Alnilam, Epsilon Orionis. Bright white star
in the center of Orion's belt. (Jupiter Saturn - Mercury Saturn) Confers
fleeting public honors. The three stars in Orion's belt, when in the Midheaven
of a nativity are said to confer signal honors.
23°....Faith: a military degree; also affecting the spine.
23°40' 2° 12' S (3) Al Hecka, Zeta Tauri. (Mars - Mercury Saturn)
Violence, malevolence, accidents.
25°....Degree of neurasthenia.
27°27' 66° 5N (2) Polaris, Alpha Ursae Minoris. A topaz-yellow
and pale white double star, in the tail of the Little Bear, and marking the
celestial pole. It is now 1°14' distant from North Pole, but in 2095 it will
reach the nearest distance, 26'30". The pole has been successively marked
by Alpha Lyrae (Wega), c. 12,200 B.C.; Tau Draconis, c. 4500 B.C.; and Alpha
Draconis, c. 2700 B.C. It will be marked by Gamma Cepheis, c. 4500 A.D., Alpha
Cephei, c. 7500 A.D.; Delta Cygni, c. 11,300 A.D.; and again Wega, c. 13,500
A.D. (Saturn Venus) Sickness and affliction; legacies attended by evil effects.
27°38' 16° 2'S (1) Betelgeuze, Alpha Orionis. Irregularly
variable orange star in right shoulder of Orion. (Mars Mercury - Mercury Saturn
Jupiter) When in opposition, said to cause accidents; but in conjunction, to
bring honors. A military star.
28°....Degree of tuberculosis of lungs.
28°48' 21 ° 30'N (2) Menkalinan, beta Aurigae. (Mars Mercury)
Ruin, disgrace.
29°....Degree of imitation and acting.
Degrees,
Individual, Cancer (accurate 1925;
add 1º 5' for 2002 positions of fixed stars etc.)
(Abbreviations: neb, nebulae; cl, cluster; v, variable.)
Cancer.
0°.....Cusp of Eighth Lunar Mansion; a critical degree;
(1°-3°)Fortunate degrees;
(1°-2°)Degrees of sight.
2°19' O° 54'S (3) Tejat, Eta Geminorum. A binary and
variable star. (Mercury Venus) Pride, overconfidence, shamelessness, and
violence.
4°.....A medical degree.
4°11' 0° 50'S (3) Dirah, Mu Geminorum. A yellow and blue double
star. (Mercury Venus) Energy, power, protection.
5°.....Degree of sleep and trance (5°- 6°)
7°59' 6° 45'S (2) Alhena, Gamma Geminorum. A brilliant white
star; called the wound in the Achilles' heel. (Mercury Venus - Moon Venus) Eminence
in art; accidents to the feet.
9°54'..Jupiter North Node.
10°....Historical degree.
11°....Degree of retentive memory; of cancer and alcoholism.
12°....Cusp of Ninth Lunar Mansion; a critical degree.
12°59' 39° 39'S (1) Sirius, Alpha Canis Majoris. A yellow star;
known as Orion's big dog - the dog star. (Jupiter Mars - Moon Jupiter Mars)
Honor, renown; custodians, guardians, curators; high offices in the government.
When rising, said to confer great dignity; often associated with dog bites.
13°....Degree of business; also 12°, 14°, 15°, 16°.
14°....A fortunate degree.
15°....Exaltation of Jupiter. A suicide degree.
16°....Degree of duty.
16°57'.Solar Eclipse: July 10, 1945.
17°57'.Mars-Saturn conj.: March 20, 1946.
17°24' 0° 11'S (3) Wasat, Delta Geminorum. A pale white and
purple double star in the right arm of the Northern Twin. (Saturn) Malevolence,
violence and destructiveness; associated with poisons and gases.
17°50° 5° 45'N (4) Propus, Tau Geminorum. (Mercury Venus)
Eminence, strength, success.
19°8' 10° 5'N (2) Castor, Alpha Geminorum. The mortal one
of the heavenly twins; associated with Apollo. (Mercury - Mars Venus Saturn -
Moon Mars Uranus) Violence; sudden fame; honors, followed by disgrace or
imprisonment. Rising: weakness, sometimes blindness; injuries to face.
19°34'.Pluto North Node.
20°....Degree of limitation and hindrance.
20°46'.Mars-Saturn conj.: January 20, 1946.
22°7'..16° 0'S (1) Pollux, Beta Geminorum. The immortal one of
the twins, son of Jupiter and Leda; associated with Hercules. (Mars - Moon Mars
Uranus) Connected with poisons; the art of self-defense; subtle, crafty, rash,
cruel. If rising, eye weakness, sometimes blindness; injuries to face; wounds,
imprisonment. If culminating, honor, preferment, followed by disgrace.
23°....Degree of forethought.
23°11'.Saturn North Node.
24°....Degree of music.
24°41' 16° 0'S (1) Procyon, Alpha Canis Minoris. (Mercury Mars --
Moon Jupiter Uranus) Sudden preferment, the result of individual exertion; yet
eventually the activity it promotes brings sudden misfortune. Afflictions
threaten trouble with and danger through liquids, water, gas, poisons, or dog
bites. When rising, said to inspire admiration for the canine species.
24°47'.Mars-Saturn conj.: October 20, 1945.
25°....Cusp of Tenth Lunar Mansion: a critical degree.
27°....Degree of farming.
28°....Fall of Mars. Has to do with the hair.
29°....Degree of the avid collector.
Degrees, Individual, Leo (accurate
1925; add 1º 5' for 2002 positions of fixed stars etc.)
(Abbreviations: neb, nebulae; cl, cluster; v, variable.)
Leo.
0°.....Homicide.
3°.....Biliousness.
5°.....Homicide, aviation accidents.
6°.....Sight.
6°7' 1°33' N (cl) Presaepe, 44m Cancri. The manger of the Aselli:
a nebulous cluster. (Mars Moon) Adventure, wantonness, brutality; at other
times fortunate, though liable to loss through others; industry, order and
fecundity; large business. Rising, or conjunction an afflicted Moon: blindness,
especially of left eye; ophthalmia; facial injuries; fevers, wounds. If Sun
oppose Mars or Asc.: violent death. If culminating: disgrace, ruin, violent
death.
6°25' 3°11'N (5) North Asellus, Gamma Cancri. Identified with
Balaam's ass. The Aselli represent the asses ridden by Bacchus and Vulcan in
the war between the Gods and the Titans. (Mars Sun - Sun sextile Mars)
Patience, beneficence, courage; sometimes marital preferment; heroic and
defiant leaders.
7°36' 0°4'N (4) South Asellus, Delta Cancri. (Mars Sun - Sun >
Mars) Fevers, quarrels, slander.
8°.....Cusp of Eleventh Lunar Mansion; a critical degree;
Anaemia; hearing.
9°.....Bladder afflictions; alcoholism; Army and Navy.
9°31'..Mars-Pluto conj.: May 12, 1946.
11°10'.Neptune North Node.
12°....A degree of beauty.
12°31' 5°5'S (4) Acubens, Alpha Cancri. (Saturn Mercury)
Activity, malevolence, prevarication.
13°....Degree of literature.
15°....First point of Affection: The Lion point.
17°....Degree of aviation; of air and gas.
18°....Medical ability (18°-22°).
19°....The back.
19°35' 9°43'N (3) Algenubi, Epsilon Leonis. (Saturn Mars) Cold, heartless,
bombastic, destructive; but with artistic perceptions and facility of
expression.
20°....Cusp of Twelfth Lunar Mansion; a critical degree. A degree
of Faith.
20º-24ºDegrees of homicide.
21°....Comedy.
22°....Appendicitis.
23°....The stage.
25°....Alcoholic (25°-26°); astrology (25°-29°).
26°....Mars-Jupiter conj.: July 5, 1944.
26°10' 22°23'S (2) Alphard, Alpha Hydrae; often called the Heart
of the Hydra. (Saturn Venus - Sun sextile Jupiter) Wisdom, artistic
appreciation; knowledge of human nature; yet immoral, uncontrolled, and subject
to tragedy.
