Skyscript newsletter #6 - Aquarius 2023

#6 (Feb 23) Aquarius Ingress 2023

Newsletter Edited by Deborah Houlding

The Sun is in Aquarius

– Contents – • Skyscript news, developments & announcements • Al-Qabisi’s ‘Nature of Saturn’ & translation Notes • The tragedy that ‘made’ the reputation of Evangeline Adams • Planetary themes for February • Horary: should I take on a new business partner?

• Elections: Games & Sports (& how to cheat at chess) • Simon Forman: a wry observation by Lilly • Ditty done! (modern-day astrologer ...)

Contributors: Jason Burns • Wade Caves • Zoi Fuji • Morgan Le Gall

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WELCOME TO ISSUE 6 Just a quick intro from me to this latest issue, which I’ve cobbled together despite Saturn taking the guise of the tax office refusing to wait any longer for overdue ‘returns’. And despite the annoyance of my husband – his name will come to me later – making vacuous remarks about me not paying him enough attention. (He moans about missing our conversations since I installed a time-saving app to auto-play my usual dialogue, “out!” when he opens my office door). Christmas was all a bit of a job as well – I indulge, and dutifully consume all the feast, and all its leftovers, to prove to my family how I put them first (and how superior I am at charades). But all that ‘putting it up’ just to ‘take it down again’ seems so pointless to my Virgo Moon, especially in dark winter months, when I could be sorting out my tax returns, scribbling on Skyscript, or hibernating.

In an effort to ‘catch up and crack on’ I’m dispensing with a detailed account of site development this month – too much going on: I’ll fill you in more fully next time.

The big news is that the homepage has been updated. If you haven’t checked it yet, pay a visit and explore the features. There is a lot to take in, so give yourself a minute. I particularly recommend you check the lunation section – note how passing your cursor over each month’s abbreviation instantly brings up the chart images for that month’s lunations, as shown in the image below. So you can quickly note the whole of this year’s lunation themes at a glance, saving you time so you can get ahead with next year’s tax returns. There are monthly ephemeris files built in too, for those of you who remember what they are. Plus, the handy ‘at a glance’ diagram of this year’s retrograde period (created to fill an awkward bit of space in last month’s newsletter) has been developed, so it not only has prettier colours but shows the degrees where each planet stations during 2023.

Some interesting patterns become immediately visible: • •

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Mercury has just stationed at 8°à=and refuses to leave that degree alone, stationing on the same degree again in mid-December, and stationing in trine to it in September.

Jupiter has developed a strange fixation on Mercury, replicating large-scale, in Autumn, the lesser stationary pattern of Mercury in Spring – see how both station and turn retrograde in the middle of Taurus (where Uranus has just stationed) and then both of them close that cycle by turning direct at 5°Ä.

The end of August-early September is going to be wobbly for all of us. I note that Mercury stations on my natal Moon as Uranus stations on the degree of my Sun while Jupiter’s station hits my ascendant by aspect. This can only mean one thing: the newsletter will be late that month – factor that into your year-plan now.

Hopefully, you will have fun (horror) noting how the degrees of prolonged emphasis pick out features of your own nativity and client charts. I’ll be adding more useful features like this as Skyscript’s development continues.

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Another improvement: the header and footer sections of all pages have been amended, to eliminate the faulty and dead-end links that have plagued the site since 2016. You can now access the members-only area easily from every part of the site – scroll to the bottom of any page to find the link.

Much still to do Getting some form of home page update was a huge challenge for me. I’m an astrologer essentially – not only did I not know what to do, I did not know how to do what I did not know to do. I soon realised that every form of ‘responsive’ web presentation involves a concession – what works on one device looks bad on another, so you can never aim for perfection, it is more about avoiding the awful. Having explored many blind alleys, I now have a better sense of where things should go. Improvements lay ahead on the home page design, but the priority now is to organise the site navigation more efficiently. I’ll keep cycling around on things so that by the end of the year the site will look good and present intuitive logic too.

There has been a lot of working over old content and setting up templates for moving forward, but not much addition of fresh content lately. I delayed adding new articles whilst the home page was too embarrassing to draw attention to, but I have been making plans, squirrelling content away so that this year we start introducing features of note.

The first new addition will be the ‘astrology & social media’ survey that Dru presented in the last newsletter – I am painfully aware of how compromised most astrologers are feeling right now, wrestling with the dilemma of how much to expose to get anything noticed at all. It is a timely issue and one that weighs on my mind as I decide what the Skyscript social media strategy should be. For now, my plan is to simplify and reclaim some time to conceptualise what the cosmos can best manifest. It is important to me that Skyscript places its target on being valuable for students, not popular for all.

Part of my fundraising plan is to raise a budget for elements like this to be moderately paid tasks for members of our community. Every part of Skyscript is crafted by astrologers, and I want it to stay that way: whoever has a hand in the site must be an astrology lover who places content over commercialisation.

If I had a penny for every unsolicited email I’ve received lately, telling me how promotional and monetary opportunities are being missed, and how I can easily implement artificial intelligence (AI) driven content that will make me rich, well, I’d be rich already. But I wouldn’t be happy.

Those in the know are predicting that 90% of web content will be created by AI by 2030, the other 10% augmented by AI. I can’t guarantee the intelligence on Skyscript is always … well, intelligent, but it will be based on the human mind’s exploration of cosmology and divinity, featuring the works and thoughts of real astrologers, not based on intelligence that hasn’t passed through a soul.

In the meantime, I’m convinced the best promotion for Skyscript is word-of-mouth recommendation within the Astro-community, so I’ll be aiming to partner more with organisations, schools and journals, etc. If anyone wants to propose suggestions don’t hesitate to email me; I am always on the lookout for contributors to the plan. As much as I trust the cosmos to manifest a team of collaborators who take creative pleasure in sharing info on the web, nothing happens without conception and intention. And if you think I am floating off into New Age nonsense with all this talk of manifestation, no – this is ancient cosmic philosophy: see right. This year I am asking, seeking and knocking all at once.

Ask and it will be given Seek and you will find Knock and the door will be opened For everyone who asks receives; whoever seeks will find; and to whoever knocks, the door will be opened Matthew 7.7

Cosmic manifestation subliminal reminder to recommend this newsletter to astrology friends

IN THIS ISSUE Our old friend Al-Qabisi returns in this issue, with Morgan’s translation of his ‘Nature of Saturn’. Anyone considering a career in the leather-making industry will find this feature invaluable. Isn’t it interesting how strongly Saturn is associated with nautical matters, rivers, and benefits or damage from water in historical works? Modern texts tend to overlook this, though it connects to its rulership of Aquarius, reminding us not to overlook the clue in the name of Aquarius that this ‘air-sign’ has much to do with watery things: Beneath this sign dwell a thousand crafts regulated by water. …. Never will the sons of Aquarius grow tired of the work which come in the wake of water (Manilius, Astronomica, II. 259) Having quoted Manilius, I can now declare that this issue features an array of content from astrologers of all eras, ancient through to modern.

From over in New York, Aquarian astrologer Wade Caves provides eye-opening narrative on Aquarian astrologer Evangeline Adams’ reading for a New York hotel owner. The fallout proved tragic for her client but helped shoot her own reputation to celebrity status. Though seldom talked about in ‘high-brow’ quarters of astrology, Adams deserves acknowledgement as one of astrology’s great practitioners, who drew conviction from observing its most certain principles in a massive amount of client work. She had a bit of a ‘mumsy’ style but is one of my favourites. Both she and Alan Leo faced prosecution in 1914 on archaic charges of professing to predict through astrology. While Leo crumbled – deeply concerned about his reputation, he urged all astrologers to dispose of predictive techniques and turn astrology into a ‘science of tendencies’ – outraged Adams fought back fiercely. Yes, she made predictions with astrology; and they were brilliant!

Adams could have settled her 1914 court case by paying a fine, but she insisted that the matter went to court. She agreed to the judge’s suggestion of a test judgement using the data of someone unknown to her. Of the specific remarks she made, the comment that the individual would face an early death from water was one of the most provocative. The judge described her report as “uncannily accurate”. The data was that of his son, who had recently died in a swimming accident. He not only acquitted Adams of “all wrongdoing”, but gave a commendation for the way she “raised astrology to the dignity of a science”.

This did not legitimise predictive astrology at that time but gave a great morale boost to other astrologers facing prosecution on both sides of the Atlantic around that period.

Speaking of astonishing predictions, allow me to humbly sing my own praises as a verifiably ‘proven’ astrologer with documented evidence. Unlike artists who recoil from publicly demonstrating their predictions until after the fact, 27 years ago I boldly forecast the direction of my own future, using nothing more than horary to establish whether I would win the lottery jackpot or not. I judged that I would not.

