LESSONS IN HORARY AND ELECTİONAL ASTROLOGY

By Anthony Louis
Copyright © 1992 by Anthony Louis. All rights reserved. Unauthorized
reproduction prohibited. This article was first published in the GEnie
Astrology RoundTable. It is republished here with the permission of the
copyright holder.
LESSON 1: WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?
The idea behind horary and electional astrology is that the quality or nature
of the time you ask a question or start a new venture will influence its
future development and outcome. The best analogy is the weather forecast.
If you were traveling to Maine in January, would you pack your bathing
suit, suntan lotion, and scuba gear? Assuming there are no weirdos in the
audience, I’d bet most of you would answer “no.” The time of year you
plan the trip tells you something about its future development.
Now, astrology, that is, the horoscope chart for a particular time and place,
reflects the nature or quality of the time. There are good times and bad
times, rough times and smooth times, peaceful times and stormy times. The
chart tells us what the time looks like. In fact, in my view, astrology is
simply the study of the qualitative nature of time.
Because astrology lets us determine the nature of time, we can use
astrology to select a good time to act -- that’s what electional astrology is
all about: electing the proper time for a venture. Horary is the other side of
the coin. Horary analyzes the nature of the time you asked a question. The
idea is that you are embedded in the space-time continuum (matrix) so that
what you are thinking and doing at a particular time is part and parcel of
the space-time matrix of which you are a part.
To say it a different way, astrology describes what I call the terrain of
time.
If you were setting out on a hike, you would look at a map to see the type
of terrain you were about to traverse. Astrology allows you to preview the
type of time-terrain you are about to enter. Horary and electional astrology
have a data base that spans over two thousand years of astrologers studying
such charts and noting the outcome. In that sense, this branch of astrology
is an empirical science.
Let me end here as far as the theory goes. Next time I’ll get into some basic
astrological principles for judging such charts. I use the word “judge”
advisedly because you must weigh all the factors and come up with your

1
best guess as to the outcome. This is akin to what a physician does in
making a diagnosis. Like physicians, astrologers can make wrong
judgements based on their skill and experience. Bye till next time.
LESSON 2: SOME BASIC IDEAS OF HORARY AND
ELECTIONAL ASTROLOGY
Here’s the chart for the time I elected to start these lessons:
It helps to know some basics about astrology. I will assume the reader
knows very little.
The chart reflects the planets’ positions in space as they are projected on
the Ecliptic, the apparent path of the sun in space.
The point at which the horizon crosses the ecliptic in the East is called the
Ascendant. In this chart 5 LEO 23’ was the point on the ecliptic which was
rising when I started these lessons. The point at which the horizon crosses
the ecliptic in the West is called the Descendant.
You will note that the chart looks upside-down and backwards from a
typical map (in which East in on the right and South is on the bottom).
There are a couple reasons for drawing the horoscope this way. First, it
mimics the shadow of the sun on the sundial. Second, when astrologers
actually looked at the sky in ancient times, they faced south so that east was
to the left, west was to the right, and north was behind them.
The Ascendant carries with it the symbolism of sunrise, the beginning of a
new day. Thus, the Ascendant always symbolizes the beginning or
initiation of any action or question. The Ascendant signifies the person who
asks the question or starts the venture. The Ascendant symbolizes the baby
which has just emerged from the womb.
The Ascendant is also called the cusp of the 1st house. In horary and
electional work, the following four factors can and do signify the person
asking the question (the querent) or the person initiating the action:
1. The Ascendant or cusp of the first house.
2. The planet which rules the rising sign.
3. Any planets posited in the 1st house.
4. 4. The Moon always co-rules the querent.
Most commonly the planet ruling the Ascending sign is the chief
significator of the querent. But, if a planet in the first better describes the
querent, then that planet is a better choice for the primary significator.

2
Except when Cancer rises (ruled by the Moon), the Moon is a secondary
significator and carries less weight that the planet ruling the Ascendant.
In this chart, I am represented by the 5 Leo 23 cusp and by the sun which
rules Leo. There are no planets in the 1st house. The Moon co-rules me.
The basic principle in horary and electional work is to identify the
planet or planets signifying you and the planet or planets signifying the
matter asked about and to see how they relate to one another in the
chart. If they relate well, the matter will go smoothly. If they relate
badly, well them’s the breaks.
To do this, you must know what each planet and what each house
represents. I’ll say more about rulerships in the next lesson. In this
example, you should know that the 3rd and 9th houses have to do with
teaching and communication.
In this example, Virgo rules the 3rd cusp so Mercury is the signifier of the
3rd. Pisces rules the 9th cusp so Jupiter is the signifier of the 9th. In
addition, the Moon occupies the 9th and becomes a co-signifier of the 9th.
Mercury intrinsically rules teaching and communications. The Moon
intrinsically rules The People.
Note how the Moon (my co-ruler and natural ruler of the people) will
sextile (60 degrees) both Mercury (3-ruler) and sun (1-ruler). The sextile is
a harmonious aspect and shows the significant planets relating well to one
another. Hence, these lessons should be reasonably successful. Time will
tell.
There are 12 houses in the chart. The houses are a way of cutting the
circular pie. I used Regiomontanus houses here because they are the houses
traditionally used by horary astrologers. Regiomontanus cut the equator
into twelve equal pieces and projected those pieces of the equator onto the
ecliptic (which is angled at about 23.5 degrees from the equator). There are
many other ways to slice the pie.
LESSON 3: HOUSES AND PLANETS IN HORARY AND
ELECTIONAL ASTROLOGY
There are twelve houses around the wheel. Each house symbolizes a
different area of experiences. It helps to think of the 12 houses as six pairs
of related houses. The houses below the horizon (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) have to do
with personal matters. The other six houses (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) have more
to do with other people and with public matters.
The first house represents the querent (the person asking the question or
initiating the action). The 1st house stands for the querent’s body, state of

3
health, appearance, current location. Aries (ruled by Mars) is the 1st sign of
the zodiac. Mars is the initiator, the warrior, the daring young man.
The seventh house (opposite the 1st) stands for those who are on equal
footing with the querent: partners, spouse, mate, open enemies, opponents,
significant other people, and strangers unrelated to the querent. Because the
7th is opposite the 1st, it represents opposition such as lawsuits, but also
contracts and legal or binding agreements. If the querent is planning to
relocate, the 7th signifies the place he or she would move to. Libra (ruled
by Venus) is the 7th sign of the zodiac. Venus is the peacemaker, the
conciliator, the goddess of love.
The second house stands for the movable goods and money of the querent.
If you’re looking for lost items, look to the 2nd house. Taurus (ruled by
Venus) is the 2nd sign of the zodiac. The Part of Fortune has a special
connection with the 2nd house. (The Part of Fortune is that point on the
wheel which is as far from the Moon as the Ascendant is from the sun. The
ancients called it the Ascendant of the Moon.)
The eighth house (opposite the 2nd) stands for other people’s money. This
includes bank loans, mortgages, legacies, profit from a partnership, etc. The
8th house also rules death. Scorpio (ruled by Mars and Pluto) is the 8th
sign of the zodiac.
The third house stands for communications, learning, writing, local travel,
siblings, kin, close relatives, and means of travel. Gemini (ruled by
Mercury) is the 3rd sign of the zodiac. Mercury is the speedy messenger of
the gods.
The ninth house (opposite the 3rd) stands for distant travel, higher
education, the Law, religion, worldviews, broad perspective, legal
proceedings, publication, broadcasting, dreams, and prophecy. Sagittarius
(ruled by Jupiter) is the 9th sign of the zodiac. Jupiter (Zeus) was king of
the gods on Mount Olympus. He was expansive and quite a philanderer.
The fourth house was traditionally called the house of the father. It
signifies the father, old people, the home, real estate, land, and the base of
operations. It has special significance as the end of the matter house in
horary. Cancer (ruled by the Moon) is the 4th sign of the zodiac. The
Moon represents all that is ephemeral and passing, the tides, the moods, the
populace; also travel, change, and fluctuation.
The tenth house (opposite the 4th) is the house of the mother. Also the
house of the career, vocation, standing before the world, reputation, honor,
public office, and success. Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) is the 10th sign of
the zodiac. Saturn is old Cronos who cut off the genitals of Uranus to gain

