Frawley: The Ninth House
faith. If we find the house ruler in its detriment and the house itself afflicted, things do not look good. This does not mean that the person should be written off as the worst of sinners: such crosses can be the spur to work hard at the spiritual life and achieve greatly. The nature of the planet afflicting the house will tell where the major problems lie. Suppose it is u in a, poised on the cusp of the 9th. The reason u is so weak, and therefore so malign, in a is that the speed of that sign is incompatible with u's plodding nature: this often manifests as impetuosity. So we might judge that the native's desire for instant solutions makes any sustained spiritual effort that much the harder. Or we might link the afflicting planet back to the house it rules. A typical example might be the Lord of the 10th house afflicting the 9th: the native's all-consuming commitment to his career leaves no time or effort for higher things. Similarly, we can trace the significance of a helpful planet in the 9th through the house it rules. Maybe I have the ruler of the 11th house casting a fortunate ray over the 9th: I have friends whose company guides me to a higher path. It is from these spiritual concerns that the 9th draws its lesser meaning as the house of travel. This governs long journeys; but what is a long journey? The ancient texts define it as a journey where we get there and back in a day, or maybe two. Shorter journeys belong in the 3rd house. But the real dividing line is whether the journeys are routine or special. The trivial journeys that make up our daily round are 3rd house; any special journey, no matter how near or far, echoes the nature of the pilgrimage to God that is the journey of our life, and so belongs in the 9th. Indeed, the Arab Neo-Platonists, the Brothers of Purity, saw the 9th as the image of the whole of the life, finding significance in the fact that if we give one month per house from conception, which we may take as the Ascendant, the 9th cusp will show the birth, the start of our voyage. In most of our enquiries we are concerned more with mundane journeys, and the 9th will tell if the native has an inclination to travel, and how successful such travels will be. If we are looking for the success of one specific journey in a horary chart, we would also check the condition of the 10th house. As the 2nd from the 9th, this shows the journey's money—the profit that will be made. A strong y on that cusp should have us packing our bags with enthusiasm! So also the 10th shows the profit from another 9th house concern: our studies, or our knowledge. The condition of the 9th house in a horary on this subject will show if we know anything; this is not necessarily connected with our ability to make money out of it. For this, we look to the 10th. As with questions of faith, so here the failings in our knowledge will be revealed by afflictions to the house and its ruler. Knowledge is seen as a kind of journey. Another journey is a dream. Dreams in the loose sense of “I dream about dating Miss Wonderful” are
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