My being here, writing this today, is testimony to my predictive powers. I well knew when I published that chart that my reputation was on the line. If my judgement failed, I would feel honour bound to give up my job and retire somewhere remote, away from it all – a risk I was prepared to take. I modelled myself on Adams and William Lilly, who also put his reputation and astrology itself on trial by successfully predicting the collapse of the British government several years before it happened. Like Lilly, I feel that my not winning the lottery has evidenced my skill and vindicated this noble art.

I decided to share that chart again (first published in 1996), since it relates so nicely to a little piece from Vivian Robson, who will be joining us with contributions on electional astrology from time to time. Robson is another astrologer who bears the hallmark of his era, but we chatted about his stuffy style and agreed that my helpful annotations will smooth his bloodless text along, and deepen your spiritual understanding of how to keep casting and recasting charts, placing the planets all over the place until you finally find a good time to go off gambling, hunting or playing cards for matchsticks.

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this newsletter is wonderful – you are relaxing now – you are loving it – this newsletter is wonderful – relax - you are loving it

This is the closest we will get to learning his rules on financial investments, I’m afraid (those are 2nd-house issues, not 5th-house like these). Robson has explained that he knows the rules, but is stuck in his early 20th-century mindset of fearing prosecution if he shares them. By way of explanation, he asked me to relate the content from his section on ‘making investments’ (p.89): It is not possible to deal with this subject in these pages, for all the information available is confidential and I am not allowed to publish it …

Never mind. Robson (never the innovator) took all his rules from the texts of historical authors, so we’ll search through the dustier archives another time, to see how Dorotheus and Ramesey et all elected their investments in futures and Bitcoin.

With thoughts of lotteries and gambling in mind, I have determined the theme of the next Patron discussion (see below). Who doesn’t want to talk more generally about techniques that help you choose when to win, or not win, the lottery, &c? I will be leading this discussion; my skill in this area has already been proven. But study the feature from Robson first and bring that knowledge with you – it is the horse racing I really want to explore more deeply.

Once again, Jason walks us through the monthly themes ahead. I am going to share with you that Jason was tempted to build up commentary on the situation in Russia, having noted the martial nature of the February Full Moon, which aligns with Dubhe, alpha star of the ‘Great Bear’ – invoking, for him, the imagery of Russia. I think he was right to keep a lighter and more general tone in the end, but I am passing this on as a ‘ps’ for those who want to explore that situation further.

We also have a very interesting horary from Zoi Fuji, which includes a thought-provoking reference to Spica. These mentions of stars inspired me to create some ‘card sections’ on fixed star meanings – four of which are included in this issue. (One of them, the Northern Scale of Libra, is a retrospective addition to the horary that Danielle Ashley shared with us last month, concerning the green ring whose significator was with this star, the only green star in the sky. I love little details like that!).

Thank you (reader) for being a part of all this. And finally, thanks for the group brain contributions that allowed me to complete the silly ditty on what makes a ‘modern astrologer’ (p.26). The foolishness continues as I now have a plan brewing for someone who might be persuaded to commit this to music (more anon).

Deb NEXT SKYSCRIPT MEMBER TALK

ODDS ON ASTROLOGY Everybody's betting their life on something. ... You just better know why you're betting what you're betting on (Rick Warren)

FOR BODY & SOUL LEVEL MEMBERS

Start: 6 pm UTC– Friday, 24th February 2023 | duration: 75 mins (approx) San Francisco: 10 am | New York: 1 pm [check other local times on this link]

Besides knowing how not to win the lottery, I also have a good ‘track’ record (pun) of using astrology to make money at the races. This is despite not knowing much at all about the horse racing industry, or ‘odds’ or that sort of stuff. This is not based on a study of formal historical technique but a method I developed left to my own devices, partly due to observing astro effects from various related activities, including long-term monitoring of daily aspects on commercial markets. Join me in this informal session to talk about it, and I’ll pass on my tips and listen to yours. We can also probe the principles in this issue’s section from Robson on electing for gambling or sport.

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6 THE NATURE OF SATURN Al-Qabisi Translated from Latin by Morgan Le Gall & Deb Houlding

i= Full Latin text available online at www.loc.gov/item/2021666822/

SATURN is a masculine, malefic and diurnal planet, which signifies fathers in a nocturnal nativity. It rules the oldest of ages when occidental, and the beginning of old age when oriental. It signifies the extremes of coldness and dryness.

Of bodily complexions, it signifies the augmentation and distillation of melancholy, and it [the complexion] will perhaps be cold, moist, heavy, or have a foul odour.1 It also signifies much consumption,2 true dilection,3 profound counsel and a multitude of silence.

1 The Latin reads complexione corporum, ‘bodily complexion’ which might describe the overall temperamental humour, but also describes the look, feel and temperature of the skin, which is expected to be a reflection of it. This seems to be saying that Saturn signifies the increase and effect of the melancholic humour, which might show itself physically in what we would term, cold, ‘clammy’ skin.

2 The Latin multe comestionis might be interpreted as ‘much eating’ (as the Warburg edition has this) since comestionis is ‘to consume’; but the word has variant meanings: to devour or eat up, or to eat/waste away, or decay/squander. The principle of ‘decay’ is probably intended here.

3 The Latin vere dilectionis might mean ‘true delight’ or ‘truthful love’ since vere means ‘true’ and diletionis means a state of love or making preferred choices; hence this is rendered in the Warburg edition as “trustworthy [true] in friendship”.

However, the Latin dilectionis establishes the meaning of two English terms, including the (now generally obsolete) direct equivalent ‘dilection’ which tends to describe godly, spiritual or platonic love (see examples of its use at WordSense: “And this was the first testimony of the infinite dilection of God towards man”, etc). It also generates the word ‘diligence’: to be careful, focused and responsible in choices. The latter is probably intended here, so the archaic word ‘dilection’ is used since this makes a more direct translation and can present a sense of consciousness, or diligence, within it.

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Top left: fresco drawing from a ‘fullonica’ in Pompeii (i.e., a fullery and laundry shop combined) Top-right: 18th-century engraving of Scottish women fulling cloth with their feet Bottom-left: Saturn governs all forms of farming and land management Bottom-right: it also governs the management of waterways, long journeys and and sailors

Of professions, when fortunate, it signifies antiquities and valuables, the cultivation of fields and the propagation of lands and rivers. But it signifies vile or laborious things if in a bad condition, such as scrubbers in bathhouses, fullers,4 and sailors. If fortunate, it signifies true diligence and patience, and if afflicted, it signifies resolute stubbornness, griefs, deserved misfortune, suspicions, much distrust, and the spreading of rumours amongst men.

And if Saturn is fortunate, it signifies assets that are long-lasting and durable, such as hereditaments5 and cultivable land. And if it is in a bad state, it signifies sordid fluids and bad smells and things which are old or undergoing change.

Of infirmities, it signifies the diseases where phlegm or black bile are viscous6 and acutely congealed, such as leprosy, gout,7 and cancers, and the like.

It also signifies distant journeys, lengthy incarceration, forced labour,8 delays, difficulties, and legacies that are the substance of the dead; likewise: fathers, grand-fathers, elder brothers, eunuchs, slaves, and men of little worth or value.9 Fulling is a cloth-making process which historically involved pounding woven cloth or wool with the feet to thicken it and cleanse it of oils, dirt and impurities. Stale urine was the principal whitening agent used (so important in ancient times its sale was taxed) until this was replaced in the medieval period by ‘fuller’s earth’, a clay-like mineral that absorbs oil, grease, animal waste, etc. and remains widely available today.

5 An hereditament is any kind of land or property estate that can be rented or worked for an income, and bequeathed or inherited.

6 A viscous liquid is thick, sticky and does not flow, so viscous phlegm causes blocked sinuses, sticky eyes, etc.

7 The Latin reads morpheam podagram, ‘morphea of the feet’. This probably describes gout, but morphea is defined today as an autoimmune disease that causes hardened patches of skin (mainly on the face, hands and feet) with no internal organ involvement.

8 The Latin reads vincula laborem literally ‘chained labour’, describing a highly restrictive form of slavery, or the type of forced labour given to convicts and prisoners.

9 The Latin reads viles homines, ‘vile men’. The archaic meaning of vile is adopted here, since the Latin adjective describes something that is cheap, worthless, base, or of low class, rather than disgusting. The Warburg edition translates this as “the rabble”; it could mean a tramp or a downcast, but might mean the low end of society generally.

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Saturn rules Judaism and the wearing of dark or black clothes. It governs all forms of leather work – with 8: the ornate parchment covering of holy books – with 7 : cobbling – with the 4: the tanning & production of leather from animal skins

Of skills, it signifies the work of leather, if alone without the influence of any planets.