4
power. Saturn symbolizes loss (think of what happened to Uranus),
ambition, discipline, limitation, and confronting reality.
The fifth house is the house of children, offspring, creativity, speculation,
risk-taking, gambling, and all forms of pleasure. Leo (ruled by the sun) is
the 5th sign of the zodiac. The sun is the king of the solar system.
The eleventh house (opposite the 5th) is the house of friends, advice, hopes
& wishes. Aquarius (ruled by Saturn and Uranus) is the 11th sign of the
zodiac. Uranus signifies sudden happenings, breaks, and separations (he
got his genitals unexpectedly severed).
The sixth house signifies illness, pets, small animals, appliances, service,
servants, workers, drudgery, and toil. Virgo (ruled by Mercury) is the 6th
sign of the zodiac.
The twelfth house (opposite the 6th) is the house of secret enemies, self
undoing, and large animals. Pisces (ruled by Jupiter and Neptune) is the
12th sign of the zodiac. Neptune was god of the sea. He rules deception,
illusion, nebulousness, and Hollywood.
These are some basic meanings of the houses and planets. In horary you
need to select the house and planets that most clearly represent your
concern.
LESSON 4: CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE JUDGMENT
This is probably a good point to introduce the so-called strictures or
considerations before judgment.
Astrologers did not always get the right answers to their horary questions,
and election charts did not always produce the most favorable results. As a
result, astrologers over the centuries studied charts to determine if there
was any indication in the chart that gave the wrong answer that would have
alerted the astrologer to be careful.
The following quote comes from the Regulus Edition of the book on horary
by Guido Bonatus written in the 12th century:
“..beware of those cases in which the astrologer is subject to err and
mistake....
1. When the querent comes only to try him, or put a trick on him, as
many do, saying, ‘Let us go to such an Astrologer, and ask him such
a thing, and see if he can tell us the truth or not.’ Just as the Jews
propounded questions to our Lord Jesus Christ, not so much to be
resolved, as to tempt ad ensnare Him.

5
 2. Wherein the Artist will be liable to err, is when the Querent does not
ask out of a serious or settled intention, as some do when they meet
an astrologer by chance or go to him on other business; on a sudden
they think of something, and so ask, as it were, by-the-bye; wherein
‘tis a thousand to one but mistakes happen.
But thou mayest be ready to say, ‘How shall I know whether the
querent come out of a solid intention, or only to try me?’ To which I
answer, that it seems a very abstruse and difficult point, perfectly to
find out; but this I have often experienced and found true, viz., I
observed the hour of the Question, and if the Ascendant then
happened to be very near the end of one sign and the beginning of
another, so that it seemed as between both; I said they did not ask
seriously, or that they came to try me; and I have had many that have
thereupon confessed what I said to be true, and began to think that I
knew more than before they believed.”
So we see that even in the 12th century astrologers had to put up with
ridicule of their art.
The consideration Bonatus is describing has come down to us as the rule of
the early or late Ascendant; namely, if less than 3 degrees rise on the
Ascendant or if more than 27 degrees rise on the Ascendant, the chart may
be difficult to judge or give an erroneous answer because the querent is
insincere or trying to “ensnare” the astrologer.
We saw an example of a late Ascendant in Topic 5 where EPOS asked if
she got the job. She knew full well the answer and was just testing to see
what I would say. When I ran the chart 29+ degrees were rising. Clearly,
EPOS was trying to put a trick on me as Bonatus would say. Tricky EPOS
and her late Ascendant.
Generally an early ascendant means the matter is premature. It’s too early
to render a judgment. More information must come to light. A late
ascendant means the matter has passed its prime. The question is “post-
mature.” Often the querent knows the answer and is just testing to see what
you think.
EPOS chart also contained another stricture. The Moon was void of
course. This simply means that the Moon will make no further aspects of
the major kind (0, 60, 90, 120, 180) before leaving its current sign. The
Moon is then traveling in an “aspect vacuum.”
A void of course Moon usually means very little will happen with regard to
the question. Sometimes it means the question is moot and the answer you

6
would give is irrelevant. It can also mean the querent is testing or toying
with you. The exception to the void of course stricture occurs when the
Moon occupies a sign where a benefic planet (Venus or Jupiter) is exalted
or rules. These signs are Taurus, Sagittarius, Pisces, and Cancer. This
exception only holds true if the chart is otherwise very promising.
Another stricture is the Moon in the Via Combusta from 15 Libra to 15
Scorpio. This is a traditionally malefic zone of the nature of Scorpio. The
Moon here is in the “burning way.” It often symbolizes an element of chaos
or unpredictability.
In the 1992 Super Bowl chart, the Moon was in the Combust Way. At the
start of the game the Buffalo Bills unexpectedly kicked off prematurely and
made for a chaotic beginning of the Super Bowl. In that chart the Moon
was also a significator of the Bills and they got “burned” by the
Washington Redskins.
Another important consideration is the condition of the 7th house. In horary
the 7th house represents any personal consultant to the querent, including
the astrologer. If Saturn occupies or rules the cusp of the 7th, or if the 7th
ruler or cusp is badly afflicted, the astrologer is at a decided disadvantage
in judging the chart and may err in his or her interpretation.
There are numerous other strictures, but these are the main ones most
horary astrologers consider. If you see one of these, the universe may be
warning you to proceed with caution.
LESSON 5: FATE VS. FREE WILL
When I lecture on horary, the audience often asks about fate versus free
will. If the chart can predict the outcome, is the event simply fated to
happen? Do we have any control in the matter?
My answer is that we do have control over much of what happens in our
lives. The chart simply reflects the current conditions surrounding the time
of the question or the start of a venture. What we do with those conditions
is up to us.
Remember the analogy with the weather forecast. The horary or electional
chart is a temporal forecast. The chart reflects the quality of the space-time
continuum we are traversing.
Suppose the weatherperson (I’m trying not to be sexist) forecasts a
hurricane tomorrow. Suppose you had been planning to go swimming in
the ocean tomorrow. You could ignore the forecaster’s prediction and go
swimming anyway. Chances are you would not fare well. If you are an
excellent swimmer, you might come out O.K. Or, the weather forecast

7
could be wrong. Maybe the hurricane would move out to sea and miss your
section of the coast; then you’d have a great time despite the forecast. Like
weather forecasters, astrologers can’t be 100% accurate. No mortal can
take into account all the possible factors affecting a future event. A good
horary or electional astrologer can be accurate about 75 to 80 % of the
time. Anyone who claims close to 100% accuracy is a liar and a fool.
So the horary or electional chart simply tells you what astrological “forces”
you are dealing with. The rest is up to you. I think some of what happens
must depend on your natal chart. If you were born with lots of squares and
oppositions and have learned to master them in the course of your life, then
a horary or electional chart with squares and oppositions might not affect
you as adversely as it would the average person.
Suppose you asked about a relationship. Assume further that Cancer rises
and Capricorn occupies the 7th cusp of the partner. Now let’s let the Moon
(you) be forming a square with Saturn (your potential mate). If you and the
Saturn person entered into a relationship, it would be of the nature of a
square: full of friction and obstacles. Some marriages are full of friction
and obstacles and last forever. Some people just love to fight. This reminds
me of the comment of the family therapist Carl Whitaker. When his client
complained that all her parents ever did was fight, he responded, “An
orgasm is an orgasm is an orgasm.” I’ll bet they had lots of squares
between their charts.
In conclusion, we do have free will, but the universe does not bend to our
wills (even if we have a god complex).
I apologize that the following is NOT well-formatted. I did not have time to
put it in the same form as the previous entries in this series. Below you will
find a collection of all the lessons which I posted on Genie in 1992. Please
enjoy them. The charts are best viewed in COURIER font. They will appear
distorted in any other font.You may wish to Right-Click with you mouse and
choose View source. This will show you this file in WordPad where youcan
view it in Courier font with all the original formatting preserved.
MINI-LESSON #1: WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?
The idea behind horary and electional astrology is that the quality or nature
of the time you ask a question or start a new venture will influence its
future development and outcome. The best analogy is the weather forecast.
If you were traveling to Maine in January, would you pack your bathing
suit, suntan lotion, and scuba gear? Assuming there are no weirdoes in the
audience, I’d bet most of you would answer “no.” The time of year you
plan the trip tells you something about its future development.

