Hellenistic Houses

[Guest guest]

The following was written by Curtis Manwaring who produces the

software `Delphic Oracle' (see www.astrology-x-files.com/ )based on

the rediscovery of the ancient principles of Hellenistic astrology

by Robert Schmidt. As I am both a Western and Vedic astrologer I

find it fascinating the meld of Vedic house structures and western

house structure found in Hellenistic astrology. There is no doubt

in the minds of researchers that contemporary western astrology

evolved from Hellenistic astrology. However the house structure of

Hellenistic astrologer appears closer to the Vedic house structure

except technically Hellenistic astrology used the tropical zodiac in

place of the sidereal zodiac used in Vedic astrology. However this

is a mute point because at the time of the Helenistic astrologers,

the differewnce between the two zodiacs was negligable.

Nevertheless robert Schmidt claims that Hellenistic astrology

requires the tropical zodiac to work properley. For those

interested in the state of ancient astrology the following may be

interesting:

 

The First Astrological House - Horoskopos

© 2000 Curtis Manwaring

 

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If you haven't read Robert Schmidt's article explaining the

applications of topical houses versuss strength divisions you might

want to do so now, before proceeding. For novices, the descriptions

below will give you insight into your own chart, but you will gain

more knowing the difference between strength and topical divisions.

I personally believe that reality cannot be rigidly measured and

quartered off to the nearest minute of arc, so I do not bother with

all of the different types of trisection of the 4 angles. Many of

these house systems probably arise from a misunderstanding of

previous doctrine, especially Ptolemy, which was easy to do because

Ptolemy's Greek was among the most obscure and convoluted of

writings from the entire Hellenistic period (as Schmidt has already

explained). [1] My approach is to use the whole signs, meaning that

if Gemini happens to rise and the 24th degree of that sign is where

the ascendant is placed (also called horoskopos), then the 1st house

is from 0 degrees Gemini to 30 degrees Gemini, the second is the

whole sign of Taurus, etc... To me this makes sense because the

rising of the signs describe a process, the sign being the topic and

the exact position of the ascendant where we are in that

process/topic. This is most easily seen in horary astrology, where a

late degree ascendant means something nearing completion, an early

degree, just getting started, etc... In the case of the MC (median

Coeli - or midheaven), this sign, if it happens to fall in the 8th,

9th, 10th, 11th or 12th place from the horoskopos, then I just

include that sign in the determination pointing to career. I do the

same with the I.C. (imum coeli, or 4th house angle), if it should

fall in the 5th sign then I just say that the 5th sign also has to

do with domestic, and ancestral matters. It seems obvious to me that

the meanings gradually shift and heavily overlap each other anyway.

In many of the delineations below, I present extreme cases so you

can get the full flavor of the planetary representations. Keeping

your expectations more moderate, you will get a more accurate

perception of the degree.

 

The First House:

Also known as the horoskopos, or helm. [2] This is the place where

the heavens come from the invisible into the visible, just as you

came from the invisibility of your mothers womb to the visible world

outside, from water to air, and then you took your first breath,

marking the katarche (ruling beginning, or inception) of your life.

For this reason, this place represents your physical body and

especially the decan (face) of the horoskopos, your appearance. It

does not necessarily represent a concrete physical appearance as

this has more to do with heimarmene, but instead, the vital energy

that you put out into the world. For that reason, if at birth, the

lord (or almuten in medieval times) of this place is struck down,

the ancients said that the infant is unreared or dies quickly.

Should the lord of this place be received by benefics or essentially

dignified, their vitality remains constant. In those days (or in

modern 3rd world nations) the infant mortality rate was much higher

and the physical determination much more difficult to overcome; so

now the energy tends to work itself out in a wider variety of ways

rather than just the first rule, which was to survive.