8 7 3 6 5 4

If connected to Jupiter, it signifies the leather parchment work on the books of holy scriptures.

If to Mars, it signifies the soles of shoes and their preparation.

If to the Sun, it signifies the sewing together of leather.

If to Venus, it signifies the working of leathers from which drums and other instruments used in performances are made.

If to Mercury, it signifies leatherwork concerning the writing of legal testaments and accounts.

If to the Moon, it signifies the preparation of the skins of wild and mountain animals, &c.

Of religions, if fortunate, it signifies those that profess monotheism. If afflicted, it signifies the belief in [God’s] unity but with much hesitation and doubt. And Masha’allah, whom God willed to be exalted and was one of the most judicial astrologers, very clear in this knowledge, said that it signifies Judaism, because this is one of the most ancient [faiths] and all others acknowledge it, but itself acknowledges no other – just as Saturn, to whom all the other planets join, joins itself to no other. And it signifies black garments.

And some others have said that Saturn signifies the inner ear, the spleen and the stomach. Of colours, it is black, of savours it is astringent and sour.10 Of the days, it rules Saturday, and of the nights, Wednesday night.

And the size of its orb is 9°, and the years of its firdaria are 11. Its greatest years are 265,11 the greater years are 57,12 the mean are 43 ½, and the least are 30.13 Its power in the zodiac region is to the right of the north.

Masha’allah said that in human appearance Saturn signifies a man between dark and saffron,14 who walks while looking downward and with a heavy gait. He is thin, stoops, has small eyes, dry skin, a thin beard on his cheeks, thick lips, and is cunning, ingenious, a seducer and a killer. And Dorotheus spoke of a man with a very hairy body and joined eyebrows.15 Of regions, Saturn rules Sindh16 and India, and all the lands of the blacks and their mountains (Ethiopia).

10 The Latin reads stipticos & acetosos – the words ‘styptic’ or its translation ‘astringent’ describe something that tastes or smells dry, sour, bitter, harsh, sharp or ‘vinegary’; their effect on the body is drying and contracting (an astringent applied to the body causes tissues to tighten). Lilly says the savour of Saturn is “Sour, bitter, sharp” (p.60).

11 The text reads 465, a typographical error that fed into the later works of Bonatti and Lilly. It should be 265 – greatest years indicate when the synodic phases repeat in a nearby degree at a similar time of year. For Saturn, there is approximately 3° (or a 3-day) discrepancy in the repeating pattern. To illustrate: 265 years ago the Sun united with Saturn at 24°â36, on 13th February 1758; the Sun is now set to unite with Saturn at 27°â44, on 16th February 2023; and in 265 years it will unite with Saturn at 00°ä52, shortly after midnight of 19 February 2288.

12 The greater years show the total number of terms each planet rules throughout the signs (Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos I.20); i.e., Saturn 57 + Jupiter 79 + Mars 66 + Venus 82 + Mercury 76 = 360.

13 The least years indicate the number of years between successive synodic returns that occur in the similar part of the zodiac (without involving a similar calendar date); mean years simply average the greater and least years; e.g., for Saturn, (greater) 57 + (least) 30 = 87 ÷ 2 = 43½.

14 That is, for the complexion. Lilly describes the complexion as swartish, which means somewhat dark or tawny (light brown) but he also describes it as pale, giving a sense of sallowness or a lack of vibrancy/glow in the skin.

15 Dorotheus, Carmen Astrologicum, V 35,87 (Pingree edition p.142,22).

16 The text reads Asind, from the Arabic Al-Sind, the area around the Indus Valley and now the most south-eastern of the four provinces of Pakistan. (We have omitted the duplication of the remark about territory at the end of the passage).

0 Al-Qabisi: characteristics of SATURN

Of the Parts, it has the Part of Fortitude and Stability, which signifies lands, earthly things and inheritances, those who are in charge of works, audacity, labour, intelligence, and the causes of death.17 Definitions: Principles: Traits:

Appearance:

People/professions:

With Jupiter: Mars: Sun: Venus Mercury: Moon: Age: Activities:

Minerals/resources: Illnesses:

Anatomy: Colours: Savours: Orb: Days: Years: Associated Part Territories

Masculine | diurnal | malefic | extremely cold and dry | melancholic Responsibility, heavy labour, difficulties, delay, old age, self-reliance.

Diligent, responsible, patient, resolute, laborious, stubborn, solitary, sad, suspicious, mistrustful, cunning, malicious, deadly (back-biting: engages in whispers/rumours or pulls strings from behind the scenes).

The complexion is cold, skin is dark and dry, lips are thick, eyes are small, the frame is thin, and the gait (manner of walking) is heavy with a tendency to stoop or look down. The beard is sparse (just a little hair on the chin), or the body is excessively hairy (joined eyebrows, etc).

The father (especially in nocturnal charts), grandfathers, elder brothers, old people generally, eunuchs, slaves, low-class or downcast people, or those involved in laborious, heavy and unpleasant tasks, or the substances of the dead. When more dignified: supervisors (those in charge or who bear responsibility), farmers, land owners, property developers and all professions dealing with the cultivation or management of land and rivers (or fluids and nautical matters, including sailors) or concerned with investment and development in real estate. Particular rulership of leather workers.

Production of leather for the parchment of holy or treasured books.

Cobbling: cutting out/preparation of leather for shoes and repairs to the soles of shoes.

Sewing leather together for garments.

Production of leather for drums or musical instruments.

Production of leather for books relating to legal/accountancy matters.

The tanning and initial preparation of leather from animal skins.

Old age (oriental: early old age / occidental: advanced old age).

Distant and difficult journeys; sailing, farming and land-management.

Judaism. Imprisonment, forced labour. Dealing with the legacies/substance of the dead. Leather-work.

Antiquities and long-lasting, durable assets. Black garments and things.

Has a general rulership of all earthy materials.

Those of a cold and heavy melancholic nature, which generate thick phlegm or congealed humours: leprosy, gout, morphea, cancers (constipation, blocked sinuses, etc).

The inner ear, spleen and stomach.

Black (and dark colours generally) Astringent and sour 9°.

Saturday / Wednesday night.

Firdaria: 11 |lesser 30 | mean 43½ | greater 57 | greatest 265.

Part of Fortitude and Stability Sindh, India, Ethiopia and the mountainous regions of Africa

17 The Part (or Lot) of Saturn goes by many names according to different authors, even varying in different parts of the same author’s text. Al-Qabisi later (ch.v) gives a formula for what he then calls the part of ‘Bonds and Imprisonment’, and to this a gloss is added in some Arabic and Latin manuscripts to identify this as the ‘Part of Saturn’: By day: Asc + Fortuna – Saturn | by night: Asc + Saturn - Fortune This is also listed in the work of Al Biruni as the Part of Saturn, related to ‘captivity, prisons and escape therefrom’; Bonatti calls it the ‘Heavy Part’, and the same formula appears in Hellenistic works as that of the Lot of Nemesis.

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Warren, Windsor & Fire from a Western Wind The Tragedy that ‘Made’ the Reputation of Evangeline Adams

WADE CAVES

by WADE CAVES

work and life of Evangeline Adams caught my attention early. She was an Aquarius, T he like me; an American, like me. She had Venus in Pisces rising, only 3° out from my natal

Venus. Her Moon was on my midheaven, our Mercuries were 3° separate.

Or so I thought. It turns out that the birth data I had for an 1868 birth might not be accurate. Some state and official records suggest that Adams was born nearly a decade earlier, on 8 February 1859. That date puts Mars in early Aries in the first house and Neptune in partile conjunction with the ascendant. Her two big ‘cases’ involve a prediction preceding a hotel fire, and correctly determining an early death by drowning in a court case where she was a fierce defendant. Her first astrology teacher, a Dr. Smith, told her, “Fear was left out of your horoscope. I doubt if you fear man, God, or devil”.1 It seems plausible that Mars would be in the ascendant.

To celebrate Evangeline Adams and the recent station of Mars, I want to relate the story of the Windsor Hotel fire, Adams’ role as astrologer to its owner Warren Leland, and the techniques Adams used to determine that disaster was imminent.

1868 or 1859

1868

1859

Some background Evangeline Adams moved to New York City in early March 1899, and immediately set up shop, running astrological consultations out of her hotel salon. She was staying at the Windsor Hotel, and its manager, Warren Leland, grew curious about why Adams’ room had such high traffic. Upon learning the nature of her business, he asked for a consultation.

Adams obliged on 16 March, at some point telling Leland that he was “under one of the worst possible combinations of planets – conditions terrifying in their unfriendliness”2 (by her own account, Adams frequently spoke to her clients in this general way).