8
Now, astrology, that is, the horoscope chart for a particular time and place,
reflects the nature or quality of the time. There are good times and bad
times, rough times and smooth times, peaceful times and stormy times. The
chart tells us what the time looks like. In fact, in my view, astrology is
simply the study of the qualitative nature of time.
Because astrology lets us determine the nature of time, we can use
astrology to select a good time to act -- that’s what electional astrology is
all about: electing the proper time for a venture. Horary is the other side of
the coin. Horary analyzes the nature of the time you asked a question. The
idea is that you are embedded in the space-time continuum (matrix) so that
what you are thinking and doing at a particular time is part and parcel of
the space-time matrix of which you are a part.
To say it a different way, ASTROLOGY DESCRIBES WHAT I CALL
THE TERRAIN OF TIME.
If you were setting out on a hike, you would look at a map to see the type
of terrain you were about to traverse. Astrology allows you to preview the
type of time-terrain you are about to enter.
Horary and electional astrology have a data base that spans over two
thousand years of astrologers studying such charts and noting the outcome.
In that sense, this branch of astrology is an empirical science.
Let me end here as far as the theory goes. Next time I’ll get into some basic
astrological principles for JUDGING such charts. I use the word JUDGE
advisedly because you must weigh all the factors and come up with your
best guess as to the outcome. This is akin to what a physician does in
making a diagnosis. Like physicians, astrologers can make wrong
judgments based on their skill and experience.
LESSON 2: SOME BASIC IDEAS OF HORARY AND
ELECTIONAL ASTROLOGY.
Here’s the chart for the time I ELECTED to start these lessons:
SOUTH
M.C.
0 2 MO 15 Ar 56 2
11th 1 10th 1 1
GAP
m r 9th i 8th
SN 7 Cn 45 4 5 0

9
 ---08 Cn 29--7-------------2-------------3--27 Aq 35---
| | 7th
| BEGIN HORARY LESSONS | SU 19 Aq 22
| | ME 16 Aq 45
12th | FEB 8, 1992 | SA 10 Aq 26
| 16: 0: 0 ZONE 5.00 S T | WEST

05 Le 23-----| 41 N 19.0 73 W 1.0 |-----05 Aq 23 DSC

ASC | GEOCENTRIC TROPICAL | MA 22 Cp 54
EAST | Regiomontanus | VE 17 Cp 54
1st | | NE 17 Cp 39 6th
| | UR 15 Cp 55
| | NN 9 Cp 0
---27 Le 35--2-------------2-------------0--08 Cp 29---
111
2nd V PF 1 Li 57 L PL 22 Sc 53 S 5th
iia
JP 12 Vi 12r0 3rd 5 4th 4
327
I.C.
NORTH

It helps to know some basics about astrology. I will assume the reader
knows very little.
The chart reflects the planets’ positions in space as they are projected on
the Ecliptic, the apparent path of the sun in space.
The point at which the horizon crosses the ecliptic in the East is called the
Ascendant. In this chart 5 LEO 23’ was the point on the ecliptic which was
rising when I started these lessons. The point at which the horizon crosses
the ecliptic in the West is called the Descendant.
You will note that the chart looks upside-down and backwards from a
typical map (in which East in on the right and South is on the bottom).

10
There are a couple reasons for drawing the horo- scope this way. First, it
mimics the shadow of the sun on the sundial. Second, when astrologers
actually looked at the sky in ancient times, they faced south so that east was
to the left, west was to the right, and north was behind them.
The Ascendant carries with it the symbolism of sunrise, the beginning of a
new day. Thus, the Ascendant always symbolizes the beginning or
initiation of any action or question. The Ascendant signifies the person who
asks the question or starts the venture. The Ascendant symbolizes the baby
which has just emerged from the womb.
The Ascendant is also called the CUSP of the 1st house. In horary and
electional work, the following four factors can and do signify the person
asking the question (the QUERENT) or the person initiating the action:
1. The Ascendant or cusp of the first house.
2. The planet which rules the rising sign.
3. Any planets posited in the 1st house.
4. The Moon always co-rules the querent.
Most commonly the planet ruling the Ascending sign is the chief
significator of the querent. But, if a planet in the first better describes the
querent, then that planet is a better choice for the primary significator.
Except when Cancer rises (ruled by the Moon), the Moon is a secondary
significator and carries less weight that the planet ruling the Ascendant.
In this chart, I am represented by the 5 Leo 23 cusp and by the sun which
rules Leo. There are no planets in the 1st house. The Moon co-rules me.
THE BASIC PRINCIPLE IN HORARY AND ELECTIONAL WORK IS
TO IDENTIFY THE PLANET OR PLANETS SIGNIFYING YOU AND
THE PLANET OR PLANETS SIGNIFYING THE MATTER ASKED
ABOUT AND TO SEE HOW THEY RELATE TO ONE ANOTHER IN
THE CHART. IF THEY RELATE WELL, THE MATTER WILL GO
SMOOTHLY. IF THEY RELATE BADLY, WELL THEM’S THE
BREAKS.
To do this, you must know what each planet and what each house
represents. I’ll say more about rulerships in the next lesson. In this
example, you should know that the 3rd and 9th houses have to do with
teaching and communication.
In this example, Virgo rules the 3rd cusp so Mercury is the signifier of the
3rd. Pisces rules the 9th cusp so Jupiter is the signifier of the 9th. In
addition, the Moon occupies the 9th and becomes a co-signifier of the 9th.

11
Mercury intrinsically rules teaching and communications.
The Moon intrinsically rules The People.
Note how the Moon (my co-ruler and natural ruler of the people) will
sextile (60 degrees) both Mercury (3-ruler) and sun (1-ruler). The sextile is
a harmonious aspect and shows the significant planets relating well to one
another. Hence, these lessons should be reasonably successful. Time will
tell.
There are 12 houses in the chart. The houses are a way of cutting the
circular pie. I used Regiomontanus houses here because they are the houses
traditionally used by horary astrologers.
Regiomontanus cut the equator into twelve equal pieces and projected
those pieces of the equator onto the ecliptic (which is angled at about 23.5
degrees from the equator). There are many other ways to slice the pie.
LESSON 3: Houses and Planets in Horary/Electional Astrology
There are twelve houses around the wheel. Each house symbolizes a
different area of experiences. It helps to think of the 12 houses as six pairs
of related houses. The houses below the horizon (1,2,3,4,5,6) have to do
with personal matters. The other six houses (7,8,9,10,11,12) have more to
do with other people and with public matters.
The FIRST house represents the QUERENT (person asking the question or
initiating the action). The 1st house stands for the querent’s body, state of
health, appearance, current location.
ARIES (ruled by Mars) is the 1st sign of the zodiac. Mars is the initiator,
the warrior, the daring young man.
The SEVENTH house (opposite) the 1st stands for those who are on equal
footing with the querent: partners, spouse, mate, open enemies, opponents,
significant other people, and strangers unrelated to the querent. Because the
7th is opposite the 1st, it represents opposition such as lawsuits, but also
contracts and legal or binding agreements. If the querent is planning to
relocate, the 7th signifies the place he or she would move to.
LIBRA (ruled by Venus) is the 7th sign of the zodiac. Venus is the
peacemaker, the conciliator, the goddess of love.
The SECOND house stands for the MOVABLE GOODS and MONEY of
the querent. If you’re looking for lost items, look to the 2nd house. Taurus
(ruled by Venus) is the 2nd sign of the zodiac.
The PART OF FORTUNE has a special connection with the 2nd house.
(The part of fortune is that point on the wheel which is as from from the