26°27' 11°52' N (3) Adhafera, Zeta Leonis. (Saturn Mercury)
Associated with criminal tendencies, poisons, suicide. If rising: military
preferment and riches.
26°47' 4°52' N (3) Al Jabhah, Eta Leonis. Violent and intemperate
nature; a military officer in danger of mutiny.
28°43' 0°28'N (i) Regulus, Alpha Leonis. A triple star; called
the Lion's Heart; one of the Royal stars of the Persians, as Watcher of the
North, marking the Summer solstice about 3000 B.C. (Mars Jupiter - Mars - Sun
trine Uranus) Destructiveness; military honors, with ultimate failure;
magnanimity, liberality, generosity; independent and high-spirited. If rising:
honor and wealth, but subject to ill health. If culminating: high office under
government; military success. If conj. Sun, Moon or Jupiter: honors and ample
fortune.
Degrees,
Individual, Virgo (accurate 1925;
add 1º 5' for 2002 positions of fixed stars etc.)
(Abbreviations: neb, nebulae; cl, cluster; v, variable.)
Virgo.
3°.....Cusp of the Thirteenth Lunar Mansion: a critical degree;
appendicitis.
4°.....Asthma.
7°.....Degree of dress (7° - 10°)
8°.....Mixing and blending.
9°.....Homicidal tendencies.
10°....Purifying, cleansing, refining, and reducing to simplest
essence. A degree of theology.
10°22' 14°20 N (2) Zosma, Delta Leonis. (Saturn Venus)
Egotistical, immoral; fearful of poisoning.
11°....An astrological degree.
12°....Business (12° - 16°).
13°....Stage; feet.
14°....Degree of transformation and versatility (13° - 14°).
15°....Exaltation of Mercury.
16°....Cusp of Fourteenth Lunar Mansion; a critical degree,
Christian ministers; a degree of symbolism.
17°....Degree of gliding or flowing.
20°30' 12° 16'N (2) Denebola, Beta Leonis, the Lion's Tail.
(Saturn Venus - Mercury Uranus Mars) Said to bring honors and wealth, but
leading eventually to disgrace; swift judgments; despair, regrets, misfortunes,
through natural forces. If rising: good fortune, attended by dangers and
anxieties, because of folly.
22°....A military degree; said to rule appendicitis;
hairdressers.
23°58' 50°55'N (Neb) Copula, 51m Canum Ven. (Moon Venus)
Blindness, defective vision, hindrances and disappointments.
24°....Degree of painting (24° - 26°).
25°....Cancer.
25°35' 17°34'S (4) Labrum, Delta Crateris. Associated with the
Holy Grail. (Venus Mercury) Ideality, spiritual intelligence; salvation through
fall from grace.
25°38' Mars-Neptune conj.: September 29, 1940.
26°2' 0°42'N (3½) Zavijava, Beta Virginis. (Mercury Mars)
Combative, destructive, but beneficent; strength of character. Near to it was
the Solar Eclipse of September 21, 1922, used by physicists in confirming the
Einstein theory.
27°....Diabetes.
27°48' 63°43' S (2½) Markeb, Kappa Argus. (Saturn Jupiter)
Piety, educational work; voyages.
28°....Solar Eclipse: August 21, 1941.
29°21'.Mars-Neptune conj.: September 16, 1942.
Degrees,
Individual, Libra (accurate 1925;
add 1º 5' for 2002 positions of fixed stars etc.)
(Abbreviations: neb, nebulae; cl, cluster; v, variable.)
Libra.
0°.....Cusp of Fifteenth Lunar Mansion; a sensitive degree.
3°.....Abscesses.
3°4'...Mars-Neptune conj.: August 23, 1944.
3°43' 1°22'N (4) Zaniah, Eta Virginia; a variable star. (Mercury
Venus) Congeniality, refinement, order; a lovable nature.
5°.....Homicide.
6°.....Degree of birds; aviation; goiter.
6°53'..Mars-Neptune conj.: August 20, 1946.
7°.....Sudden death; animal life.
8°.....Solar Eclipse: October 1, 1940.
8°50' 16°13'N (3) Vindemiatrix, Epsilon Virginis. So called
because it anciently rose at vintage time. (Saturn Mercury) Falsity, sometimes
dishonesty; loss of partner. If conj. Uranus: spinal trouble; heart trouble;
seclusion.
9°.....Courage, triumph.
9°2' 2°48'N (3½) Caphir, Gamma Virginis. (Mercury Venus -
Venus Mars) Refined and lovable character; prophetic instincts.
12°....Cusp of Sixteenth Lunar Mansion; a sensitive degree.
12°20' 12° 11' (3) Algorab, Delta Corvi. (Mars Saturn)
Destructive, malevolent; a scavenger.
13°....Food and drink.
15°....Suicide, apoplexy.
16°32' 49°33'N (3) Seginus, Gamma Boötis. (Mercury Saturn)
Subtle mind, but suffers through bad company.
17°....Electrical (16°-18°).
19°....Fall of the Sun.
21°....Exaltation of Saturn. The stage, comedy.
21°3' 58°55'S (v) Foramen, Eta Argus. Surrounded by the
"Key-hole" nebula. (Saturn Jupiter) Piety; acquisitiveness; danger to
eyes. If conj. Sun: shipwreck.
22°....Artistic; hope.
22°43' 2°3'S (1) Spica, Alpha Virginis. (Venus Mars - Venus
Jupiter Mercury) Said to be fixed and benefic; offering riches, renown, and a
sweet disposition; the most fortunate of stars, when rising or on the
Mid-heaven.
23°....Degree of homosexuality.
23°7' 30° 47'N (1) Arcturus, Alpha Boötis; Arctophilax, the
bear watcher. Brightest star in the northern hemisphere (v. Job 38:32). (Mars Jupiter -
Mercury conjunct Venus) Renown through self-determination; prosperity by
navigation and voyages.
24°....Musical.
25°....Cusp of Seventeenth Lunar Mansion; a sensitive degree;
literature.
26°....Detectives.
27°....Consumption.
28°....Hospitality; hair.
Degrees, Individual, Scorpio (accurate
1925; add 1º 5' for 2002 positions of fixed stars etc.)
(Abbreviations: neb, nebulae; cl, cluster; v, variable.)
Scorpio.
0°.....Sensuous and passionate degree.
2°.....Plot.
2°2' 48°59'N (3) Princeps, Delta Boötis. (Mercury Saturn)
Profound and studious mind, adapted to research.
3°.....Fall of the Moon.
5°45' 0° 28'N (4) Khambalia, Lambda Virginis. (Mercury Mars)
Changeable, unreliable, argumentative.
6°.....Occultist and leader; that which is slippery but soothing.
8°.....Cusp of Eighteenth Lunar Mansion; a critical degree.
10°....Neurasthenia
10°46' 52°52'S (1) Acrux, Alpha Crucis. Brightest star in the
Southern Cross. (Jupiter) Ceremonial, benevolent, mystic.
11°10' 44°20'N (2) Alphecca, Alpha Coronae Bor. (Venus Mercury --
Mars Mercury) Dignity; artistic sensibilities, inclined to poetry.
12°....Business (12°-16°)
13°....Air pressure.
13°58' 0°20'N (3) South Scale, Alpha Librae. (Jupiter Mars - Mars
Venus Saturn) Unforgiving, untruthful; ill-health.
15°....The Center of Regeneration: the Eagle-point.
16°....Growth; painting.
17°....Music.
17°41'.Mercury South Node.
18°....Appendicitis.
18°15' 8°30'N (2½) North Scale, Beta Librae. (Jupiter
Mercury - Mars sextile Jupiter) Good fortune, high ambition.
19°....The degree of avidity, an evil degree; the crucial point
in the war between the Ego and the Supreme Will; animal life. 19°8'..Mars South
Node.
20°....Cusp of Nineteenth Lunar Mansion; a critical degree.