The next day, the Windsor Hotel caught fire, and Leland took significant personal losses. Adams would come to have tens of thousands of clients across the social strata (including royalty and the extremely wealthy), and she attributes her swift professional ascent to the publicity this hotel fire brought her.

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Evangeline Adams, The Bowl of Heaven (hereafter Bowl); Dodd, Mead & Company (1970); p.33.

Bowl, p.37. Leyland’s natal data (following) is also detailed here.

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Leland’s Nativity Warren Leland was born with Gemini rising, and its ruler Mercury in the 12th (at 17°R).1 His chart features three malefics upon the midheaven: 6th-ruler Mars and 8th-ruler Saturn (Rx), which are in a tight conjunction, and Neptune (also Rx). Mercury, conjunct the South Node, squares these positions from the 12th house. Leland’s nativity contains heavy, depressive themes of loss and despair.

Adams, whose own Sun at 19°Q is brought to prominence in Leland’s nativity, details the time that she met and consulted with him: 8pm on the eve of St Patrick’s Day. She tells him that the disaster shown in her consultation chart is very imminent, perhaps arriving as soon as the next day.

According to her biography, Leland dismissed the warning – the next day was a holiday, he reasoned, and stocks could not go down. Adams noted that the directions he was under had happened twice before, though not as malefic in nature, and all he could place around those times were two small hotel fires.

The Windsor Hotel was in midtown Manhattan. The following afternoon, 17 March 1899, the St Patrick’s Day parade came down the avenue to the hotel’s west, so the western windows had a perfect view of festivities. Around 3pm2 a hotel tenant – observing the parade from a west-facing view – attempted to throw a match out of a window. A blow from the west wind3 kicked the lit match back into another window, and the curtains immediately caught fire.

The revelry in the street drowned out cries for help.

Within minutes, the hotel was up in flames.

First responders struggled to access the hotel, and once there, they found insufficient water to properly respond to the fire. This was a nightmare scenario from every angle, and many occupants jumped to their death to avoid being burned alive.

Leland lost his wife that day, as well as his beloved daughter Helen, both trapped in the fire. The hotel proprietor would die himself just three weeks later, from appendicitis, a little before 6pm on 4 April 1899.4

Karen Christino, “What Evangeline Adams Knew”; Stella Mira Books (2004); p.105.

York Times, ‘Windsor Hotel lies in ashes’, 18 Mar 1899; accessed 17 Jan 2023, archived at: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1899/03/18/102531400.html, accessed 17 Jan 2023.

3 Anciently, the western wind was ascribed to Mars, because it brought dry heat from the Sahara Desert over the Babylonian and Egyptian civilizations. Mars was upon the midheaven in the Leland consultation chart.

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2 New

4 New York Times, ‘Warren F. Leland dead’, 5 April 1899; accessed 17 Jan 2023, archived at: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1899/04/05/117917815.html?pageNumber=7.

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The consultation

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In her autobiography, Adams details her consulting methodology:

“

The ancients, in their horary astrology, considered only the mundane position of the heavens at the time the individual sought an answer to his query. I consider also the position of the heavens in relation to the individual’s own chart. The difference may seem trivial. But every competent astrologer who reads these words will know that it is fundamental and I assert as a fact, which I have established after years of research and experimentation, that if I draw my conclusions from the positions of the planets [in the natal chart] in combination with the chart of the individual at the moment I am asked to decide a given question, I will get my answer—and it will be the right answer.

This is my method. I note the degree that is rising at the moment my client enters. I then adjust his chart so the corresponding degree in the chart will be an “Accidental Ascendant,” and proceed to read the horoscope as if it were the radix.”5

Today, we might do this using a bi-wheel, with the horary set as the bi-wheel’s centre and the nativity behind it, contextualized by the rising and culminating degrees of the transiting moment.

The consultation chart features Mars in Cancer upon the midheaven. The 10th-ruler, the Moon, is in the 8th house of loss and death, in a mutually applying opposition to Uranus in the 2nd house. Saturn rules the 4th house of property and land; it is in a fire sign, tightly opposite Neptune in the 3rd and Leland’s natal ascendant of 17° Gemini. The strong influence of Neptune and Uranus would have made a big impression on Adams,6 which, when coupled with an angular and debilitated Mars, could only point to serious trouble.

Mercury, which rules Leland’s natal ascendant and 5th house, is placed at 17°R, upon the 8th cusp of the consultation chart. That same degree culminated over the midheaven as fire ravaged the things and people that Leland held most dear. The fire began when 21°U was on the ascendant, opposing Leland’s natal midheaven and Saturn/Mars/Neptune conjunction.

Leland’s natal Mars conjunct his 10th-ruler Saturn on the MC shows the possibility of professional loss by fire. The Saturn/Neptune natal conjunction is brought into focus again by their opposition in the consultation and fire charts.

Adams calls this case a ‘grim success’ in her autobiography – but to the American public, a prettily descended prophetess had arrived.

Inner wheel: Leland’s consultation chart Outer wheel: Leland’s nativity

5 Bowl, 6

pp.18-19.

Pluto had not yet been discovered.

PLANETARY THEMES FOR FEBRUARY

By Jason Burns

The Full Moon: February arrives with a potent Full Moon on the 5th – the two luminaries square Uranus as they separate from Mars then apply to hard aspects of Saturn (Venus joins the mix as she perfects a square to Mars on the day of the lunation). There’s an obvious tension here: difficult configurations unite planets with fundamentally different natures, suggesting circumstances where opposing attitudes that separate people come under review. Expect tensions in issues that balance individuality against collectivity, or which call for defence or attack, versus making way for hospitalities, or which heighten general awareness of actual or perceived threats to the status quo.

Conjunct the martial fixed star Dubhe and separating from Mars (itself conjunct the martial star Aldebaran) this Full Moon is peregrine in the fixed, fiery, feral sign of Leo – an unyielding urge to dominate colours its tone! The Sun receives the Moon’s opposition this month through dispositorship, indicating (according to Bonatti)* that with “striving and effort and obstacles and labour, and great trouble” the Moon may have its message heard. Still, the Sun is an unreliable host in Aquarius, where it is exiled and peregrine. As the Moon moves on to the opposition of Saturn, the theme of disappointment is likely to emerge. Oppositions bring instability, so even if some matters come to fruition, they often fall apart, spoil, or separate later.

Since the Moon represents day-to-day fluxes in fortune and the public’s mood, while the Sun stands for the vital direction of things and those with authority, this theme promotes challenges to ‘the powers that be’, both on the world stage and in people’s personal lives. Keep in mind how both luminaries underline the significance of Saturn, which, in Aquarius, has essential strength and an airy perspective that favours groupthink and keeping the status quo.

Mercury ingresses into Aquarius on the 11th.

It then sextiles Jupiter and perfects a trine to Mars before the month ends. The scientific connotations of Mercury fare well in Aquarius, where the air element gives abstractness while Saturn’s rulership lends structure. Friendly aspects with Jupiter and Mars imply exploration and breakthroughs.

Mercury’s host as it navigates Aquarius is Saturn, a planet that signifies hard-to-reach, inhospitable places, coldness, darkness, and things antithetical to earthly life. It is worth noting that in the past two years or so, as Saturn transited Aquarius itself, significant advances have occurred in space exploration – China sent astronauts to Tiangong Space Station for the first time, UAE’s HOPE became the first Arabian mission to reach Mars, the James Webb Space Telescope was launched (to name a few). Perhaps Saturn’s final weeks in Aquarius, coupled with Mercury’s transit, will highlight more exciting news of space or general science-themed innovations. (continued p.17 )

716°U

Dubhe

Mag: +1.8 (2nd) Lat: 50N, Dec: 62N RA: 11h05m a UMa - alpha star of Ursa Major (2nd in brightness to Alioth); 34th brightest star; circumpolar; orange, on the back/shoulder of the Great Bear

The BACK (or shoulder) of the Bear

Mercury enters Aquarius

Ursa Major

Dubhe

Dubhe

Good fences make good neighbours.

Orange star on the back of the Great Bear, from the Arabic Dub, ‘bear’. Envisioned as the first of the seven stars that form the asterism of the Plough (in spring), but the last in the Wagon or Funeral Bier (the aspect recognised in autumn). Though not the brightest star of Ursa Major, its location marks it as the alpha and it acts as a focus for the theme of this constellation, being earmarked by a sense of ‘shouldering responsibilities’ and a serious attitude which shows commitment to cause and the power to see beyond the present. It offers deep emotional reserves which bring the fortitude to bear grief and carry the burdens of others. It also presents themes of death and rebirth, which, in difficult combinations, brings associations with destruction, loss, and mourning. In favourable configurations it gives affinity with wild animals, high position and strength of will. Behind the reserved exterior, the inner character is courageous, with a seemingly fearless attitude to challenge adversities that others would hesitate to tackle.