12
Moon as the Ascendant is from the sun. The ancients called it the
Ascendant of the Moon.)
The EIGHTH house stands for other people’s money. This includes bank
loans, mortgages, legacies, profit from a partnership, etc. The 8th house
also rules DEATH. Scorpio (ruled by Mars and Pluto) is the 8th sign of the
zodiac.
The THIRD house stands for communications, learning, writing, local
travel, siblings, kin, close relatives, and means of travel. Gemini (ruled by
Mercury) is the 3rd sign of the zodiac.
Mercury is the speedy messenger of the gods.
The NINTH house (opposite the 3rd) stands for distant travel, higher
education, the Law, religion, worldviews, broad perspective, legal
proceedings, publication, broadcasting, dreams, and prophecy. Sagittarius
(ruled by Jupiter) is the 9th sign of the zodiac. Jupiter (Zeus) was king of
the gods on Mount Olympus. He was expansive and quite a philanderer.
The FOURTH house (opposite the 10th) was traditionally called the
HOUSE OF THE FATHER. It signifies the father, old people, the home,
real estate, land, and the base of operations.
It has special significance as the END OF THE MATTER house in horary.
Cancer (ruled by the Moon) is the 4th sign of the zodiac. The Moon
represents all that is ephemeral and passing, the tides, the moods, the
populace; also travel, change, and fluctuation.
The TENTH house (opposite the 4th) is the house of the MOTHER. Also
the house of the career, vocation, standing before the world, reputation,
honor, public office, and success. Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) is the 10th
sign of the zodiac. Saturn is old Cronos who cut off the genitals of Uranus
to gain power. Saturn symbolizes loss (think of what happend to Uranus),
ambition, discipline, limitation, and confronting reality.
The FIFTH house (opposite the 11th) is the house of CHILDREN,
offspring, creativity, speculation, risk-taking, gambling, and all forms of
pleasure. Leo (ruled by the sun) is the 5th sign of the zodiac. The sun is the
king of the solar system.
The ELEVENTH house (opposite the 5th) is the house of friends, advice,
hopes & wishes. Aquarius (ruled by Saturn and Uranus) is the 11th sign of
the zodiac. Uranus signifies sudden happenings, breaks, and separations (he
got his genitals unexpectedly severed).

13
The SIXTH house (opposite the 12th) signifies ILLNESS, pets, small
animals, appliances, service, servants, workers, drudgery, and toil. Virgo
(ruled by Mercury) is the 6th sign of the zodiac.
The TWELFTH house (opposite the 6th) is the house of SECRET
ENEMIES, self undoing, and large animals. Pisces (ruled by Jupiter and
Neptune) is the 12th sign of the zodiac. Neptune was god of the sea. He
rules deception, illusion, nebulousness, and Hollywood.
These are some basic meanings of the houses and planets. In horary you
need to select the house and planets that most clearly represent your
concern.
(C)opyright Anthony Louis, 1992.
LESSON 4: CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE JUDGMENT
This is probably a good point to introduce the so-called STRICTURES or
CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE JUDGMENT.
Astrologers did not always get the right answers to their horary questions,
and election charts did not always produce the most favorable results. As a
result, astrologers over the centuries studied charts to determine if there
was any indication in the chart that gave the wrong answer that would have
alerted the astrolger to be careful.
The following quote comes from the Regulus Edition of the book on horary
by Guido Bonatus written in the 12th century:
“..beware of those cases in which the astrologer is subject to err and
mistake....
1. When the querent comes only to try him, or put a trick on him, as many
do, saying, ‘Let us go to such an Astrologer, and ask him such a thing,
and see if he can tell us the truth or not. ‘Just as the Jews propounded
questions to our Lord Jesus Christ, not so much to be resolved, as to
tempt ad ensnare Him.
2. Wherein the Artist will be liable to err, is when the Querent does not ask
out of a serious or settled intention, as some do when they meet an
astrologer by chance or go to him on other business; on a sudden they
think of something, and so ask, as it were, by-the-bye; wherein ‘tis a
thousand to one but mistakes happen. But thou mayest be ready to say,
‘How shall I know whether the querent come out of a solid intention, or
only to try me?’ To which I answer, that it seems a very abstruse and
difficult point, perfectly to find out; but this I have often experienced
and found true, viz., I observed the hour of the Question, and if the
Ascendant then happened to be very near the end of one sign and the

14
 beginning of another, so that it seemed as between both; I said they did
not ask seriously, or that they came to try me; and I have had many that
have thereupon confessed what I said to be true, and began to think that
I knew more than before they believed.”
So we see that even in the 12th century astrologers had to put up with
ridicule of their art.
The consideration Bonatus is describing has come down to us as the rule of
the early or late Ascendant; namely, if less than 3 degrees rise on the
Ascendant or if more than 27 degrees rise on the Ascendant, the chart may
be difficult to judge or give an erroneous answer because the querent is
insincere or tyring to “ensare” the astrologer.
We saw an example of a late Ascendant in Topic 5 where EPOS asked if
she got the job. She knew full well the answer and was just testing to see
what I would say. When I ran the chart 29+ degrees were rising. Clearly,
EPOS was trying to put a trick on me as Bonatus would say. Tricky EPOS
and her late Ascendant.
Generally an EARLY ASCENDANT means the matter is premature. It’s
too early to render a judgment. More information must come to light. A
LATE ASCENDANT means the matter has past its prime. The question is
“post-mature.” Often the querent knows the answer and is just testing to see
what you think.
EPOS chart also contained another STRICTURE. The Moon was VOID
OF COURSE. This simply means that the Moon will make no further
aspects of the major kind (0, 60, 90, 120, 180) before leaving its current
sign. The Moon is then traveling in an “aspect vacuum.” A void of course
Moon usually means very little will happen with regard to the question.
Sometimes it means the question is moot and the answer you would give is
irrelevant. It can also mean the querent is testing or toying with you. The
exception to the void of course stricture occurs when the Moon occupies a
sign where a benefic planet (Venus or Jupiter) is exalted or rules. These
signs are Taurus, Sagittarius, Pisces, and Cancer. This exception only holds
true if the chart is otherwise very promising.
Another stricture is the Moon in the VIA COMBUSTA from 15 Libra to 15
Scorpio. This is a traditionally malefic zone of the nature of Scorpio. The
Moon here is in the “burning way.” It often symbolizes an element of chaos
or unpredictability.
In the 1992 Super Bowl chart, the Moon was in the Combust Way. At the
start of the game the Buffalo Bills unexpectedly kicked off prematurely and
made for a chaotic beginning of the Super Bowl. In that chart the Moon

15
was also a significator of the Bills and they got “burned” by the
Washington Red Skins.
Another important consideration is the condition of the 7th house. In horary
the 7th house represents any personal consultant to the querent, including
the astrologer. If Saturn occupies or rules the cusp of the 7th, or if the 7th
ruler or cusp is badly afflicted, the astrologer is at a decided disadvantage
in judging the chart and may err in his or her interpretation.
There are numerous other strictures, but these are the main ones most
horary astrologers consider. If you see one of these, the universe may be
warning you to proceed with caution.
(C)opyright Anthony Louis, 1992.
LESSON 5: FATE VS. FREE WILL
When I lecture on horary, the audience often asks about fate versus free
will. If the chart can predict the outcome, is the event simply fated to
happen? Do we have any control in the matter?
My answer is that we do have control over much of what happens in our
lives. The chart simply reflects the current conditions surrounding the time
of the question or the start of a venture. What we do with those conditions
is up to us.
Remember the analogy with the weather forecast. The horary or electional
chart is a temporal forecast. The chart reflects the quality of the space-time
continuum we are traversing.
Suppose the weather person (I’m trying not to be sexist) forecasts a
hurricane tomorrow. Suppose you had been planning to go swimming in
the ocean tomorrow. You could ignore the forecaster’s prediction and go
swimming anyway. Chances are you would not fare well. If you are an
excellent swimmer, you might come out O.K. Or, the weather forecast
could be wrong. Maybe the hurricane would move out to sea and miss your
section of the coast; then you’d have a great time despite the forecast. Like
weather forecasters, astrologers can’t be 100% accurate. No mortal can
take into account all the possible factors affecting a future event. A good
horary or electional astrologers can be accurate about 75 to 80 % of the
time. Anyone who claims close to 100% accuracy is a liar and a fool.
So the horary or electional chart simply tells you what astrological “forces”
you are dealing with. The rest is up to you. I think some of what happens
must depend on your natal chart. If you were born with lots of squares and
oppositions and have learned to master them in the course of your life, then