20°56' 25°25'N (2½) Unukalhai, Alpha Serpentis. (Saturn
Mars - Mars Saturn opposition Venus) Immorality, accidents, danger of poison.
21°....Bronchial tubes.
22°43' 44°9'S (1) Agena, Beta Centauri. (Venus Jupiter - Mars
conjunct Mercury) Refinement, morality, good health; universally respected.
25°....Dumbness; alcoholic.
27°....Literature; memory.
28°....Brewers.
28°28' 42°34'S (1) Bungula, Alpha Centauri. Often called Proxima,
because of its nearness to the Earth: 275,000 astro. units. (Venus Jupiter)
Friends; refinement; honor.
Degrees,
Individual, Sagittarius (accurate 1925;
add 1º 5' for 2002 positions of fixed stars etc.)
(Abbreviations: neb, nebulae; cl, cluster; v, variable.)
Sagittarius.
0°.....Degrees of draughtsmanship (0°-3°).
1°11' 17°15'N (3) Yed Prior, Delta Ophiuchi. (Saturn Venus)
Shameless immorality; revolutionary.
1°27' 1°58'S (2) Isidis, Delta Scorpii (Mars Saturn - Venus
Gemini Moon) Sudden assaults; malevolence; immorality.
2°4' 1°1'N (3) Graffias, Beta Scorpii. (Mars Saturn - Venus
Gemini Moon Saturn) Malicious, merciless; susceptible to contagious diseases.
3°.....Exaltation of Moon's South Node: Fall of Moon's North
Node. Cusp of Twentieth Lunar Mansion: a critical degree.
4º.....Aviation.
6°.....Degree of expression in language.
7°.....Degree of the heart.
8°7' 11°4'N (3) Han, Zeta Ophiuchi. (Saturn Venus) Harbinger
of trouble.
8°39' 4° 34S (1) Antares, Alpha Scorpii; Mars' deputy; the
Scorpion's heart. The Watcher of the West. It shows a fluted spectrum in which
the reds predominate. (Mars Jupiter) Malevolent, destructive; generous; subject
to presentiments of impending tragedy; rash impulses; headstrong obstinacy,
chiefly injuring themself. If rising or culminating: honor, preferment, good
fortune.
9°.....Homicide.
10°50' 75°17'N (3) Rastaban, Beta Draconis. (Mars Saturn)
Criminal tendencies; property losses; accidents.
12°....Accidents to wheeled vehicles.
13°....Degree of acting.
13°43'.Uranus South Node.
14°....Degree of dumbness; indecision.
16°....Cusp of Twenty-First Lunar Mansion: a critical degree.
16°11'.Venus North Node.
16°51' 7°11'N (2) Sabik, Eta Ophiuchi. (Saturn Venus - Jupiter
Venus) Wasteful, inefficient; bad morals, but successful evildoer.
17°....Degree of matter in transition - heat, flame; homicidal.
18°....Royalty.
20°....Faith (20°-23°).
21°....Growth.
21°20' 35°51'N (2) Rasalhague, Alpha Ophiuchi. (Saturn Venus -
Jupiter Mercury sextile Mars) Perverted and depraved tastes; misfortunes
through women.
22°....A military degree.
22°54' 14°0'S (3) Lesath, Gamma Scorpii. (Mercury Mars)
Associated with acids; danger, desperation; immorality.
23°....Faith.
24°39' 8°50'C (cl) Aculeus, 6m Scorpii. (conjunct Moon) If conj.
or opposition an afflicted luminary, or its afflicting planet: impaired
eyesight, perhaps blindness.
25°....Neuresthania.
27°35' 11°22'S (cl) Acumen, 7m Scorpii. (conjunct Moon) Companion
to Aculeus, and of same nature and influence.
28°....Consumption.
28°38' 13°41'N (3) Sinistra, Gamma Ophiuchi. (Saturn Venus)
Slovenly, immoral.
29°....Imitation; acting.
29°32' 0°1'N (CNC) Spiculum, 8, 20, 21m Sagittarii. (Mars Moon)
Mentioned by Ptolemy in connection with blindness.
Degrees,
Individual, Capricorn (accurate 1925;
add 1º 5' for 2002 positions of fixed stars etc.)
(Abbreviations: neb, nebulae; cl, cluster; v, variable.)
Capricorn.
0°.....The Galactic Center. The most important point in astrology.
Cusp of the Twenty-Second Lunar Mansion. An ambitious degree.
2°.....Sight.
2°6' 2°21'N (4) Polis, Mu Sagittarii. (Jupiter Mars) Keen
perception, domination; ambition, success; horsemanship.
3°.....Medical.
4°.....Sleep and trance (4°-5°).
6°.....Analogy.
7°.....Unusual ability.
7°12' 0°43'C (cl) Facies, 22m Sagittarii. (Sun Mars) Blindness or
defective sight; illness; accidents.
9°.....Degree of history.
9°54'..Jupiter South Node.
10°....Memory.
11°....Religion.
11°16' 3°26'S (2) Pelagus, Sigma Sagittarii. (Jupiter Mercury -
Saturn Mercury) Optimism; veracity; a religious tendency.
12°....Cusp of the Twenty-Third Lunar Mansion.
12°31' 7°10'S (3) Ascella, Zeta Sagittarii. (Jupiter Mercury)
Happiness, good fortune.
13°52' 0°52'N (4½) Manubrium, Omicron Sagittarii. (Sun
Mars) Heroic, courageous, defiant; blindness from fire or explosion.
14°....Suicide.
14°12' 61°44'N (1) Wega, Alpha Lyrae, a pale sapphire star in the
lower part of the Lyre. (Venus Mercury - Jupiter trine Saturn in Part of
Fortune) Beneficent, idealistic, hopeful, refined, changeable; grave, outwardly
pretentious, but usually lascivious.
15°....Fall of Jupiter. A degree of duty.
16°....Degree of solid matter.
17°....Intellectual and governmental.
18°41' 36°12'N (3) Deneb, Zeta Aquilae. (Mars Jupiter)
Benevolent, liberal; ability to command; and a successful warrior.
19°34'.Pluto South Node.
21°....A scholarly degree.
23°....Governmental authority; music.
23°11'.Saturn South Node.
24°43' 5°25'S (6) Terebellum, Omega Sagittarii. (Venus Saturn)
Cunning, mercenary; a fortune, with a guilty conscience and unsavory
reputation.
25°....Cusp of the Twenty-Fourth Lunar Mansion.
26°....Land and farming.
27°....Hair.
28°....Exaltation of Mars.
29°....Degree of collecting.
Degrees,
Individual, Aquarius (accurate 1925;
add 1º 5' for 2002 positions of fixed stars etc.)
(Abbreviations: neb, nebulae; cl, cluster; v, variable.)
Aquarius.
0°.....Homicide (0° - 5°).
0°9' 48°59'N (3) Albirco, Beta Cygni. (Venus Mercury) Beauty; a
lovable disposition; resigned to Fate.
0°39' 29°18'N (1) Altair, Alpha Aquilae. (Mars Jupiter - Uranus
Mercury sextile Sun) Bold, confident, unyielding, liberal, valiant; sudden, but
ephemeral wealth; a position of command; danger from reptiles.
2°42' 6°58'N (4) Giedi, Alpha Capricorni; a multiple star,
yellow, ash, lilac. (Venus Mars - Venus sextile Uranus - Venus Mercury)
Beneficences; sacrifices; brings strange events into one's life.
2°56' 4°36'N (3) Dabih, Beta Capricorni. (Saturn Venus - Saturn
Uranus Gemini Mercury) Suspicion and mistrust; success, but retirement under a
cloud.
3°36' 0°54'N (5) Oculus, Pi Capricorni. (Saturn Venus) If conj.
Mercury: a clever and penetrating mind.
4°3' 1°12'N (5) Bos, Rho Capricorni. (Saturn Venus) Similar to
Oculus.
5°.....Solar Eclipse: January 26, 1944.
8°.....Cusp of Twenty-fifth Lunar Mansion.
9°.....Executive; presidential.
10°....The principle of things.