*Liber Astronomiae, treatise 6, ch.2 (Dykes trans, p.363).

14

HIGHLIGHTS (UT) 3K6K7

4th: 02:51 5th: 03:29 Full Moon 5th: 18:29 5F; 10th: 17:16 5→Q 11th: 11:23 6F= 15th: 12:26 3F0 16th: 16:49 3→W 18th: 22:35 New Moon 20th: 07:06 6→E 20th: 07:56 5K21st: 22:23 5L7 22nd: 20:14

The best thing about the future, is that it arrives one day at a time Abraham Lincoln (M: 23°â)

FEBRUARY 2023 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

4K8 4L6

3

4J4a5 4L=

4

3K4a; 4→U 4L8

5

6K7 4J7 4K4a3

8

4a6 4L6J4a=

9

4L5 4L; 4→O

10

4a8 4L7 5F;

11

4L3 5→Q 4L0 4K; 4→P 4K5

12

4a-

4a7 6F= 4K= 4K6

16

4J3 4J0 4→} 3F0 4K8

17

4L4J=

18

4J6 5J8 4 F ;, 4 → Q, 4 J 8 3→W 4F5

19 4 K -

13

4L6 4L= 4K3 4K0 4J;

14 4 → M

15

20 4 F 0

21

22 4 J ;

27 4

28 4 F 7

K3 4J6 4J8

4J4K7 4F= 5K-

4K= 4L5

Sunday

2

7

4→W 4F3 6→E

Saturday

4K= 4L0 4→Y

4a0 5J= 4→I

4J5 4L8

Friday

1

6

4K7

Thursday

4→E 4F6 5L7 4F8

23 4 J 7 4J5

24 4 J 0

4K; 4→R 4J3

25 4 F -

Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not Oprah Winfrey (M: 8°â)

4L7 6J;

26 4 K 5

4J= 4K0 4L; 4→T

15

COMING UP

March 2023 5 " q FM 0 " 6 " 5 " 3 " w NM ; " 7 "

00ä00 16Ñ40 00ä00 00Ä00 00~00 00~00 00~49 00â00 00Ç00

2nd 7th 7th 16th 19th 20th 21st 23rd 25th

UT 20:52 12:41 13:35 22:34 04:24 21:25 17:23 12:15 11:45

April 2023 5 q 6

" FM " 5 GEE w S Ec 5 SR

00Ä00 16Ö07 00Å00 11Ä06 29~50 15Ä37

3rd 6th 11th 11th 20th 21st

16:22 04:35 04:47 22:11 04:12 08:35

May 2023 ;

SR L Ec " SD " NM " " GEW

00â21 14Ü58 00Ç00 05Ä50 00Ä00 28Ä25 00É00 00Å00 13Ä27

q FM 6 GEE 6 " ; " 5 " 0 SR w NM 3 " 5 " = SR

13á18 28Ç56 00É00 00à00 00Å00 07ä12 26Å43 00Ç00 00Ç00 27ä41

q 6 5 8 w 7 3

5

1st 5th 7th 15th 16th 19th 20th 21st 29th

17:09 17:34 14:25 03:17 17:20 15:54 15:32 07:09 05:34

June 2023

EPHEMERIS

FEBRUARY 2023

4th 4th 5th 11th 11th 17th 18th 21st 27th 30th

03:42 11:01 13:47 09:46 10:27 17:28 04:37 14:58 00:24 21:07

16

The New Moon: The season signals its closing phase with the new Moon in Pisces, which perfects on February 20th.

Disposed by Jupiter in Aries, this lunation marks a change in the air. With the aspects that Mercury makes this month being at their most dynamic now, (see above, p.14) and the Sun and Moon in Jupiter’s nocturnal home bringing soft, supportive light to shifting realisations, what we thought we knew for sure, or had planned, may morph into something else entirely. Making sense of where things are headed may not seem easy around this time, or for weeks to come. Rest assured, the Aries Ingress and its theme of renewal lies just around the corner. In fact, it’s straight ahead: Keep going.

710°T

Planetary visibility:

Aldebaran

Zuben Eschamali

Orange star; its name derives from Al Dabaran, ‘the Follower’, because it follows the Pleiades. Known as ‘the Bull’s Eye’ since it marks the bright southern eye of R, though some texts call it ‘the Heart of the Bull’, to note its prominence as the chief star of the constellation.

Its influence is martial: it gives courage, ferocity, and instinct in military matters - the 4, by conjunction, dilutes its heat, but violence is augmented when a masculine planet joins it whilst the 3 is unfortunate.

Its conjunction with 0 produces afflictions and cruelty.

Lilly tells us that, when angular with the 3 or 4, it “opens the way to much honour [by] violence and fierceness, but with much difficulties and many casualties”. As one of the Four Royal Stars of Persia (the Watcher of the East) it gives the prospect of great promotion and an accumulation of wealth and power, but there is a great responsibility attached to the honours it brings, and if these are abused, the fall from grace will be as rapid and dramatic as the rise.

Virgo

Spica

67 24°O Lat: 2S, Dec: 11S RA: 13h26m

Lat: 8N, Dec: 9S RA: 15h18m

a Vir - alpha star of Virgo; 16th brightest star; bluish-white, marks the ear of corn held by the maiden’s left hand

b Lib - beta (yet brightest) star of Libra;101st brightest star; greenish white, represents the northern scale/claw

The NORTHERN SCALE of Libra

Aldebaran

Mag: +1.0 (1st)

Mag: +2.6

Zuben Eschamali

a Tau - alpha star of Taurus; 14th brightest star; orange, situated on the southern (or left) eye of the Bull.

Anciently called ‘the Torch’

The Arabian names for the two main stars of Libra reveal an interesting reflection upon the essence of balance: the Southern Scale is termed Zuben Elgenubi, ‘the price to be paid’, whilst the name of this, the Northern Scale – Zubenelschemali – translates as ‘the Price to be received’. The Southern Scale is attributed a malefic nature, but themes relating to justice, the restoration of balance and good fortune through legal skills have been focused on the Northern Scale, which is considered a very fruitful and prosperous star generally, associated with riches, honour and good fortune. Whilst modern works often list the star as a 2nd magnitude white star, it has a long-standing historical reputation for its unusual green tinge, being described as “emerald” in some texts and the only green-coloured star in the sky. It is attributed a Jupiter-Mercury influence by Ptolemy, and according to Ebertin and Hoffman, conjunction with the Sun, Moon or Jupiter favours civil servants, lawyers and scientists and activities of those themes.

The SPIKE of corn in maiden’s hand

85 20°P

Libra

Lat: 5S, Dec: 17N RA: 4h37m

Spica

Zuben Eschamali

Mag: +0.8 (1st)

The SOUTHERN EYE of the Bull

Venus, occidental, shines bright ‘like a diamond’ in the evening sky after sunset. Mars, occidental, remains visible through most of the night. Jupiter, occidental, climbs lightly and hangs around for just a few hours after sunset. Both Mercury, which is oriental, and Saturn – under the beams for the whole of this month as it transitions to oriental – refuse to be seen.

17

Taurus

Aldebaran

Spica

Bluish white star; the name is Latin for ‘Spike’ or the ‘Ear’ (of grain – symbolising fortune) held by the winged maiden that represents the only female figure of the zodiac constellations. Ptolemy noted its influence as like Venus and, in a less degree, Mars, but it is described in a manner that suits a MercuryVenus temperament. It is said to promote fortune in matters related to venereal or mercurial skills, and can bestow great, unexpected success, favouring inventiveness and the mercurial arts. Associated with Isis in ancient Egypt, its Coptic title was Khoritos, ‘Solitary’, on account of it being lone brilliant star in an otherwise poorly lit area of the sky. This visible isolation contributes to a reputation of widowhood, or being unfruitful or unfortunate for marriage (hence, the tinge of Mars) but in other matters it is considered a very fortunate star, particularly for situations concerned with arts, sciences, law or religion.

SHOULD I TAKE ON A NEW BUSINESS PARTNER? A horary chart [5:23pm PDT / 39°N24 – 119°W13 | Regio]

by

ZOI FUJI

The querent was running a small, successful education business when a co-owner announced his unexpected retirement. Feeling more rushed than surprised, she started searching for a solution by reconnecting with a former colleague: a woman with strong qualifications, known for being a capable business leader. The querent proposed a deal which potentially included transfer of the entire business at a future date.

When the querent asked for a consultation, the prospective partner was relocating from another state. Due to the move, communication often failed, misunderstandings ensued, and the querent was growing uneasy.