16
a horary or electional chart with squares and oppositions might not affect
you as adversely as it would the average person.
Suppose you asked about a relationship. Assume futher that Cancer rises
and Capricorn occupies the 7th cusp of the partner. Now let’s let the Moon
(you) be forming a square with Saturn (your potential mate). If you and the
Saturn person entered into a relationship, it would be of the nature of a
square: full of friction and obstacles. Some marriages are full of friction
and obstacles and last forever. Some people just love to fight. This reminds
me of the comment of the family therapist Carl Whitaker. When his client
complained that all her parents ever did was fight, he responded, “An
orgasm is an orgasm is an orgasm.” I’ll bet they had lots of squares
between their charts.
In conclusion, we do have free will, but the universe does not bend to our
wills (even if we have a god complex).
(C)opyright Anthony Louis, 1992.
LESSON 6: A SAMPLE CHART - BUSH ANNOUNCES HIS
CANDIDACY
Here is a timely chart for us to analyze. This is an event chart, but we can
analyze it using horary methods.
The Ascendant represents George Bush who made the announcement.
Taurus (a fixed sign) rises. Fixed signs favor projects that are enduring.
Venus rules Taurus and so signifies George Bush.
The 10th house is the most prominent and successful place in the
horoscope. Venus (Bush) lies in the 10th within 2 degrees of the
Midheaven (the place of prominence). By making his announcement as this
time, Bush assures himself a spot in the limelight. Venus is applying to a
conjunction of the nighttime part of fortune, a very fortunate point in a
chart. It is more favorable in a night-time chart, but it also works in day
charts.
Announcements are a form of communication and, as such, are 3rd house
matters. Cancer lies on the cusp of the 3rd so the Moon rules the
announcement. Moon lies in the 1st, another public and prominent house.
The natural ruler of announcements in Mercury. Here Mercury occupies the
11th house of Bush’s hopes and wishes. The 11th is a generally fortunate
house. Mercury is also CAZIMI, meaning it is very closely conjunct the
sun and therefore strongly fortified. The 4th house shows the “end of the
matter.” Here the fourth house also has a Cancer cusp. The Moon rules

17
both the 3rd of the announcement and the 4th of the end of the matter. The
Moon’s future aspects will show the outcome of Bush’s announcement.
In chronological order the Moon’s aspects are as follows: TRINE
SATURN, SQUARE JUPITER, SEXTILE P.F., TRINE SUN, TRINE
MERCURY. The only stressful aspect the Moon will make is a square to
Jupiter which is one of the least stress aspects it could make. The fact that
the Moon ruling the 3rd of announcements will make a final trine to the
natural ruler Mercury of announcements assures the success of Bush’s
announcement.
The Moon is a natural ruler of the populace or the electorate. The Moon
trine Mercury show the People being favorably disposed to Bush’s
announcement. The 7th house can also show the electorate. Bush’s ruler
Venus will conjoin Mars the ruler of the 7th, showing his coming together
with the electorate (after passing through the nightly P.F.). The 7th also
rules Bush’s opponents. Bush’s ruler Venus lying closer to the M.C. (point
of highest prominence) than Mars suggests he will outshine his opponents.
All things considered, Bush picked an excellent time to declare his
candidacy for the presidency.
Here’s the chart. The technical information below the chart comes from
Allen Edwall’s Horary Helper program. Don’t let it scare you. We will
cover the topics in future lessons.
M.C.
1 VE 22 Cp 32 2 NE 17 Cp 46 0
SU 23 Aq 10 2 PF(night): 0 UR 16 Cp 6 2
ME 23 Aq 22 A 23 CP 52 C C
q MA 25 Cp 45 p NN 8 Cp 54 p
5 SA 10 Aq 52 4 1
---18 Pi 16--6-------------6-------------9--10 Sa 29---
||
| BUSH ANNOUNCES |
| WASHINGTON, DC | PL 22 Sc 55
| FEB 12, 1992 |
ASC | 10:10:15 ZONE 5.00 S T | DSC
05 Ta 57-----| 38 N 54.0 77 W 2.0 |-----05 Sc 57
| GEOCENTRIC TROPICAL |

18
 | Regiomontanus |
| Natal |
||
MO 5 Gm 9 | |
---10 Gm 29--0-------------2-------------1--18 Vi 16---
2 0 2 JP 11 Vi 46r
C SN 7 Cn 33 C L
nne
145
9 6 6 PF 17 Le 56
BUSH ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY, WASHINGTON, D.C., 10:10 AM
EST.
12 FEB 1992 10.10 A.M. LONG. - 77.02 WEST LATITUDE: 38.54
NORTH G.M.T. = 3.10 P.M. LMT = 10.02 Mercury day SUNRISE = 7.00
LMT SUNSET = 17.27 LMT Jupiter hour
Planet Sign Exlt. Trip. Term
Face
SUN SATURN SATURN JUPITER MOON
MOON MERCURY SATURN MERCURY JUPITER
MERCURY SATURN SATURN JUPITER MOON
VENUS SATURN Mars VENUS* MARS SUN
Mars SATURN MARS* VENUS SATURN SUN
JUPITER MERCURY MERCURY VENUS VENUS VENUS
SATURN SATURN* --- SATURN* MERCURY MERCURY
PART F. SUN --- SUN VENUS JUPITER
[The * means an ESSENTIAL DIGNITY.] =========
Planet Speed Pos to Sun
SUN FAST 1 D 1M
MOON FAST 13 D 56M OCCIDENT
MERCURY FAST 1 D 48M OCCIDENT
VENUS FAST 1 D 14M ORIENTAL
MARS FAST 0 D 46M ORIENTAL
JUPITER FAST R 0 D 7M ORIENTAL

19
SATURN FAST 0 D 7M ORIENTAL
PART F. 14
Peregrine - SUN MERCURY JUPITER MOON
(Peregrine means “having no essential dignity”).
Detriment - SUN JUPITER
Fall -
Cazimi - MERCURY
Under Sun’s Beam - SATURN
Fixed Stars - PLUTO - UNUK
SUN CONJUNCT MERCURY 0.2 DEG
SUN CONJUNCT sep SATURN 12.3 DEG
SUN SQUARE sep, dex, PLUTO 0.3 DEG
SUN SQUARE MOON 12.0 DEG
MERCURY CONJUNCT sep SUN 0.2 DEG
MERCURY SQUARE sep, dex, PLUTO 0.5 DEG
VENUS CONJUNCT app MARS 3.2 DEG
VENUS CONJUNCT sep URANUS 6.4 DEG
VENUS CONJUNCT sep NEPTUNE 4.8 DEG
VENUS SEXTILE app, dex, PLUTO 0.3 DEG
MARS CONJUNCT VENUS 3.2 DEG
MARS SEXTILE sep, dex, PLUTO 2.9 DEG
MARS TRINE MOON 9.4 DEG
JUPITER TRINE sep, sin, URANUS 4.4 DEG
JUPITER TRINE sep, sin, NEPTUNE 6.0 DEG
JUPITER SQUARE MOON 6.6 DEG
SATURN CONJUNCT SUN 12.3 DEG
SATURN TRINE MOON 5.7 DEG
URANUS CONJUNCT app NEPTUNE 1.7 DEG
NEPTUNE SEXTILE app, dex, PLUTO 5.1 DEG
MOON SQUARE sep, dex, SUN 12.0 DEG

20
MOON TRINE sep, dex, MARS 9.4 DEG
MOON SQUARE app, sin, JUPITER 6.6 DEG
MOON TRINE app, dex, SATURN 5.7 DEG
PART OF F. OPPOSITE SUN 5.3 DEG
ASCENDANT TRINE JUPITER 5.9 DEG
Lilly’s Point System -
Planets’ Strengths:
SUN: -4 MERCURY: 12 VENUS: 17
MARS: 22 JUPITER: -5 SATURN: 16 MOON: 9
00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15
MO NN SA JU
5 7 10 11
GE CP AQ VI
8 33 52 45
R
AS
5
TA
51
============
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
UR NE VE SU MA
16 17 22 23 25
CP CP CP AQ CP
6 46 32 10 46
PF PL ME
17 22 23
LE SC AQ
49 53 23
============