11°10'.Neptune South Node.
11°37' 2°59'S (5) Armus, Eta Capricorni. (Mars Mercury)
Contemptible, nagging, contentious, unstable.
12°....If Mars afflicted here: assassination.
12°43' 0°36'S (5) Dorsum, Theta Capricorni. (Saturn Jupiter)
Bites from venomous creatures.
13°....Degree of beauty; literature.
15°0'..The Center of Humanity, the angel point. Solar eclipse,
February 5, 1943.
17°....State of air and gases.
18°....Explosiveness.
19°....The back.
19°5' 4°58'S (5) Castra, Epsilon Capricorni. (Saturn Jupiter) Bad
reputation; uncontrollable temper.
20°....Cusp of Twenty-Sixth Lunar Mansion; a degree of Faith.
20°40' 2°33'S (4) Nashira, Gamma Capricorni. (Saturn Jupiter)
Danger from beasts; conflict with evil, but ultimate success.
22°....Astrological area (22°-28°).
22°17' 8°37'N (3) Sadalsund, Beta Aquarii. (Saturn Mercury - Sun
sextile Uranus)Trouble, disgrace.
22°25' 2°35'S (3) Deneb Algedi, Delta Capricorni. (Saturn
Jupiter) Sorrow and joy, life and death, always hanging in the balance.
23°....Benevolence.
25°....Alcoholism.
Degrees,
Individual, Pisces (accurate 1925;
add 1º 5' for 2002 positions of fixed stars etc.)
(Abbreviations: neb, nebulae; cl, cluster; v, variable.)
Pisces.
2°14' 10°39'N (3) Sadalmelik, Alpha Aquarii. (Saturn Mercury)
Persecution, sudden destruction; the death penalty, if afflicted.
2°44' 21°8'S (1) Fomalhaut, Alpha Piscis Aust. The Watcher of the
South v. Royal Stars.
(Venus Mercury - Jupiter square in Pisces - Sagittarius) Supposedly fortunate
and powerful, yet a sublime malevolence that fluctuates between material and
spiritual expression. If rising, according to Cardan: great learning, and an
"immortal name."
3°.....Cusp of Twenty-Seventh Lunar Mansion.
4°14' 59°55'N (1) Deneb Adige, Alpha Cygni. (Venus Mercury)
Facile and ingenious mind.
7°45' 8°11'S (3) Skat, Delta Aquarii. (Saturn Jupiter - Uranus
Venus sextile Mercury) Good fortune; lasting happiness.
14°10' 59°22'S (1) Achernar, Alpha Eridani; called the Cherub and
Sword. (Jupiter) Confers royal honors; success in public office.
15°....Fall of Mercury.
16°....Cusp of Twenty-Eighth Lunar Mansion.
22°22' 19°24'N (2) Markab, Alpha Pegasi. (Mars Mercury) Honors,
but danger from fire, fever, cuts and blows.
27°....Exaltation of Venus.
28°15' 31°8'N (2) Scheat, Beta Pegasi. (Mars Mercury) Extreme
misfortune; suicide, drowning, perhaps murder.
29°9' 6°32'N (2) Theta Piscium; tail of western fish. (Saturn
Mercury) A fatalistic influence.
For more complete data on the
stars, refer to Vivian E. Robson's volume, "Fixed
Stars in Astrology."
Delineation. (1) Applied to the generally accepted composite
interpretation of specific influences, such as a planet's position in a Sign or
House, an aspect between two planets, or a configuration of planets; (2)
Sometimes applied to the interpretation of the Figure as a whole, but such a
summing up is more properly termed a synthesis. (q.v.)
Depression. Distance of a celestial body
below the horizon: its horizontal distance North.
Descendant The opposite point to the
Ascendant (q.v.). The cusp of the 7th house. The western angle. Loosely
applied to the whole of the seventh house.
Descending. Said of a planet in any house
from the Fourth to the Ninth. While one may speak of a body as
"setting" when it passes below the Western horizon, it is
"descending" from the time it passes the Midheaven until it reaches
the opposite point, or Imum Coeli.
Destiny. The end to which all unrestrained
forces lead. The aim of most religions, including Astrology, is to help one to
become the master of his Destiny. Lacking this mastery, Destiny largely
determines the part we play in the scheme of things. Destiny vs. Will adds up
to experience, as a result of which we can be said to evolve, and become a
developed or remain an undeveloped child of Destiny. The shrinking statue of
the character Destiny from scene to scene in Maeterlinck's
"Betrothal" was symbolic of the diminishing power of Destiny as man
evolves in character through the experience of the will and as the fruit of
experience. The Consciousness of Purpose, which is a fundamental of MacDougan's
system of Psychology, compares to the Astrological sense of Destiny that is
imparted through the sign position of the Sun. The individual feels but fails
to identify that Destiny until after a long search he "finds himself"
- his place in life. But the demand for self-expression through that Destiny is
the driving and sustaining conviction that spurs his search until he does find
it. It is well described in Browning's "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower
Came." The search for self-expression is hampered or helped: by the desire
nature, determined by the Moon position; and by emotional urges conditioned by
the positions and aspects of the planets which deliver by reflection an altered
solar spectum, consisting of combinations of energy frequencies. These
stimulate the unequal development of the endocrine glands which results in the
state of glandular imbalance that is now recognized as the cause of so many
mental and emotional complexes and physical ills.
Detriment. Properly employed it applies to
the placement of a planet in the opposite Sign from that of which it is said to
be the Ruler; although it is frequently applied to Debility by Sign position,
which includes the opposite Sign to that in which it is in its Exaltation, as
well as to those of which it is Ruler.
Dexter. Applied to an aspect which is
computed backward, against the order of the Signs; in which the aspected body
is elevated above the aspecting body. If this appears opposite to what you
sense it should be, remember that Ptolemy, who originated the term, knew only
apparent motion - that of the daily motion of the heavens because of the Earth's
rotation; therefore the one ahead, was on the right hand - dexter; and the one
behind, was on the left hand - sinister. There is some controversy as to which
are the stronger, although the ancients gave preference to the dexter. Today,
some differentiation can be had by application of the Doppler effect noted in
spectroscopy, wherein the ray from a body whose position is becoming
increasingly distant is displaced toward the red end of the spectrum, while
with lessening distance the displacement is toward the violet end. Since the
dexter aspect is forming as the result of increasing distance it would show a
displacement toward the red end, which would tend to introduce into the aspect
a measure of Mars energy; while the sinister aspect, forming as the result of
decreasing distance, would show a displacement toward the violet end, which
would tend to introduce into the aspect a measure of Venus or Jupiter
geniality. From this one might infer that the relative desirability of a dexter
and sinister aspect is somewhat dependent upon the nature of the planets that
are involved.
Dhanus. The ninth. The Hindu name for
the sign Sagittarius.
Dichotome, or Dicotome. (Gr. cut in half.) Applied to
that phase of the lunar orb, or of an inferior planet, in which only half of
its disk appears illuminated, i.e. the First and Third Quarters, in which the
body is assuming the shape of a half-moon, and in which the Moon is said to be
oriental.
Dignities and Debilities. Conditions of placement wherein a planet's influence is strengthened,
are termed Dignities; if weakened they are termed Debilities. These are of two
varieties: Essential and Accidental.
Part One of this article.
A planet in a Sign in which it is
strengthened, is in one of its Essential Dignities; in a House in which it is
strengthened, in its Accidental Dignity.
The Essential Dignities are:
(1) when a planet is in a Sign of which it is the Ruler, when it is said to be
in its own Sign, or in its Domal Dignity. It is ambiguous and confusing to call
this its House-position. If the Sign which a planet rules is on the cusp of the
House in which the planet is posited, the planet may be described as the Lord
of the House: but the strength as such depends upon its Essential Dignity by
virtue of its Sign placement. Some authorities deem that placement in any other
Sign of the same element as that of which it is the Ruler confers a degree of
Dignity; (2) When it is posited in the Sign in which it is said to be Exalted,
wherein its strength is augmented and its virtues magnified. A planet in its
Exaltation is only slightly less favorably placed than when it is in its own
Sign; (3) By ancient precepts, the placement of a planet in the same Triplicity
as that of which it is the Ruler, in the same Term, or in the same Face, were
deemed to be Essential Dignities of varying degree.