Understandably, she started to doubt the partnership’s prospects.

She asked – “How much can I rely on her? Can I trust her as a partner or, following my intuition, should I hire her as a contractor?”

The querent: business owner With the ascendant in Pisces, the querent is signified by Jupiter. She is a well-educated, seasoned business owner, and her sensible demeanour fits with Jupiter disposed by Saturn. Jupiter also rules the 10th house of profession, with 17°á culminating on the MC aptly reflecting the querent’s 17 years of operating a thriving business.

Although it seemed odd that the querent was ready to place so much confidence in a new business partner, this is typical of Jupiter in Aquarius, which denotes a generous, altruistic outlook. But I noted that Jupiter is retrograde, slow, and placed in the cadent 12th house of weakness and self-undoing, underlining the distress she felt at the existing co-owner’s sudden retirement. Since I already had a natal consultation with her, I knew she was extremely worried and all too willing to overlook the misfortunes muddying the quesited’s situation.⁠26

William Lilly (Christian Astrology, 1647; hereafter CA) notes that Jupiter, when unfortunately placed, can signify someone “crouching and stooping where no necessity is” (p.63). This describes the querent’s inordinate agreeableness without discernment.

26

18

The quesited: the prospective new partner The quesited is signified by the 7th house and its ruler, Mercury, which is conjunct the fixed star Spica. This star is said to denote “admirable …ingenuity”27 appearing to confirm the potential partner’s proficiency, and the querent’s belief that her skills and experience suit the position perfectly. But Mercury is placed on the 8th house cusp and Spica is descriptive in another way: bright and solitary amongst the stars, it is traditionally associated with widowhood and sorrow in marriage.28 The quesited had just lost her husband unexpectedly, which is why she was now relocating. Mercury is retrograde, slow, peregrine, and under the Sun’s beams, highly descriptive of this unfortunate situation, but also warning that the quesited’s business acumen and essential strength is currently impeded.

The querent sympathized with the querent and so, seeing an opportunity to merge paths, had assumed that forming a partnership would benefit both of them. They normally kept in close contact; however, during the relocation, the quesited frequently failed to return her messages, and the querent stressed dismay at the lack of correspondence. That annoyance didn’t cease even after the quesited settled into a new environment. Communication difficulties are clearly shown in this chart – not only through the afflicted state of Mercury, but also by the cadency of the Moon in the unfortunate 6th house (cadent houses have an association with being unreachable, or somehow hard of access), and the separating square between these two planets.

The Moon: general development The Moon co-signifies the querent and general development of the situation. Its recent square to Mercury (now 5° separated), reflects the initial contact the querent made with the quesited concerning the matter five months before the horary was asked. The Moon is now in the last degree of its own sign, Cancer, about to ingress into Leo where it loses its essential dignity and moves to a mutually applying opposition with Saturn in the 12th house – a clear indication that the proposed partnership has adverse prospects.

A theme of fleeting opportunity followed by lasting problems is woven through this chart,

and the Moons placement pinpoints where the issue unfolds: the 6th house of labour and servitude. The querent was already working harder than expected to make the partnership work, and her significator, Jupiter, in the 12th, shows she is low on energy herself, doing herself a disservice. The Moon’s opposition to Saturn also highlights the querent’s own limitations and potential to act against her interests. The retrograde malefic governs (and so afflicts) the 11th house of hope, which does not bode well for the querent’s wish to create a new successful partnership.

The judgement I also advised caution about profit sharing and compensation plans. Mars, 2nd-ruler, significator of the querent’s money, is in detriment, combust and peregrine in the 7th house (the partner), showing my client may give up more than intended, to the profit of the quesited.

I judged that the repeating trines between afflicted Mercury and Jupiter were indicating prolonged confusion – or prolonged attempts to agree, despite the confusion – with the concern that Neptune in the ascendant was another signal of the querent’s judgment being clouded.

Ultimately, I advised against taking on a new business partner at this time and suggested she offer a salaried position instead, warning that the quesited’s pattern of communication was unlikely to change, so it was wise to take more time before entrusting her business to her.

A fruitful partnership will be shown by the two main significators harmoniously uniting in some way. Mercury and Jupiter are mutually applying to a trine, which usually describes a willingness to unite; however, this aspect bridges the two most unfortunate houses: Mercury retrogrades from the cusp of the 8th house (signifying the querent’s expenditure and the partner’s money) to Jupiter in the 12th, auguring a prolonged, illnatured relationship. Mercury and Jupiter had a lready perfected a trine ten days ago, but Mercury’s retrogradation brings the aspect back into focus. I relayed to the querent Lilly’s description of an afflicted Mercury as

“

27

a great liar, boaster… pretending all manner of knowledge, but guilty of no true or solid learning (CA, p.77-8).

CA, p.537.

Houlding, D., Star Lore of the Constellation Virgo; Skyscript [encapsulated in the panel feature on p.17].

28

19

The outcome Soon after the consultation, the quesited began raising questions about the compensation package, often responding with evident dissatisfaction. Afflicted Mercury on the 8th house cusp shows the quesited was mainly motivated by money, and it was disappointing for the querent to realize the quesited held no genuine creative enthusiasm for the company itself.

But those insensitive and demoralizing remarks helped the querent realize that her former colleague had too little interest in managing the business, or investing in its future, to be engaged as a partner.

20

Should I take on a new business partner?

Sep 30, 2021 5: 23PM PDT 39N24’56 119W13’25 Regiomontanus

The quesited was subsequently hired as a staff member, although the querent gradually noticed how she caused more problems than she was solved. One day, with minimum notice, the quesited announced she had taken another job. The querent was left bewildered, but later realized that, for nearly a year, she had hardly applied herself to the assigned work. Most of the customers she serviced were left unsatisfied and confused, and the querent realized she had been the one performing the duties that should have been the quesited’s responsibility.

During this long dysfunctional period, she re-read the horary report from time to time, and told me how she saw the layers of symbolism unfold more clearly. She realized she was fortunate, in that she didn’t lose any business and could operate functionally, despite the repeated crises. In time, she accepted the disappointment and fended off any residual feelings of resentment. She said the horary consultation helped her navigate the transition and minimize its damaging outcomes. Today, she enjoys managing her business as the sole business owner.

Zoi Fuji, based in the USA, is a consulting astrologer specializing in horary and natal astrology. Born in Japan and familiar with both eastern and western cultures, she maintains an interest in the common origins of mysticism and celestial art. Zoi has been involved in astrology since 2012, focusing on classical technique and its philosophical foundation. She holds the STA’s Practitioners certification in Horary and Medical Astrology, and is currently completing the STA’s Advanced Level Horary Diploma. She offers astrological consultations in English and Japanese.

Zoi’s website is at horoscopelogos.com, and she can be contacted by email at horoscopelogos@gmail.com.

Robson’s Elections GAMES & SPORTS & how to cheat at chess

From Vivian Robson’s Electional Astrology (1937) Ch XV, pp.155-166

GAMES The ascendant and its lord denote the challenger or beginner, and the 7th and its lord the other person.

Fortify the ascendant and its lord (if the challenger is to be favoured) and debilitate the 7th and its lord. Let a cardinal sign rise,1 and let the lord of the ascendant be in the 5th, well aspected by h, `, or the lord of the 5th; or let the lord of the 5th be strong and unafflicted in the ascendant. Let the lord of the ascendant be in o, J, or L to the lord of the 5th, if possible with reception.

To win money let the lord of the 5th separate from a good aspect of the lord of the 8th, and apply to the lord of the ascendant or 2nd.2 Take care that the lord of the ascendant, the R, and the lord of the 2nd are not afflicted by the lord of the 5th, 7th or 8th house, for this causes loss of money. Also see that the lord of the 5th is not in the 7th or in good aspect to the lord of the 7th.

If possible place the lord of the 8th in the 2nd, or applying to that house or its lord, or to the lord of the ascendant. If that is impossible, place him in the ascendant in reception with the lord of the 2nd or ascendant. But take care that the lord of the 8th does not receive or dispose of the lord of the 2nd, especially while play is in progress. The sign on the radical 5th house may be placed upon the electional 2nd cusp in good aspect to h or `, provided it is not afflicted at birth. (These rules must, of course, be reversed if the person who is challenged is to win.)

That is, if you want the action and activity to be high, and the event to be fast-paced (cf ref 4).

2 This makes the game-playing a means to puts the money of the other person into your pocket, or vice versa, it assumes you are playing for money, or match-sticks, etc, (if you are poor enough for the loss of matchsticks to echo cosmically).

3 It is my esoteric knowledge of these lesser known principles of astrology that makes me undefeatable when challenged to play Cluedo by my grandchildren at Christmas.