 

In a more literal sense, the " helm " is the steering wheel of the

boat and the steward of this place (house lord) is the helmsman. If

the helmsman is not at his station then the ship tends to run

aground or sinks. [3] This is analogous to an individual with a lack

of a clear direction who runs into trouble a lot. In astrology, this

is represented by the lord of the ascendant being in aversion. This

happens when the ascendant lord is in the 2nd, 6th, 8th or 12th

houses. It can also mean not having an advocate in life, since the

house lord is the one who sees that the issues of that place get a

hearing in the court of the cosmic consciousness. If the domicile

lord of this place is exalted, then the cosmic soul sees this native

more clearly and the life of the native will become more eminent.

The bound lord would then set the standard for precision of steering

the ship on the life journey. The trigon lord then uses the

astrolabe to see if the ship conforms to the " course " . [4]

 

 

 

The Second House:

Also known as the " Gate of Hades " . [5], While Paulus Alexandrinus

gives no indication as to why this place is called the " Gate of

Hades " , I will make an educated guess based upon astrological

history. First of all, the vedic school often indicates that this

place shows signs for death (usually indicated by the 7th or 8th

house; often it is the case that you can see similarities in the

sign or place opposing). The modern view that the sign that

administers for this place has much to do with personal wealth gives

another possible clue. Eastern philosophy (and Vedic astrology)

takes a dim view of the acquisition of personal wealth. They believe

that it is a trap for the spirit leading to compounding errors of

judgement. Adding to this is the fact that looking at the process of

the 12 signs in zodiacal order, this place is the first one that is

completely submerged below the horizon. What I get from all of this

is a value judgement about the corruption of wealth and its dangers

possibly confirming the joint history of vedic and western

astrology. In ancient times this house was also indicative of

slavery because slaves were considered personal property (not as

much as from the perspective of becoming a slave as from the

perspective of how many slaves one has). In the present times it

might indicate to employers how many employees they have.

 

Schmidt points out that this place is sometimes called the idle

place and the reason that it is also called " the Gate of Hades " is

because it is regarded as the exit point for the Sun on its way out

of the underworld that begins when the Sun enters the setting place.

He also says that the reason that this place is indicative of

possessions (or what you tend to retain ownership of) is because of

the two motions of the heavens: where the motion of the planets in

zodiacal order takes something from the individual (1st house) and

brings it to the 2nd place, but the diurnal motion takes what is in

the 2nd and brings it back to the individual (1st house). In other

words it represents what comes back to you. [6]

 

In any case, it is said that this place gives indications for what

one does due to the trigon relationship to the midheaven. As this

place is symbolically the next in order after birth, it represents

how you get a grasp of your surroundings; the newborn infant

learning object permanence. It also represents your sense of values;

what you hold as most important. Stability here is important and

creates self esteem. When the lord of this place is afflicted, it is

a possible indication of mendacious circumstances, of those who live

hand to mouth, vagabonds or street wanderers or those abandoned by

their original parents. If the lord of this place is well received,

then the native has a place to sleep away from prying eyes, is

allowed to work for personal gain and has a head held high. Symbolic

of the early life circumstances from birth, if there is interruption

of the natural process (shown by affliction or other debility) of

getting a grasp of the permanence or stability of one's surroundings

(perhaps by parental neglect or some other cause) then the material

opportunities presented later are not visible or understood by the

native, and vice versa.

 

The Third House:

Also known as the " Place of the Goddess of the Moon " . [8] Paulus

says this place is productive of possessions, usually ascribed to

the 2nd house by modern astrologers, whereas according to most

ancient sources, the 2nd indicates modes of making a living and

whether one has success in acquiring property. Probably the reason

this place is considered an indicator of possessions is because the

Moon rejoices here and the Moon represents sustenance and material

goods. One should also keep in mind that this blurring of meanings

of the houses could be an indication of the flexibility of reality

and a good reason not to take the trisections of the angles too

rigidly. Other ancient sources say this place gives signs concerning

brothers and being away from home. This is confirmed by the modern

view that this place has to do with siblings, near relatives and

with errands that have us moving around town.