21
In Critical Degrees: MARS
Critical degrees are the cusps of the Hindu Lunar Mansions. A planet in a
critical degree shows the person represented by that planet undergoing a
crisis. Here Mars represents Bush’s opponents as well as the electorate.
That means you and me - Bush’s announcement will put us in a crisis
situation!
Planet name Degree Antiscion Contrantiscion
SUN 23 AQU 10 6 SCO 50 6 TAU 50
MERCURY 23 AQU 23 6 SCO 37 6 TAU 37
VENUS 22 CAP 32 7 SAG 28 7 GEM 28
MARS 25 CAP 46 4 SAG 14 4 GEM 14
JUPITER 11 VIR 45 18 ARI 15 18 LIB 15
SATURN 10 AQU 52 19 SCO 8 19 TAU 8
URANUS 16 CAP 6 13 SAG 54 13 GEM 54
NEPTUNE 17 CAP 46 12 SAG 14 12 GEM 14
PLUTO 22 SCO 53 7 AQU 7 7 LEO 7
MOON 5 GEM 8 24 CAN 52 24 CAP 52
NORTH NODE 7 CAP 33 22 SAG 27 22 GEM 27
PART OF F. 17 LEO 49 12 TAU 11 12 SCO 11
ASCENDANT 5 TAU 51 24 LEO 9 24 AQU 9
MIDHEAVEN 20 CAP 42 9 SAG 18 9 GEM 18

SUN conjunct contrantiscion of ASCENDANT

MERCURY conjunct contrantiscion of ASCENDANT
MARS conjunct contrantiscion of MOON

Antiscions and contrascions are reflections in the soltitial and equinoctal

axes of the chart. Contrascions act like squares and oppositions. Mars
contrascion Moon fits because Bush’s announcement (Moon) puts him at
odds (opposition) with his opponents (Mars).
ASPECTS TO MIDPOINTS
VENUS CONJUNCT MAR/NEP 0.8 DEG.

22
VENUS CONJUNCT MAR/MC 0.7 DEG.
VENUS OPPOSITE JUP/MOO 0.9 DEG.
JUPITER OPPOSITE URA/ASC 0.8 DEG.
JUPITER OPPOSITE NEP/ASC 0.1 DEG.
URANUS CONJUNCT MAR/NN 0.6 DEG.
NEPTUNE CONJUNCT URA/MC 0.6 DEG.
NORTH NODE CONJUNCT SUN/PLU 0.5 DEG.
NORTH NODE CONJUNCT MER/PLU 0.6 DEG.
MIDHEAVEN CONJUNCT VEN/NEP 0.6 DEG.
MIDHEAVEN CONJUNCT MAR/URA 0.2 DEG.
LESSON 7: ESSENTIAL DIGNITY
You have probably noticed the constant talk among horary astrolgoers
about the dignity of the planets. Just what is dignity and why is it
important?
The ancient astrologers considered the planets to be gods who lived in the
firmament. Considering the sun and moon to be planets (i.e., wandering
bodies), the ancients totaled up 7 known planets. As gods, each of the
planets owned or had an affinity for particular sections of the zodiac. When
a planet occupied a region of the zodiac where it had some claim, that
planet was in its DIGNITY.
There are several types of essential dignity. The five that have stood the
test of time are essential dignity by HOME SIGN (DOMAL),
EXALTATION, TRIPLICITY, TERM, and FACE.
When a planet occupies its own sign, it’s AT HOME so to speak and has
DOMAL dignity (from the Latin for home). Being in your own home is the
strongest dignity. A man is king of his castle, etc.
There are certain signs where planets are EXALTED. For example, George
Bush lives in Kennebunkport (has domal dignity there), but he is
EXALTED in the White House (which he does not own). This is the
second best dignity.
The opposite of domal dignity is DETRIMENT. A planet in its opposite
sign is in detriment. George Bush was in detriment when he visited Japan
recently.

23
The opposite of exaltation is FALL. Bush is exalted in the White House,
but he would be in FALL if he visited Baghdad. A planet is in FALL in the
sign opposite its exaltation.
Lilly gives 5 points to a planet in domal dignity and 4 points to a planet in
exaltation. He gives -5 for a planet if detriment and -4 points to a planet in
fall.
Planets also belong to triplicties, but not the way we think about them in
modern times. Triplicity is worth 3 point according to Lilly. Here’s a table
of triplicities by day and night. To determine the triplicity ruler you have to
note whether the sun is above or below the horizon.
Triplicity | Day Ruler | Night Ruler
Fire .... Sun ...... Jupiter
Earth ----- Venus ---- Moon
Air ..... Saturn ... Mercury
Water ---- Mars --- Mars
The terms of the planets are little sections of each sign where planets have
some dignity. Each sign is divided into 5 terms, and each term is ruled by
one of the NON-LUMINARIES. That is, the terms can only belong to
Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, or Mercury. I don’t have the patient to type in
the table of terms here. It is available in most books on traditional horary,
including mine. Terms are worth 2 points. The American embassy in
Baghdad would be akin to the TERMS of Mr. Bush.
FACES are the weakest dignites. Lilly gives them only 1 point. Faces are
the same as the Chaldean decanates or decans. The 1st FACE of Aries
belongs to Mars. Each face is 10 degrees so there are 3 faces in each sign.
The faces go in the Chaldean order of the planets which is from the
outermost to the innermost: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury,
Moon (with earth as the center of the Chaldean universe). So the 2nd face
of Aries goes to the sun, the 3rd face of Aries to Venus, the 1st face of
Taurus to Mercury, the 2nd face of Taurus to Moon, the 3rd face of Taurus
to SATURN, the 1st face of Gemini to Jupiter, etc., through the entire
Zodiac.
These five dignities are called the ESSENTIAL DIGNITIES because the
planets are in a part of the zodiac they are essentially compatible with.
When a planet does not occupy an essential dignity, it is called
PEREGRINE (wandering aimlessly) because it’s in a place it has no
compatibility with. Imagine George Bush wandering around the slums of
Baghdad. He would be peregrine there, having no dignity, and also be in

24
his fall. If he made it to the American Embassy in Baghdad, he might be in
his terms and have some dignity.
One final concept: MUTUAL RECEPTION.
When one planet occupies any dignity of another, and the second planet
also occupies a dignity of the first, they are in MUTUAL RECEPTION.
This is a very favorable condition. The stronger the dignity involved, the
stronger the mutual reception. It’s like house swapping.
LESSON 8: AN EXAMPLE OF AN ELECTIONAL CHART THAT
FAILED.
The following chart is set for the time my friend Clare left her driveway to
visit Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, 2/13/92, at 9:42 a.m. She had not
consulted me to set up an electional chart, but, because I had done travel
charts for her previously, she noted the exact time she left her driveway.
Studying real examples from your own life in an excellent way to learn
when to elect a proper time to act.
The trip went terribly. Her son began vomiting the next day from a stomach
flu. She decided to return to CT but her train ticket was not valid for the
date she wanted to return with her sick son. The trip ended up being much
more expensive than originally planned, and she accomplished nothing of
what she set out to do.
If we were trying to find a good time to travel, we would make sure that the
Ascendant ruler (the querent) made a good aspect to the 3rd ruler (local
travel) and to the 9-ruler (long distance travel). Also, we would want
Mercury and the Moon as the two general significators of travel to be well-
situated in the chart.
Maybe we can figure out where Clare went wrong.
Here’s the chart:
SA 10 Aq 59 0 1 NE 17 Cp 48 0
9 VE 23 Cp 44 8 UR 16 Cp 9 1
SU 24 Aq 9 A MA 26 Cp 31 C NN 8 Cp 55 C
ME 25 Aq 8 q p p
551
---14 Pi 32--2-------------1-------------7--09 Sa 54---
||
| CLARE TO D.C. |

25
 | | PL 22 Sc 55
| FEB 13, 1992 |
| 9:42: 0 ZONE 5.00 S T |
04 Ta 21-----| 41 N 18.5 72 W 59.0 |-----04 Sc 21
| GEOCENTRIC TROPICAL |
| Regiomontanus |
| Natal |
||
||
---09 Gm 54--0-------------1-------------0--14 Vi 32---
1 8 9 JP 11 Vi 39r
C SN 7 Cn 29 C L
MO 18 Gm 48 n n e PF 29 Le 0
155
712
The 1st house ruled by Venus represents Clare. Venus (Clare) makes no
aspect with 3-ruler Moon or with 9-ruler Saturn or with the natural signifier
of travel Mercury. Furthermore, Venus is about to conjoin Mars, the lesser
malefic and the ruler of her 12th house (because Aries is intercepted in the
12th) of self-undoing.
Clare’s co-ruler is the Moon because the Moon always co-rules the querent.
The Moon makes no aspect to 9-ruler Saturn. Moon will trine Mercury,
sun, and Part of Fortune. These aspects are favorable. However, Moon is
peregrine, having no essential dignity in the chart. Moon also occupies the
12th house of the 3rd house of local travel. These are negative factors.
Moon is almost exactly quincunx (150) the Midheaven. Ptolemy did not
regard the quincunx as a major aspect. Modern authors pay attention to the
quincunx and regard it as a 6th (illness) and 8th (death) aspect. In addition
the M.C. is the 6th (illness) house of her son’s house (the 5th = her
children).
Mercury, the natural ruler of travel, is applying to an opposition of the Part
of Fortune. Mercury is also contrascion the Ascendant. Recall that
contrascions act like oppositions and squares so this is like have Mercury
(travel) squaring or opposing the 1st cusp (Clare).