1

Let the R, when play begins, be above the earth, strong, separating from one benefic and applying to another, preferably stronger, essentially dignified, and above the earth. If the R=is in good aspect to _, or to the cusp of the 2nd or its lord, so much the better. Let the person to win sit facing the place of the R in the heavens. If the R=is in the west, let him sit facing west, etc. The points of the compass shown by the houses are as follows:— Asc: East | 4th: North | 7th: West | 10th, South. The intermediate houses indicate intermediate directions.

Thus the middle of the 2nd house is NE, and its cusp is NE by E; while the third cusp is NE by N. In general it is best for the challenger if the R=is in the east and he sits facing it; or for the person challenged if the R=is in the west and he faces it. If the R=is below the earth when play begins this rule should be reversed, and the person to win should sit with his back to the R.3 If the ascendant, its lord and the R=are in cardinal signs when play begins, it will not continue long;4 if in fixed signs, the contrary; if in mutable, a medium length of time, and as soon as they finish others will begin. If the R=applies to a benefic the beginner will win, but if to a malefic he will lose.5 If the R=applies to a benefic and then immediately after to a malefic he wins at first and loses afterwards; if to a malefic and then a benefic, he loses at first and wins in the end.

4 See – the whole thing is about getting it over and done with quickly (like my attitude at Christmas); who wants to dawdle playing games?

5 Despite the prospect of upset, tantrums and arguments, etc, I always schedule game playing with grandchildren to commence when the Moon is applying to a malefic. The more malice I can build into the matter the better, since they want the game, they are the beginners and this ensures they will lose.

21

PLAYING CHESS Let the R=apply to _ and then to c, and so much the better if the R=is in reception with them both. If the sign is a mutable one neither player will gain much.

If a benefic is in the ascendant, the beginner wins,1 especially if a malefic be in the 7th, and vice-versa. The lord of the ascendant in the midheaven favours the beginner. If the lords of the ascendant and 7th be in opposition, the players will quarrel. When the lord of the ascendant is retrograde the beginner will cheat, and in cards a retrograde planet indicates a revoke. If both the lords of the ascendant and 7th be equally dignified in the 10th the game will be an even one.

NB!!

When _ and the R are in the ascendant there will be many words and much wrangling; c there, they will tell many lies, especially the beginner; i there, neither side wins and after a tedious dispute they leave off; h there, they part in anger; `=there, they break off merrily; R there, the game will be quickly won.

If leaving home to play, face the R,2 and let the lord of the ascendant be above the earth, free from combustion and affliction of the malefics, and let it apply to the benefics and be in the midheaven or 11th.

In the case of outdoor games or sports place the significators in appropriate signs, and take care that c and _ are fortified and free from affliction.

RACES The following rules apply to races between two competitors and not to horse-racing in general which does not come within the scope of the present book.3 In foot races let a human sign rise or contain the R. Fortify the 11th and debilitate the 5th. Also fortify _, and make it the ruler of the 11th, or place it in the 11th and dignified, or in the ascendant or 10th in good aspect to the R or lord of the ascendant.4 In horse races place an animal sign, especially á, on the ascendant. Fortify the midheaven, ascendant and 12th houses and their lords,5 placing them in good aspect to the benefics, and debilitate the 7th and 6th houses and their rulers. Also let the R be swift in motion and if possible in á or Ö6 in good aspect with the M, c, `, or h. This promises victory for the challenger who, as in playing games, is represented by the 1st house. If the lord of the 7th is strong and better fortified than the lord of the ascendant, or if the R is slow in motion and afflicted by a malefic the challenger loses. If the lord of the 12th is retrograde, or the lord of the ascendant is afflicted, hurt or misfortune will befall the rider or horse on the

challenger’s side. Make h lord of the 11th, or place him in the 11th in some of his dignities, or place him in the ascendant or 10th in good aspect to the R or lord of the ascendant. See that the R is not afflicted by i, c, or _, and avoid mutual afflictions among the latter planets. It is unfavourable to place n in the ascendant or in conjunction with the R, and it is better to avoid the M, _, c or i as lords of the ascendant or of the hour in which the race begins.

When riding a horse to win in a race where there are several competitors, fortify the ascendant, its lord, the R= and its dispositor, the planet to which they are joined, and also S and its dispositor; and make the lord of the ascendant and the R apply to the latter. Then place the lord of the hour in the ascendant at the time of stepping out of the stable. If all cannot be done, be sure to place the lord of the hour in the ascendant, and fortify the R, placing her if possible in á or the first half of Ö. See that neither the lord of the hour, the R, nor the lord of the ascendant is in its fall, for that denotes that the horse will fall in the race.

To be understood: the ‘beginner’ is the person who commences the match (not the child you are trying to teach and defeat).

The text is unclear on whether you should face the Moon before leaving home, whilst leaving home (as a sort of ceremony, perhaps?) or when you get to the place of gaming and sit down to play. To be sure of the win I do all three, which gets awkward when the Moon is Under the Earth.

3 Come to my Zoom presentation (see p.5) and I’ll fill you in.

4 This assumes that someone else is the ‘beginner’ (because they challenged you to a race, not because they are only 6 ), so they are signified by the ascendant, and it is their 5th house (of sport) being weakened – still, you have given them a strong 11th house of ‘good fortune’, so they might be lucky as you fall over and break your leg.

5 Why fortify the 12th house? Because this naturally signifies horses (CA, p.56). Here, you are expecting the horse race person to be signified by the ascendant, not the 7th house as a ‘challenged person’ (as Robson is about to explain).

6 Lilly relates that Sagittarius rules “falls from horses … intemperateness in sports” (CA, p.97). Why Libra? I hear you ask – I have no idea unless it is that these are the best signs of the two benefics (Taurus being slow and Pisces wishy-washy). Note the later comment about the first half of Libra being preferred, which avoids the use of the Via Combusta.

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HUNTING, FOWLING & FISHING The ascendant, its lord and the R denote the hunter; the 6th and its lord denote the dogs, traps, or other instruments of hunting, and the 7th and its lord, the creature hunted.1 Place on the 7th a sign of the nature of the animal hunted. For hare, deer, fox, etc., place a bestial sign such as ~, Ä or à, with the R therein. For wild beasts choose É or the last 15° of á.2 Fortify the ascendant, its lord and the R, and the 6th and its lord, and debilitate the 7th and its lord. Avoid i in the 7th, for that denotes disappointment.

In fowling or hunting birds by traps and dogs, let the ascendant be in an airy sign, and its lord in an earthy one. Fortify the 6th and its lord, but debilitate the 7th and its lord. Place the R in Å, Ö or â applying to _, and let both be well placed and in reception. Add a good aspect to ` also, if possible, to increase the pleasure.3 If the R be afflicted by i or c, the fowler will catch nothing he desires.4 In hawking or shooting birds let the ascendant and its lord be in airy signs, and place the R in ~ applying to c in à. If however the R is in the midheaven afflicted by c the falconer will lose his hawk.

For water-fowl such as duck, mallard, etc., let the ascendant be in an airy sign, and its lord strong in a watery sign, or vice versa.

In fishing let the ascendant and its lord be in watery signs and well dignified. Fortify the 6th and its lord and debilitate the 7th and its lord. For sea-fishing and shell-fish let the ascendant be Ç, with h in ä. For smaller fish or when fishing rivers or pools, let ä rise. Place the R in Ç or ä in the 10th in J or L to ` in the 7th.

Take care that the R is applying to, and not separating from, any planet in a watery sign. See that the R is not afflicted by either i or c and avoid placing the latter planet in angles, especially the 1st or 7th.

NB!!

In teaching dogs to hunt place the R in=~=in conjunction with c, which makes them courageous and quick to learn. But let h also be in aspect, to preserve them from danger in hunting.5 In teaching setters place the ascendant in an earthy sign, and the lord of the ascendant in conjunction with the R in an airy sign, and in good aspect to _ and ` which add docility and gentleness.6 In teaching hawks, falcons, etc., let the R be in â applying to c, and let c be in Ü.

If the R applies to a retrograde planet when starting to hunt or fish it denotes nothing but weariness and trouble; if it is in the ascendant it denotes great agility, and if c is in the midheaven it denotes the same to the animal hunted. In general, in hunting, place the R in the midheaven and a cardinal sign rising; with h therein in good aspect to the R. Place c in the 7th, i cadent in no aspect to the ascendant, and ` in the ascendant or midheaven receiving the application of the R.7

COMPETITIONS, LOTTERIES, &c.

In competitions where there are only two competitors follow the same rules as for games. Open competitions, sweepstakes, and similar ventures cannot safely be made the subject of elections, for no matter how good a time be chosen to enter, it is possible that one or more of the other competitors entered at an even better time. Moreover, the question of relative birth horoscopes, and directions becomes of great importance.