Relative values were computed by
points as follows: Sign 5; Mutual reception by house, 5; Exaltation 4; mutual
reception by Exaltation 4; Triplicity 3; Term 2; Face 1.
In the opposite Sign to that which it
rules, a planet is said to be in its Detriment; which is to say, in opposition
to its most congenial environment, hence materially weakened.
In the opposite Sign to that in which
it would be in its Exaltation, it is said to be in its Fall.
The scale of Essential Debilities arc:
Detriment 5; Fall 4; Peregrine 5.
A planet in its Debility is generally
to be interpreted as an indication of weakness in that it increases the bad
effects of malefic, and lessens the possibilities for good of a benefic.
Of the Accidental Dignities the
strongest is placement in Angular Houses: firstly, the Tenth; then, in order,
the First, Seventh and Fourth Houses. The Succedent Houses come next, with the
Cadent Houses weakest.
Other Accidental Dignities, according
to older authorities, are: favorable aspects to Fortune; freedom from
combustion; favorable aspects from benefics; swift in motion and increasing in
light; and in a House which corresponds to the Sign of its Essential Dignity -
as the Sun in the Fifth House, corresponding to Leo; Moon in the Fourth House,
corresponding to Cancer; Mercury in the Third or Sixth House, corresponding to
Gemini and Virgo; and so on.
Modern authorities, however, usually
confine the use of the term to House placement or Elevation. Accidental
Dignities are not necessarily benevolent. The increased strength may result
harmfully if expressed through unfavorable aspects. The number of planets which
are accidentally dignified is a character - index of importance. A planet so
placed as to gain strength by way of Essential or Accidental dignity, does not
necessarily confer a benevolent disposition. For example, a significator that
is exalted, angular, and not afflicted indicates a person of haughty arrogant
nature, assuming more than is his due. Charles E. 0. Carter considers that a
planet in its own sign benefits quantitatively, but not qualitatively; i.e.,
its strength is increased, but not necessarily rendered benefic. Point values
by which to judge the relative strength of the Accidental Dignities, as listed
by Wilson, are:
Ascendant or Midheaven..............................5
<NOT DIV 5<
Cazimi............................................. 5
Combust........................................>
Besieged by Jupiter and Venus...................... 6
Partile conj. with Jupiter and Venus............... 5
Conj. Cor Leonis................................... 6
Conj. Spica........................................ 5
4th, 7th or 11th House............................. 4
Direct motion...................................... 4
Partile conj., North Node.......................... 4
Partile trine, Jupiter and Venus................... 4
Partile sextile, Jupiter and Venus................. 3
2nd or 5th House................................... 2
9th House.......................................... 2
Swift of motion.................................... 2
Increasing in light................................ 2
Saturn, oriental................................... 2
Jupiter, oriental.................................. 2
Mars, oriental..................................... 2
Moon, occidental................................... 2
Mercury, occidental................................ 2
Venus, occidental.................................. 2
3rd House.......................................... 1
Hayze.............................................. 1
In the Term of Jupiter or Venus.................... 1
Point values of the Accidental
Debilities are:
Besieged by Mars and Saturn......................... 6
Partile conj., Mars and Saturn...................... 5
Conj. Caput Algol................................... 6
Combust............................................. 5
Retrograde.......................................... 5
12th House.......................................... 5
Under the Sunbeams.................................. 4
6th or 8th House.................................... 4
Partile conj., South Node........................... 4
Partile opposition, Mars or Saturn.................. 4
Partile square, Mars or Saturn...................... 3
Decreasing in light................................. 2
Decreasing in motion, or slow....................... 2
Saturn occidental................................... 2
Jupiter occidental.................................. 2
Moon oriental....................................... 2
Mercury oriental.................................... 2
Venus oriental...................................... 2
In term of Mars or Saturn........................... 1
Certain Dignities
specifically ascribed to Fortuna are:
Conj., Cor Leonis................................... 6
Asc. or Midheaven................................... 5
Partile conj., Jupiter or Venus..................... 5
Conj., Spica........................................ 5
Not Combust......................................... 5
In Taurus or Pisces................................. 5
Besieged by Jupiter and Venus....................... 6
In Cancer, Leo, Libra, or Sagittarius............... 4
4th, 7th, or 11th House............................. 4
Partile trine, Venus or Jupiter..................... 4
Partile conj., North Node........................... 4
In Gemini........................................... 3
2nd or 5th House.................................... 3
Partile sextile, Jupiter or Venus................... 3
In Virgo............................................ 2
9th House........................................... 2
3rd House........................................... 1
In Term of Venus or Jupiter......................... 1
The Debilities ascribed to Fortuna
are:
Conj., Caput Algol.................................. 6
Besieged by Mars and Saturn......................... 6
12th House.......................................... 5
In Scorpio, Capricorn, or Aquarius.................. 5
Combust............................................. 5
Partile conj., Mars or Saturn....................... 5
6th or 8th House.................................... 4
Opposition, Mars or Jupiter......................... 4
Partile conj., South Node........................... 4
In Aries............................................ 3
Partile square, Mars or Saturn...................... 3
Term of Mars or Saturn.............................. 1
The totals of the Dignities in
comparison to the totals of the Debilities affords a determination of the
potential strength of the planet.
According to the strength each assumes
in a nativity, will its power to activate become manifest:
Sun......builds
Moon.....nourishes
Mercury..communicates
Venus....allures
Mars.....energizes
Jupiter..expands
Saturn...endures
Uranus...perceives
Neptune..dissolves
Pluto....consolidates
Dignities and Debilities, contd.
(Part Two of this article).
A fixed star is in conjunction with a
planet when not more distant than 5° of longitude and 2° of latitude.
Of Dignities Calvin in
"Scientific Astrology" says:- "A planet in its own Sign, unless
retrograde or seriously afflicted by the malefics, is as one who is master of
his own house and goods. In its Exaltation it is strong, but less so than were
he his own master. In its Detriment it is weak, as one in his neighbor's house
and not master thereof. In its Fall it is as one who is poverty-stricken and
without power."
Of Mutual Reception he says:
"When two planets are in each other's Signs, even though in evil aspect to
one another, the effect is beneficial, as of people exchanging courteous social
amenities."
As to Accidental Dignities, he says:
"A planet is strong if it is in an angle of the Figure, swift in motion,
direct, and overwhelmingly in good aspect with other planets."
As to retrograde motion he says:
"It tends to bring out the introspective rather than the objective
qualities of the native, and is generally synonymous with belated or denied
benefits."
Another generalization based upon the
Accidental Dignities of the Geocentric Figure stipulates that "When the
Moon is higher than the Sun, the personality and sensibilities usually rule.
With their positions reversed the character will dominate the career. If both
are below the horizon, the life will be correspondingly unfortunate."
James Wilson expressed doubt
concerning the efficacy of some of the dignities, and cited the Ptolemy dictum
that "Planets are strong in the world when they are oriental, swift in motion,
direct, and increasing in light; and strong in the Nativity when angular or
succedant, particularly in the south or cast angles."
The following Table shows the
Essential Dignities and Debilities:
PLANETS......RULER..............DETRIMENT...........EXALTATION....FALL
Sun..........Leo................Aquarius............Aries.........Libra
Moon.........Cancer.............Capricorn...........Taurus........Scorpio
Mercury......Gemini-Virgo.......Sagittarius-Pisces..Aquarius#.....Leo#
Venus........Taurus-Libra.......Scorpio-Aries.......Pisces........Virgo
Mars.........Aries-Scorpio......Libra-Taurus........Capricorn#....Cancer#
Jupiter......Pisces-Sagittarius.Virgo-Gemini........Cancer#.......Capricorn#
Saturn.......Capricorn-Aquarius.Cancer-Leo..........Libra.........Aries
Uranus.......Aquarius*..........Leo*................Scorpio.......Taurus
Neptune......Pisces*............Virgo*..............Cancer........Capricorn
Pluto........Scorpio*...........Taurus*.............Aries.........Libra
* Modern and arbitrary assignments.