26
All in all, Clare did not pick a good time to set out on a journey. No doubt
the good aspects of the Moon helped salvage the trip to the extent that it
was possible.
Here is Allen Edwall’s data (from his program AstroWin):
CLARE-D.C.
13 FEB 1992 9.42 A.M. LONG. - 72.59 WEST LATITUDE - 41.19
NORTH G.M.T. = 2.42 P.M. LMT = 9.50 Jupiter day SUNRISE = 7.02
LMT SUNSET = 17.26 LMT Venus hour
Planet Sign Exlt. Trip. Term Face Speed Pos to Sun
------ ---- ----- ----- ---- ---- ----- ----------
SUN SATURN --- SATURN JUPITER MOON FAST
MOON MERCURY --- SATURN VENUS MARS FAST OCCIDENT
MERCURY SATURN --- SATURN MARS MOON FAST OCCIDENT
VENUS SATURN MARS VENUS** MARS SUN FAST ORIENTAL
MARS SATURN MARS** VENUS SATURN SUN FAST ORIENTAL
JUPITER MERCURY MERCURY VENUS VENUS VENUS FAST R
ORIENTAL
SATURN SATURN** --- SATURN** MERCURY MERCURY FAST
ORIENTAL
PART F. SUN --- SUN MARS MARS 16
Peregrine - SUN MERCURY JUPITER MOON
Detriment - SUN JUPITER
Fall -
Combust - MERCURY
Under Sun’s Beam - SATURN
Fixed Stars - PLUTO - UNUK PART F. - REGULUS
19 ARI 53 P of ILLNESS
9 CAP 43 P.F. - night
Moon’s Aspects -
From - TRINE SATURN SQUARE JUPITER
To - TRINE SUN TRINE MERCURY SEXTILE PART F.
SUN CONJUNCT MERCURY 1.0 DEG

27
SUN CONJUNCT sep SATURN 13.2 DEG
SUN SQUARE sep, dex, PLUTO 1.3 DEG
SUN TRINE MOON 5.4 DEG

MERCURY CONJUNCT sep SUN 1.0 DEG

MERCURY SQUARE sep, dex, PLUTO 2.3 DEG
MERCURY TRINE MOON 6.3 DEG

VENUS CONJUNCT app MARS 2.8 DEG

VENUS CONJUNCT sep NEPTUNE 5.9 DEG
VENUS SEXTILE sep, dex, PLUTO 0.9 DEG

MARS CONJUNCT VENUS 2.8 DEG

MARS SEXTILE sep, dex, PLUTO 3.6 DEG

JUPITER TRINE sep, sin, URANUS 4.5 DEG

JUPITER TRINE sep, sin, NEPTUNE 6.2 DEG
JUPITER SQUARE MOON 7.2 DEG

SATURN CONJUNCT SUN 13.2 DEG

SATURN TRINE MOON 7.8 DEG

URANUS CONJUNCT app NEPTUNE 1.6 DEG

NEPTUNE SEXTILE app, dex, PLUTO 5.1 DEG

MOON TRINE app, dex, SUN 5.4 DEG

MOON TRINE app, dex, MERCURY 6.3 DEG
MOON SQUARE sep, sin, JUPITER 7.2 DEG
MOON TRINE sep, dex, SATURN 7.8 DEG

28
PART OF F. OPPOSITE SUN 4.8 DEG

Planets’ Strengths:
SUN: -4 MERCURY: 2
VENUS: 17 MARS: 22
JUPITER: -10 SATURN: 16
MOON: 7

Planet name Degree Antiscion Contrantiscion

SUN 24 AQU 9 5 SCO 51 5 TAU 51
MERCURY 25 AQU 8 4 SCO 52 4 TAU 52
VENUS 23 CAP 44 6 SAG 16 6 GEM 16
MARS 26 CAP 31 3 SAG 29 3 GEM 29
JUPITER 11 VIR 38 18 ARI 22 18 LIB 22
SATURN 10 AQU 59 19 SCO 1 19 TAU 1
URANUS 16 CAP 9 13 SAG 51 13 GEM 51
NEPTUNE 17 CAP 48 12 SAG 12 12 GEM 12
PLUTO 22 SCO 53 7 AQU 7 7 LEO 7
MOON 18 GEM 48 11 CAN 12 11 CAP 12
NORTH NODE 7 CAP 29 22 SAG 31 22 GEM 31
PART OF F. 28 LEO 59 1 TAU 0 1 SCO 0
ASCENDANT 4 TAU 21 25 LEO 39 25 AQU 39
MIDHEAVEN 18 CAP 51 11 SAG 9 11 GEM 9

MERCURY conjunct contrantiscion of ASCENDANT

LESSON 9: MORE ON THE CHART IN LESSON 8 -- DEBILITIES.
Here are more comments about the ill-fated trip to Washington, D.C.,
whose chart appears in the previous lesson.
At first it looks like the Moon’s trines to the sun and Mercury are
promising. The problem is that the Moon, the sun, Mercury, and Jupiter are

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all peregrine, having no essential dignity in the chart. Peregrine planets
wander aimlessly and are usually ineffective. Sure, the trines are nice, but
the planets forming the trines are peregrine and ineffectual. Here the sun
was also in its detriment in Aquarius (because sun rules the opposite sign
Leo).
I neglected to mention that Jupiter, a natural ruler of the 9th house and of
long-distance travel, is peregrine, in detriment in Virgo, and is retrograde.
These are all DEBILITIES, that is, conditions which hinder the action of
the planet.
So one of the lessons of the chart in lesson 8 (Clare’s trip) is that
HARMONIOUS ASPECTS ALONE ARE NOT SUFFICIENT FOR A
GOOD OUTCOME. If the harmonious aspect (sextile, trine, favorable
conjunction) occurs between two very debilitated planets, the promised
outcome may not materialize.
Another lesson is that the Moon as a secondary or co-ruler of the querent is
less efficacious than the primary ruler (usually the planet ruling the house
cusp). Here the primary ruler Venus made no aspects to the planets ruling
travel so it was not an auspicious time to start the trip.
Another DEBILITY that occurred in the chart was Mercury COMBUST
the sun. In traditional horary and electional astrology proximity to the sun
is a no-no unless it is very close proximity.
There are three conditions related to the sun. Authors give various
guidelines. These are CAZIMI, COMBUST, and UNDER THE BEAMS.
A planet is CAZIMI (in the heart of the sun) when it is conjunct the sun
within 16 MINUTES of arc. A planet is strongly fortified when so close to
the sun. It takes on the power and majesty of the sun. Bush chose to
announce his candidacy when Mercury was CAZIMI the sun. Mercury
rules announcements and is strongly fortified when cazimi the sun.
CAZIMI is an ACCIDENTAL DIGNITY. Clare took her trip a day after
Bush made his announcement. What a difference a day makes!
Once you get a little farther from the sun, you’re in trouble. At about 17
minutes or more from the sun, you start to get burned up or COMBUST.
This is a serious debility. In Clare’s trip chart Mercury (ruler of travel) is
combust the sun. No good as she found out. To be COMBUST you must be
in the same sign as the sun. If you are close to the sun in a different sign,
the other sign acts like a sunscreen. You can still get burned but not as bad.
In electional charts it is wise NOT TO START A VENTURE WHEN THE
SIGNIFICATORS ARE COMBUST THE SUN. You’ll get burned if you
do.