It is said that the R should be in good aspect to the lord of the radical 5th house, and itself well aspected, when taking tickets in lotteries or sweepstakes, but this alone is obviously not sufficient to ensure success. ***

1 These principles also apply to hunting fugitives or escapees; except when you have a singular creature in your sights the Moon represents the target of the hunt, and the Sun (or 10th-ruler) signifies the authorities attempting to make the discovery.

2 Bringing in the symbolism of the constellation creature, the centaur: the first part is human; the latter bestial.

3 PS – always make Venus especially strong when asked to elect a time to kill an innocent creature for pleasure – you just never know, she might invoke the spirit of compassion instead, and make all the hunters break all their legs.

4 Good (the wise astrologer knows what to do now).

5 These are ‘commencement’ rules: expected to be applied to the formal start of the training process (he is not suggesting you should only train the dog at the times when an Aries Moon is conjunct Mars, etc).

6 My experience of using these rules in the training of my husband has shown unreliable results.

7 The purpose of strengthening Venus here seems only to increase the pleasure (sick *&!!!**s!).

Chart example to illustrate Robson’s feature Will I ever have a

----------------------------

DECENT win on the lottery?

by Deborah Houlding1 A true Taurean, I rarely ‘speculate to accumulate’ unless the odds are firmly stacked in my favour. Nonetheless, I regularly stake a pound on the national lottery in the hope of hitting the jackpot. It has to be said that I have never had a single win, and don’t recall ever getting more than one number right (despite trying to elect the best time to buy the ticket and work out the numerological significance of the planets at the time the lottery is drawn).

However, with 8 on my MC natally, and the 4 in trine to a well-placed 2nd-ruler, my birth chart does not deny the opportunity for such luck2 … so with the significance of 5th house lottery issues in mind, I decided to ask the question.

[BTW – I hadn’t noticed this in 1997, but now see the degree of my natal Sun (23°Ä) culminates on the MC. This was clearly a radical horary as I was poised to act on a matter of potentially life-changing significance.]

Judgement

I am represented by asc-ruler _=and the R, while the ruler of the 5th house signifies my prospects at gambling (i.e., ‘gaming’ / engaging in matters of ‘Lady Luck’). With a retrograde, peregrine, fallen, 8thhouse i=ruling à=on the 5th cusp, I have to be realistic about this.

The presence of h on the 5th cusp might seem promising, but not when it is also retrograde, peregrine, in fall, lord of the loss-making 8th (which contains my 5th-ruler, i) while squaring i and the nodes.

The 2nd cusp falls on the degree of my natal R in Ñ, making _ significator of both myself and my financial prospects in this matter. It does apply to a J of ` in the 10th, but since ` rules the MC and the 3rd cusp, this seems to imply benefits from writing or career-related aspects of my life, rather than gambling. Besides, _ is peregrine and malefically located on the 12th cusp. Finally, the R is in the Via Combusta, separating from the good aspect of `, squaring the 5th house = (showing how I delude myself each week when I really ‘feel’ my luck is in), but at least applying to the s of c, ruler of the 9th.

That aspect alone cannot promise success in this issue3 so I have sadly concluded I shall never have a sizeable win worth thinking about. I will continue to stake my weekly pound, however, as my children insist on it. If I am ever proved wrong, I shall certainly let you know, after retiring through deciding that astrology is tosh!

As previously explained on p.4 (keep up) this horary was first published in the Traditional Astrologer magazine in 1996.

My birth data: 8:30 am BST, 14 May 1962, Mansfield UK (I follow the example of Adams, so give or take a decade or two).

3 With the added benefit of 27 years of hindsight on this matter, I now read that aspect as a certain signal to give up the lottery dreams, stick with the day-job and professionally commit to engaging in rabid arguments about the finer points of spirituality with other astrologers.

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Historical example of another self-serving astrologer ---------------------

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SIMON FORMAN

A wry observation by Lilly Forman (1552-1611) earned a precarious living as an Elizabethan astrologer in London.

A keen theatre-goer, well-known for his eyewitness accounts of Shakespeare’s plays, he had an infamous reputation as a magician or ‘cunning man’ and was notorious for his rampant and lewd adventures with female clients. This probably led to the decline in his business which left him virtually bankrupt at the end of the 16th century.

Lilly acquired many of Forman’s papers after his self-predicted death4 and commented on his astrological commentaries in his own autobiography, written in 1688. Here is Lilly’s gossipy account of Forman’s writings during impoverished times, when he was dreaming of better days: ‘Being in bed one morning’ (says he), ‘I was desirous to know whether I should ever be a Lord, Earl or knight &c. whereupon I set this figure following…’ by which he concluded that within two years he should be a Lord or great man.

‘But’ says he, ‘before the two years were expired, the Doctors put me in Newgate,5 and nothing came’. Not long after, he was desirous to know the same things concerning honour or greatship. Another figure was set, and that promised him to be a great Lord within one year. But he set down that in a year he had no preferment at all; only ‘I became acquainted with a Merchant's wife, by whom I got a weal.6 On the positive, Lilly commended Forman’s charity to the poor, and the conscientious recording of his case notes: He was a person that in horary questions (especially thefts) was very judicious and fortunate, so also in sicknesses, which indeed was his masterpiece.

But in Lilly’s view, Forman’s greatest failing was his habit of asking unrealistic horary questions about his own prospects – “he being no way capable of such preferment as he ambitiously desired”. (Note to self – remember and learn) 4

Under the Saturn return of 12 September 1611, as the Moon translated between the square of Mars and Saturn. Lilly tells us that on the previous Sunday Forman told his wife that he would die the following Thursday. On the Wednesday he was in good health, and his wife ridiculed his prophecy.

But on Thursday evening he took a boat to cross the Thames, and died suddenly on the river, after which a storm suddenly and dramatically broke. (Presumably, he died of a heart attack or stroke – disbelieving sceptics claim he drowned himself to make his prediction correct!)

5 Newgate gaol; Forman spent many spells in gaol for practicing magic, or debt, this sounds like an occasion of practicing physic without a licence.

6 A wheal – a red, itchy swelling of the skin (obviously sexually transmitted).

Fantastic resource online with Forman’s voluminous decumbiture case notes at https://casebooks.wordpress.com

Amended from an item first published in the TA Mag, # 5, 1994 (DP)

Wanted this

Got this!

I am the very model of a modern-day astrologer

Ditty Done!

Thanks for the inspiration Joanna, Kerryleegh and Abigail!

I am the very model of a modern-day astrologer I’ve information cosmical, mystical and logical I know the ancient sources, and I quote the texts historical From Manilius to Raphael, in order chronological I’m very well acquainted, too, with matters astronomical I understand the aspects, like the trine and the quadratical About the stellar transits I am teeming with a lot o' news I even know enough to know what house system you ought to use He even knows enough to know what house system you ought to use … enough to know what house system you ought to use … enough to know what house system you ought to use I’m very good at primary and secondary directions At prohibitions, refranations, translations and collections In time zones and conversions I’m as good as an horologer For I am the very model of a modern-day astrologer He is the very model of a modern-day astrologer …

I know the mythic history of all constellations and their stars And which ones have a nature that’s like Mercury when mixed with Mars For Centiloquiums I quote from Bethem, Hermes, Ptolemy Then mix it up with Liz Greene ‘cos I also like psychology I study Hellenistic and I don’t care if it’s out of date I’ll prophecise your future: I know you want to know your fate I’ll rectify your chart because I tend to get pernickety On using animodars when I’m casting a nativity … on using animodars when casting a nativity … on using animodars when casting a nativity … on using animodars when casting a nativity I sometimes read the ancient texts in Babylonic cuneiform But Greek and Latin with Arabic lately has become the norm I will write a book on sun-signs to ensure I will be popular For I am the very model of a modern-day astrologer He will write a book of sunsigns which is bound to prove quite popular For he is the very model of a modern day astrologer In fact, when I know what is meant by syzygy and alpheta When I can tell at sight the stars of Argo and Andromeda When I can know the difference twixt Moraya and Morinean And when I know precisely how to cast by ‘Right Ascension’ When I have learnt what progress has been made in modern media When I know more of ‘Meta’ than an ‘AI’ cyclopaedia In short, when I am influencing Instagram and LinkedIn You’ll say a better star gazer has never learned to fit right in For my computer knowledge, though I’m plucky and adventury Has only been brought up to the beginning of this century But still, I use the outer planets: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus And tell the ignoramus where to stick their Ophiuchius!

And tell the ignoramus where to stick their Ophiuchius … stick their Ophiuchius … Ophiuchius

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