# Some authorities give Virgo as
the Exaltation of Mercury - as well as the Sign of its rulership; hence also
Pisces as the Sign of its Fall. Others give Virgo as the Exaltation of Mars,
and Capricorn as the Exaltation of Jupiter.
A planet that is unfavorably aspected
is sometimes loosely characterize as debilitated; also any Sign dessimilar in
its nature to the Sign it rules - as Saturn in Pisces. Properly speaking, a
planet is said to be in its Dignity solely by virtue of position, in
distinction to any strength conferred by a supporting aspect.
The same table arranged in the order
of the Signs follows:
SIGNS........RULER.................DETRIMENT..........EXALTATION.........FALL
Aries........d.
Mars...............Venus..............Sun................Saturn
Taurus.......n. Venus..............Mars
-Pluto*.......Moon...............Uranus
Gemini.......d. Mercury............Jupiter............North
Node.........South Node
Cancer.......Moon..................Saturn.............Jupiter
-Neptune*..Mars
Leo..........Sun...................Saturn
-Uranus*....-..................Mercury
Virgo........n. Mercury............Jupiter
-Neptune*..Mercury............Venus
Libra........d.
Venus..............Mars...............Saturn.............Sun
Scorpio......n. Mars -Pluto*.......Venus..............Uranus*............Moon
Sagittarius..d. Jupiter............Mercury............South
Node.........North Node
Capricorn....n.
Saturn.............Moon...............Mars...............Jupiter -Neptune*
Aquarius.....d. Saturn -Uranus*....Sun................Mercury............-
Pisces.......n. Jupiter
-Neptune*..Mercury............Venus..............Mercury
Some authorities limit the Exaltation
and Fall to specific degrees:
PLANET..........SUN............MOON.........MERCURY.........VENUS...........MARS
Exaltation:.....Aries 19º......Taurus
3º....Virgo 15º.......Pisces 27º......Capricorn 28º
Fall:...........Libra 19º......Scorpio
3º...Pisces 15º......Virgo 27º.......Cancer 28º
PLANET..........JUPITER........SATURN.......NORTH
NODE......SOUTH NODE
Exaltation:.....Cancer 15º.....Libra
21º....Gemini 3º.......Sagittarius 3º
Fall:...........Capricorn 15º..Aries
21º....Sagittarius 3º..Gemini 3º
Wemyss attributes the rulership of
Pisces to the asteroids; probably fragments of what once was or was intended to
be a planet between the Earth and Mars. Thereby he explains the lack of a
consciousness of Destiny which is an outstanding feature of the Pisces nature.
Most authorities attribute to an
Essential Dignity the force of a harmonious aspect, and to a Debility that of
an inharmonious aspect.
Some authorities speak of congeniality
of planet in element as a species of Dignity; Moon and Neptune in the Water
Signs; Sun and Mars in the Fire Signs; Mercury and Venus in the Air Signs; and
Jupiter and Saturn in the Earth Signs.
The basis on which these Exaltations
were assigned is lost in antiquity. Certain correspondences are worthy of
notice, as bearing on their selection. The Sun as giver of life, finds an
important function in Aries, which rules the head@he scat of the mind. The
changeable nature of the Moon is stabilized by the fixity of Taurus - the
provider of the home. Venus finds its most ready servitor in the philanthropic
Pisces. Mars is stabilized and harnessed in Saturn-ruled Capricorn. Saturn finds
a noble outlet in Libra - the purveyor of justice. Jupiter in Cancer,
representing the home, is there sublimated into devotion. This supposed dignity
seems to have had its origin with the Arabians. Almansor, in his aphorisms,
says "Saturn and the Sun have their exaltations opposite, because one
loves darkness and the other light; Jupiter and Mars are opposite, because one
is a lover of justice and the other of misrule; and Mercury and Venus have
opposite places, because one loves learning and science, and the other sensual
pleasures - which are mutual enemies to each other."
It can be noted that harmonious
aspects join the signs of Rulership and Exaltation, as follows:
Planet....Ruler......................Exaltation
Sun.......Leo...........trines.......Aries
Moon......Cancer........sextiles.....Taurus
Mercury...Gemini........trines.......Aquarius
Venus.....Taurus........sextiles.....Pisces
Mars......Scorpio.......sextiles.....Capricorn
(or Virgo)
Jupiter...Pisces........trines.......Cancer
(or sextiles Capricorn)
Saturn....Aquarius......trines.......Libra
As explained by Ptolemy in the
Tetrabiblos, the Moon and the Sun were assigned to the Rulership of Cancer and
Leo because "these are the most Northerly of all the Signs, and approach
nearer than any others to the Zenith of this part of the Earth: the Moon to
Cancer because both are feminine, and the Sun to Leo, because both are
masculine." This resulted in the division of the zodiac into a Solar
semi-circle from Leo forward to Capricorn, and a Lunar Semi-circle from Cancer
backward to Aquarius. In order that each planet might rule a Sign in each
semi-circle, whereby it could be configurated with both Sun and Moon, Mercury,
which is never more than one Sign distant from the Sun, was assigned to the rulership
of Gemini and Virgo; Venus, which is never more than two Signs distant, to
Taurus and Libra; Mars, because it is dry in nature, was assigned to two Signs
of a similar nature, Aries and Scorpio, whose square relation to the respective
Signs of the luminaries was appropriately discordant; Jupiter, whose fruitful
nature deserved a harmonious relationship in which to operate for good, was
assigned to the two trine Signs Pisces and Sagittarius; leaving Saturn, a cold
planet in an orbit remote from the harmonious, to be assigned to Cancer and
Aquarius, and for the added reason that their "configuration by opposition
does not cooperate towards the production of good." As the basis on which
the Exaltations were assigned is equally arbitrary it is no wonder that Wilson
scoffs at and refuses to accept the entire doctrine of Essential Dignities.
To render matters worse confounded
some of the moderns have endeavored to upset the scheme by assigning to Uranus
the rulership of Aquarius, and to Neptune the rulership of Pisces, and are now
in a battle royal as to whether Pluto shall be assigned to Aries or Scorpio.
Looked at from a scientist's viewpoint the entire Doctrine of Dignities appears
to be a fortune-teller's device whereby to find at least some answer
to a question concerning a House which contains no planets, and is thus unable
to give positive testimony regarding a question asked. Wilson seemed to think
that Placidus side-stepped the doctrine as one with which he could not agree,
but regarding which he dared not disagree. Marc Edmund Jones says that few
modern practitioners pay much attention to the Essential Dignities and
Debilities. v.
Ptolemaic Astrology.
To distinguish between these dual
rulerships, the positive signs were called Day Houses, and the negative signs,
the Night Houses -- although since they are signs not houses, the terms Day
Home and Night Home would be preferable.
..Day
Home.......Planet.....Night Home
..Gemini.........Mercury....Virgo
..Libra..........Venus......Taurus
..Aries..........Mars.......Scorpio
..Sagittarius....Jupiter....Pisces
..Aquarius.......Saturn.....Capricorn
A person born by night, with the Sun
below the horizon, looks to the Night Homes of the planets to be the stronger;
if born with the Sun above the horizon, the Day Homes.
The moderns have thrown this into
confusion in an effort to ascribe rulerships to the newly-discovered planets -
Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Many authorities prefer however to consider these as
second-octave planets: Uranus of Mercury, Neptune of Venus, and Pluto of Mars.
Other systems of rulership have been
variously proposed. v. Rulership.
For further observations on the
relative strength of the Dignities: v. Synthesis.