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Once you get more than 8.5 degrees from the sun till about 17 degrees from
the sun, you’re under the sun’s beams. This is a milder debility.
Being RETROGRADE is yet another debility. A planet is retrograde when
it has apparent backward motion with reference to the earth. In Clare’s
chart Jupiter (natural ruler of long trips) is retrograde. Matters proceed to
some extent the opposite of the way you planned when the ruler is
retrograde. One good thing about a retrograde significator is that a
retrograde planet shows a return or going back. That’s good if you lose
something and sometimes in travel charts because you want to return.It
may seem like we’re covering a lot of trivia. We’ve gotten a lot of it out of
the way. We’ll cover more in future lessons. If you use Allen Edwall’s
program, he lists most of the factors in traditional horary and electional
work that you’ll need to weigh to make a judgment of the chart. Some of
the matters he omits are TRANSLATION AND COLLECTION OF
LIGHT and some of the obscure dignities and debilities like HAYZ. I’ll
cover those too at a future date.
I’ve said before that electional is the other side of the coin from horary.
When you elect a time, you pick a chart that maximizes the beneficial
factors and minimizes the inauspicious ones. There is NEVER a perfect
electional chart. You simply find the chart that tips the balance most in
your favor.
LESSON 10: NOTES ON ELECTIONAL ASTROLOGY
Electional astrology deals with finding the most propitious times to act or
start a project in motion. The principles of horary astrology apply to
electional charts.
The best way to learn electional astrology is to keep a notebook in which
you record the start of major activities (or even minor ones) and their
outcome. I simply jot down the TIME and PLACE of events in my daily
appointment book. When I have time, I study the charts of those events to
see how the symbolism in the chart fits what happened in reality. For
instance, I jot down the times I leave on trips, the times I make significant
purchases, the times I sign legal documents, the times I mail articles for
publication, etc. When I have a chance, I run the chart on the computer
(thank God for computers) and note the outcome on the printout.
Here are some of the things I look at in those charts:
1. The ASCENDANT which represents the querent (me) who initiates the
action.
2. Any planets in the first house which also represent the querent.

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3. The planet ruling the sign on the Ascendant because the 1-ruler is
usually the primary signfier of the querent.
4. The planet ruling any sign intercepted in the 1st because it co-rules the
querent.
5. The Moon which is the universal co-ruler of the querent.
6. The sign on the cusp of the house inquired about. For example, if the
question is about a trip, I’d look at the 3rd and 9th houses. About a
child, the 5th. About health and illness, the 1st and 6th. About death, the
8th (death) and 4th (grave). ETC. Then look at the planet ruling that
sign, at any planets in that house, and at the planet ruling any
intercepted sign in that house.
7. The natural rulers of the matter at hand. Each planet intrinsically rules
certain matters. For example:
Sun: authority, honor
Moon: women, cycles, fluctuation
Mercury: travel, communication
Venus: luxury, pleasure, love
Mars: action, energy, war, contention, mechanical things
Jupiter: the Law, religion, long-distance travel, college
Saturn: death, loss, restriction, structure, organization
Uranus: surprises, sudden breaks, divorce, modernity, electonics
Neptune: illusion, mysticism, Hollywood, drugs & alcohol, deception
Pluto: power, the underworld, probing, the unconscious, the deep
8. The idea in electing a time to act is that you want the chart to favor your
action. Here are some conditions to look for:
Select a time when favorable aspects are forming between the querent’s
ruler(s) and the ruler(s) of the matter at hand. An aspect to the cusp of the
house in question is also helpful. Avoid squares and opposition between the
primary rulers or between the rulers and house cusps.
Seek to have the primary planetary rulers well-aspected and in at least one
of their dignities. The more dignity, the better. Mutual receptions between
rulers are a great plus in electional work.
Avoid major debilities to the significant rulers.
Do NOT let a primary ruler be COMBUST the sun.

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Do NOT let a primary ruler be conjunct (or closely square or opposite) the
malefics Mars and Saturn. But if Mars or Saturn signify the matter or the
querent, and are well placed, a conjunction is desirable.
Avoid the horary strictures: Moon Void of Course, Moon in the Via
Combusta, very early or very late Ascendant (unless these early or late
degrees describe the situation), Moon in the very late degrees of signs.
Avoid a RETROGRADE SATURN IN THE 1ST HOUSE. Matters rarely
go well in elections or horary charts with Saturn retrograde in the first
house.
It’s a nice touch to have the rising sign describe the situation.
It’s helpful to have to Moon WAXING when you start a new project. The
Moon waxes from the New Moon until the Full Moon, but wait till 24
hours after the New Moon to let the Moon get away from combustion with
the sun.
Because the Moon is a general signifier of the flow of events, it’s nice to
have the Moon form predominantly favorable aspects until it leaves its
sign. You can easily spot such days in an astrological date book like
Llewellyn’s or Jim Maynard’s. It’s also nice, but not essential, to have the
Moon’s last aspect before going Void of Course, be a positive one.
Mars and Saturn are the traditional malefics. Be sure they are not
prominent in the chart. One way to do this is to “bury” them in the cadent
(3,6,9,12) houses away from the Angles. But use your common sense.
Don’t “bury” Mars and Saturn in the 9th if you’re about to travel abroad, or
in the 6th if you’re on your way to the doctor’s office.
By the same token, place the benefics Venus and Jupiter in prominent
positions. The angular houses (10,1,4,7) are the most prominent. Jupiter
closely conjunct an angle is a nice touch.
Pay careful attention to the Part of Fortune both by day and by night. This
is a benefic point in the chart.
PF by day = Asc + Moon - Sun.
PF by night = Asc + Sun - Moon
I always put both PFs in electional charts. A primary ruler or a benefic
planet CONJUNCT the PF is very favorable. The conjunction is what to
strive for. If you can’t get a conjunction, then try for a trine or sextile in
that order. Avoid squares and oppositions to PF. Use an orb of 1 degree.

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In Bush’s announcement chart, his ruler Venus was about to conjoin the
night PF (very nice)! In Clare’s ill-fated trip, Mercury (travel) was about to
oppose the day PF (not great).
If you’re up to it, check out the antiscions and contrascions. Antiscion
contacts (conjunctions) act like trines and sextiles. Contrascions contacts
(conjunctions) act like squares and oppositions. In Clare’s trip (lesson 8)
Mercury (travel) was CONTRASCION the Ascendant (querent), thus not
favoring a trip.
Finally, avoid conjunctions with malefic fixed stars. I’ll deal with fixed
stars in another lesson. There are only a handful that cause any significant
trouble in an electional chart.
I’m sure I left some factors out of the above list, but these are some of the
major things to look for in setting up an electional chart.
A final trick from Dorotheus of Sidon in the 1st century. Dorotheus says to
ACT WHEN THE TRANSITING MOON IS IN YOUR NATAL SUN
SIGN OR IN A SIGN THAT IS SEXTILE OR TRINE TO YOUR NATAL
SUN SIGN. This is a good general guideline that can be quite helpful.
Regiomontanus cut the EQUATOR into 12 EQUAL pieces and then
projected those EQUATORIAL equal segments back onto the ECLIPTIC
(sun’s path around the earth in geocentric astronomy). If you look at a
globe, you’ll see that the ecliptic and the equator are at 23.5 degrees
inclination from one another. The projections create unequal houses on the
ecliptic where we measure everything in traditional astrology. Re: Scorpio
and the Moon. Scorpio is the home of lecherous Mars. The Moon is pure
and lily white. Would a nice Moon hang out in Scorpio’s domain? Would
Anita Hill (Moon) work for Clarence Thomas (Mars, Scorpio)? Mars has
one thing on this mind and it’s not basket weaving.
I’ve been using REGIOMONTANUS here because that’s what William
Lilly used in the 17th century when horary was in its heyday. Feel free to
use Placidus or Koch. The cusps usually aren’t too far off, usually by about
5 degrees or so tops. I would not use equal houses for horary work but I
can’t give you a good reason why: they seem too arbitrary to me and not
derived from any of the great circles around the earth. In my book I used
Koch houses which I favor for natal work. This may sound too
“metaphysical” but I think if you stick to a house cusp system that you like
or feel at home with, then the universe will see to it that you ask or receive
horary questions at a time suitable for your house system. I find that if I get
a gut feeling to try a different house system for a horary question, it almost
always gives a good reading. My advice is to use the house system you’ve

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grown accustomed to. By the way, I prefer Porphyry to Equal house. The
Porphyry system simply trisects the distance between the Asc and MC to
get three “equal” houses in between. I can see the scientists in the audience
cringing as they read this message.

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