Triplicity, Rulers of. Another variety of Dignity, used in Mundane and Horary practice,
is that of a planet posited in its own Triplicity. The rulerships of the
Triplicities are, however, not always the rulers of the three signs which make
up the Triplicity. For example, of the Fire Trigon, Mars as an enemy of
the Sun is dethroned, and the Sun is made the ruler by day, and Jupiter by
night. This was the Northern Triplicity, since because Jupiter brought to the
Egyptians fruitful showers from out of the North he was said to rule the North;
also the Northwest, because the outlawed Mars now and then brought in the West
wind; and Southwest, because Mars is feminine, and the South is feminine. Of
the Earth
Trigon Venus was its ruler by day and the Moon by night. This was the Southern
Trigon, because "under the petticoat government of Venus and the
Moon," as Wilson puts it, "they contrived to exclude Saturn - for
what reason we are not informed." It rules the South because Venus brings
South winds, and Southeast because Saturn brings East winds. Of the Air
Trigon Saturn rules by day and Mercury by night. It was the Eastern Trigon
because Saturn brings East winds and persuaded Mercury to cooperate; and
Northeast because Jupiter claimed a share since both are diurnal planets, hence
related. The Water
Trigon was ruled by Mars with the co-rulership of Venus by day and the Moon by
night. It was the Western Trigon because Mars liked the West winds for the
reason that they scorched the Egyptians; and the Southwest because of the share
of Venus in the trigon. Concerning all this Wilson adds: "Its absurdity
requires no comment; and since the doctrine that countries and cities are
governed by certain signs and planets is solely founded on this folly, it is
undeserving of the smallest attention."
In Horary practice a planet in its
Triplicity denotes a respectable person who has a sufficiency of everything,
hence is quite comfortable.
Dionysian Period. The 28-year cycle of the Sun, on
which is based the Dominical Letter, brings the Sun back to the same day of the
week. The 19-year Metonic Cycle restores the new moon to the same day of the
month. Therefore 28 X 19 = 532 years - the period on which Lunations recur on
the same day of the month and the same day of the week. This is the Dionysian
Period, so called after Dionysius Exiguus; also called the Victorian period,
after Victorius of Aquitain. Its use in determining Easter Sunday was
discontinued with the Gregorian reformation of the Julian calendar.
Directions. Progressions. No phase of
Astrology is subject to such differences of opinion and practice as that which
treats of the changing influences resulting from the various moving bodies of
the solar system, as they affect the individual through the sundry sensitive
points produced by the impact of planetary rays during his first day of life.
Chief among these are three basic systems: Transits, Primary
Directions, and Secondary Progressions.
Transits are based upon the
actual motions of the various bodies, whereby Saturn, for example, with a
revolutionary period of approximately 30 years, will in that time return to the
place it occupied on a day of birth; during which period it will transit over
each one of the sensitive points of the Birth Figure. Thus when it passes over
the radical position of Venus there results a Saturn impulse through a Venus
expectancy; and so on for all the moving planets in relation to each of the
sensitive points. There is no controversy concerning transits, other than their
relative strength and importance as compared to Directions and Progressions.
Directions and Progressions are
based on a theory that since each actual day's revolution of the Earth finds
the Sun advanced one degree beyond the point where it was on the preceding day,
and since the extra four minutes of rotation required to traverse this degree is
the equivalent of the day required for the Earth to traverse the degree in its
annual revolution, one degree of rotation is equal to one day's revolution. Out
of this it is deduced that since a degree is equal to a day, and a day is equal
to a year, a degree is equal to a year. There is also biblical authority for
some such statement. On this assumption is founded an elaborate system of
calculations, all of which come to naught in case the original premise is
rejected.
The Primary System, so
called, is thus a calculation of the number of four-minute intervals during
which a given planet will move from its birth position to the place where it
conjoins or aspects a sensitive degree - usually the birth-position of some
other planet. Then since each four-minute arc represents a year of life, it is
assumed that in a given year there will be in force a directed aspect between
these two bodies. Since each of these calculations are separately made and
applied, the term "directed" is employed, such as "Jupiter
directed to the place of Saturn," and so on. These arcs of Direction must
be computed in fractional divisions of the semi-arc, since in various latitudes
at different seasons of the year the arc from the horizon to the Midheaven may
be variously more or less than go". Instead of calculating a day as 1°,
the distance travelled in 4 minutes is calculated at one-ninetieth of the arc
which the sunrise degree must traverse in order to reach its Midheaven point on
that day; or if below the horizon, for the degree on the Imum Coeli to reach
its horizon-point.
Secondary Progressions, much easier to calculate, are
based on the theory that the positions of the planets on the third day of life,
for example, will represent a correct Progressed horoscope for the third year
of life, and so on. In this system one casts a Progressed Figure for the year
desired, by casting it for that many days after birth, using the ephemeris of
the year of birth. One of the first observations is the evident fact that in
ancient times the astrologer did not have the availability of ephemerides for
different years, and this was a simple means whereby to secure an
approximation. One modern adaptation which combines features of both systems is
the so-called Radix System, which assumes an Ascendant degree that is advanced
for every year an amount equal to one day's average travel of the Earth around
the Sun, which in advancing sweeps the whole scheme of sensitive points along
with it. This unit is 0° 59' - or 360° of the circle divided by 365¼
days of the year. Also, as the Ascendant moves downward, carrying the planets
to new positions, the original places of the planets move upwards - thereby
creating double the number of sensitive points, and allowing for directions to
be figured in both direct and converse motion. To these sensitive points the
Sun is directed at the rate of its average daily travel - the major arc of 0°
59'; and the Moon at the rate of its average daily travel - the minor arc of
13° 11'.
Another method is the Annual
Solar Revolution, a Figure cast for the exact moment in any given year on
which the Sun returns to the exact degree, minute and second which it occupied
on the day of birth. A derivation of this system is the so-called
"Key-Cycle" devised by Wynn.
There are other systems of
calculating the supposed accents which are imparted by the changing cosmic
conditions that mark successive years, but a detailed discussion of the
problems involved in the various systems of Directions and Progressions would
make a ponderous volume in itself.
Every system has its exponents,
but the chief reason for all of them is found in the effort of the astrologer
to foretell future events. The more conservative of the modern scientific
astrologers confine themselves largely to known factors, such as transits,
interpreting them as subordinate to the Birth Figure, and delineating both of
them in terms of psychological tendencies, the control of which is within
command of the individual who seeks to rule his destiny rather than to be ruled
by it.
To such, the most satisfactory
method, other than the transits, on which to base deductions concerning the
changing influences of each year, is perhaps the Solar Revolution Figure, on
the assumption that since with each successive year the Sun becomes the predominating
influence on the unfolding destiny of the individual, the moment of its return
to its exact birth position represents an anniversary marked by a sub-conscious
recheck of the pattern of receptivities which was stamped at birth, and which
has been noted and revised with each annual return of the Sun. On the very
first anniversary, the relationship of the Rising Degree and the Solar Degree
was found altered; hence, one of them had to be revised. In early life it might
be possible to ignore the Sun and to continue to measure from the Ascendant;
but with the advance toward the age at which one attains to his majority, it
must be apparent that the Sun will have asserted itself as the most compelling
of all sources of cosmic stimulation - as regards consciousness of the dictates
of destiny, if not emotionally - and thereby will have supplanted the Ascendant
degree as the individual point of reference. There is this to be said for the
Solar Revolution Figure, that the planetary positions are those the planets
actually then occupy, and not some symbolic approximation - hence such a Figure
cannot offer a contradiction to transits which will continue from these points
throughout the year. It also coincides with the observations of a considerable
number of modern astrologers, to the effect that in tracing adult character
development the Solar Houses give more reliable testimony than those of Houses
based upon either a birth or a Progressed Ascendant.
To make vivid the difference
between the Primary and Secondary systems, they can be summarized as follows:
Primary Directions are based on
the "first motion," the Primum Mobile of Aristotle, the apparent
nightly trek of the planets across the sky from East to West. This means that
calculations are made in Right Ascension along the Equator, and that an
error of four minutes in the actual birth moment makes a difference of
one year in the timing of a prognosticated condition or event.
Secondary Progressions are based
upon the actual motions of the planets along the Ecliptic, on the assumption
that the conditions encountered on the second day of life will be those which
will govern the second year of life; hence an error of four minutes in
the actual birth moment makes a difference of only one day in the timing
of the prognosticated condition or event. The crux of the matter is whether or
not you accept the one degree for a year Arc of Direction as having a
scientific justification, and if this unit is rejected both the Primary and the
Secondary systems go into the discard as far as you are concerned.
The Transits in effect in any
year of life are the actual positions the planets then occupy, considered in
relation to the places they occupied on a given date of birth.
Radix System of Directing. This system refers all Directions
to the radical places of the planets. The Midheaven, the Sun and all the
planets and bodies are moved forward at a mean rate of diurnal progress, of 59'
08" - the Naibod arc, and the Ascendant is brought up by Oblique Ascension
under the latitude, as shown in the Tables of Houses for the birthplace. The
Moon is also moved forward in the Zodiac at its mean rate of 13° 11' per year -
termed the minor arc. While moving forward in the heavens all the bodies except
the Moon preserve their radical relationships, at the same time forming aspects
to the radical places of the Significators, while the latter form aspects to
the radical places of the Promittors. By this means the arcs are simultaneously
equated to the mean motion of the heavens, the radical relations of the
celestial bodies are preserved, and the radical significance of a planet
remains undisputed. By this method many events for which neither Primary nor
Secondary Directions could be obtained have been clearly indicated and
predicted. The method is worth the close attention of all students. All planets
act from the Sign and House to which they have attained by direction, but when
their radical places are directed they act in terms of their radical positions.
Gustave Lambert-Brahy of Brussels
and Henry J. Gouchon of Paris have confirmed the belief that the progressing of
the Ascendant "carries with it all the rest of the sky." They propose
as a logical procedure that the Ascendant be advanced on the basis of 4' of
S.T. per year, adding the same arc to each planet's position. Recessional
Directions. A term applied by P. J. Harwood, a British astrologer, to H. S.
Green's system of prenatal directions, in which the day prior to birth
corresponds to the first year after birth.
Recessional Directions. A term applied by P.J. Harwood, a British
astrologer, to H.S. Green's system of pre-natal directions, in which the day
prior to birth corresponds to the first year after birth.
Dispositor. (to dispose of) The Ruler of the
Sign on the cusp of a House disposes of, or is the dispositor of, a planet
posited in that House. When the dispositor of any planet taken as a
significator, is itself disposed of by the Ruler of the Ascendant, it is deemed
a strongly favorable indication. In a Solar Figure, the Ruler of the Sign is
the Dispositor of a planet posited therein. The assumption is that when a
planet is in a Sign that is ruled by another planet, it is supposed to be so
influenced by the planet that rules the Sign in which it is placed, as in
effect to alter its nature. Thus, if Saturn is in a Sign ruled by Jupiter, the
Jupiterian influence is presumed so to permeate the Saturn influence as to
render it more Jupiterian and less Saturnian. This idea is expressed by saying
either that "Saturn is disposed of by Jupiter," or that "Jupiter
is the dispositor of Saturn." Definitions of various authorities are
somewhat vague and apparently contradictory, but a study of older texts appears
to justify the simple explanation here given. of course the term must not be
interpreted too literally, for most authorities argue that a planet actually
in-a-House is more potent in its influence over the affairs of that House than
is the Ruler of the Sign on its cusp, or of a Sign intercepted within the
House. The extent to which the Dispositor nullifies the influence of the planet
of which it disposes, is a matter of judgment based upon the strength of
aspects and the character of the aspecting planets as affecting both the
Dispositor and the planet of which it disposes.
In his dictionary Alan Leo gives
a reverse definition to that offered by Sepharial, but evades the issue by
remarking that "it is probably of more importance in Horary Astrology,
though it must have some value in Nativities." However, too many ancient
texts base judgments on the "dispositor of Mercury" to admit of
Mercury not having a Dispositor - which under Leo's definition that "a
planet in the House of another disposes of that planet," would occur if no
planets were in Gemini or Virgo. However, since Mercury must always be in some
Sign, the designation of the Ruler of that Sign as Mercury's Dispositor becomes
a logical application of the term. The Ruler of the Sign Mercury posits is thus
a determining factor in the qualities of disposition that the fluctuating Mercury
will develop.
Dissociate Signs. Adjacent Signs and those that
are five Signs apart: those which bear to each other a 12th, 2nd, 6th or 8th
House relationship. v. Inconjunct.
Distance in the heavens is measured in
Right Ascension or Oblique Ascension, or along the Ecliptic, the Equator, or
the Prime Vertical, in (1) Sidereal hours and minutes of Right Ascension along
the Equator; (2) degrees and minutes of arc of Oblique Ascension along the
Ecliptic, and in degrees and minutes of arc of declination above or below the
Equator, or of latitude above or below the Ecliptic.
Polar Distance. The angular distance of a
celestial object from the pole: 90° minus the declination.
Actual Intra-solar system
distances are expressed in astronomical Units (q. v.): Ultra-solar
system distances in Light Years (q. v.).
Diurnal. Of or belonging to the day: as
the apparent diurnal motion of the planets resulting from the axial rotation of
the Earth (v. Motion).
D. Arc: Measurement, in degrees, of the
arc a celestial body traverses from its rising to its setting.
D. Houses. v. Houses, Rulers of.
D. Planets. v. Planets.
D. Ruler, that which rules by day.
D. Triplicities: the Fire Trigon for the Sun; and
so on.
v. Dignities: Rulers of the
Triplicities.
Dog Days. A forty-day period extending
from July 4 to August 11; given by some authorities as from July 20th to August
27. It was considered by the ancients to be the hottest period of the year.
They reckoned the commencement from the heliacal rising of Sirius (the Dog Star).
Hesiod placed the ending of the period at 50 days after the Summer solstice.
Mars, the planet associated with heat, conjoined Sirius during the serious
drought and hot spell of mid-July 1937.
Dog Stars. Sirius and Procyon. v. Stars.
Domal Dignity. Said of a planet when it tenants its own Sign (v. Rulers.)
A planet so placed was described by the ancients as 'domiciliated'.
Dominical Letter. Literally, the
"Sunday" letter. To connect a week day with a day of the year,
January 1 is A; 2, B; 3, C; 4, D; 5, E; 6, F; 7, G. Thus 8 becomes A, and so
on. However, if one says that the Dominical letter is C then January 1 of that
year will fall upon Friday. Its chief use is in connection with an involved
system for determining the date upon which will fall the "movable
feast" known as Easter, around which the Ecclesiastical calendar is
arranged. The letters of successive years rotate in the reverse order: on Leap
year the preceding letter applies only to January and February dates, the next
preceding letter applying to the remainder of the year. For example, 1929, F;
1930, E; 1931, D; 1932, January-February, C; March-December, B; 1933, A; 1934,
G; and so on.
Doryphory. A Ptolemaic term describing a planet which serves as a sort of
bodyguard or John the Baptist to the Sun, rising shortly before it - either in
the same or the contiguous Sign. The doryphory of the Moon similarly rises
after it. The best meaning of the word is spearbearer.
Double-bodied or Bicorporeal
Signs. Gemini,
Sagittarius and Pisces; and by some authorities, Virgo (v. Signs). So
called because their symbols represent two Figures: Gemini, the Twins;
Sagittarius, half-man, half-animal; and Pisces, the two fishes. They are
presumed to signify a dual nature. On the cusp of the Seventh House it suggests
the possibility of more than one marriage; on the cusp of the Fifth, the
possibility of twin offspring.
Dragon's Head. Dragon's Tail. v. Moon's Nodes.
Dumb Signs. Mute Signs: Cancer, Scorpio and
Pisces, v. Signs. One of them on the Ascendant and Mercury afflicted, or
Mercury aspected by a malefic posited in one of them, is cited as the possible
cause of a speech impediment.
Duration of Life. v. Hyleg.
Dwa-da-shamsa. v. Signs, Subdivisions of.
Dysis. The western angle or point of setting. v. Houses.