 

There are other even more interesting observations. The opposite

place (9th) has to do with orthodox religion, therefore this place

has to do with unorthodox religion and beliefs on the fringe of

society indicated by the " place of the Goddess " . Modern astrology

often compares the 3rd house to Gemini and to the mental variety

that Gemini encourages. This is contrary to the orthodoxy of

religion which Gemini's ideas constantly question. In the middle

ages, the Moon became misunderstood by clerics to be aligned with

darkness and evil, possibly because of it's association with the

nocturnal sect. According to the church, a woman (the Moon) was

responsible for bringing sin to Adam. Here, the Moon delights in

contrareity, in Plato's " Other " , seen by orthodox Christians of the

past as contributing to heresy. So, this house gives signs for

mental habits and early education/brain wiring (the mind), and

alignment of faith.

 

Noting the natural contrareity of this place we gain new insight as

to why it is that so many of us experience our siblings to be such a

challenge while growing up. If we keep in mind the process that the

houses map for our lives from birth to death, so far we have

identity (1st house), attachment (2nd house) and now we have

communication and learning and tolerance. Planets and lots placed

here show the character of our communication, whether or not we face

challenges in education, whether we stay near home or not or how we

move around the neighborhood, our relationship to siblings and near

relatives, etc...

 

The Fourth House:

Also known as the subterraneous place. [9] Because this is the place

closest to the earth and is where things most naturally come to

rest, it symbolizes burial and the state of the natives affairs just

after death and the legacy we leave behind. Along with this, it

symbolizes the season of old age, of ancestry and blood relations

(particularly parents), and where we come from. It represents the

foundation of our security, the derivation of our identity and our

sense of where we belong. Because it is the most hidden of the

places, it symbolizes why many find it difficult to completely know

themselves. In western society this was considered the place of

patrilineage, but with the increasing association between the houses

and the signs in modern times (the 4th house being like Cancer) this

became the house of the mother, and by derivative houses, the 7th

from the 4th (the 10th) became the house of the father. There was a

similar controversy caused by a mistranslation of a preposition in

Ptolemy that led to the Mother being assigned to the 10th house in

ancient times, now having been cleared up by Rob Schmidt. While the

controversy isn't settled, I now tend to assign both parents to the

4th house.

 

On a material level it is the ground upon which you stand and

represents the home, foundations, estates and non-movable property.

In some of the translations this place is also said to promote the

acquisition of ships. If the lot of Fortune is here and you own

land, barring indications to the contrary, the property may be

thought to contain hidden wealth, or treasure. The ancients also

considered this place to be a contributing cause of the ability to

have children, along with the 5th, 10th and 11th places. In ancient

times, children were considered one's retirement in old age (the

4th). Modern society now has Social Security to take it's place so

the contributing places seem to take a back seat to the 5th as

representing children today.

 

The Fifth House:

Also known as " the Good Fortune " . [11] In this place, the star of

Aphrodite (Venus) rejoices above all others. In both ancient and

modern times, this place was considered to give signs for children.

When one of the water signs governs this place it is said to be an

indicator of fertility and abundance of children. The same is said

if the benefics, Jupiter or Venus are said to be present. The

malefics were thought to be indicators of either the inability to

have children or the parents witnessing their premature death,

especially in the case of Saturn. In modern times, while this can

still be true, Saturn has taken on the role of scientist, indicating

that while the couple may still be naturally barren, they may still

have children with the help of science. The quadrepedal signs (four

hoofed signs like Aries, Taurus, Leo, etc...) were generally an

indication of few children in ancient times, possibly because their

bestial nature was thought to produce non-human offspring, or

monsters (the ancient term for birth defects). This place also gives

signs to the parent as to what their relationship to their children

will be like. William Lilly wrote in " Christian Astrology " that if

Saturn, Mars or the South Node be in the 5th house, then the

children will not be easily regulated and are very averse to the

parents. [12]

 

Thinking in terms of the process starting with the 1st, the 5th

represents our coming out of our shell (the 4th) to show ourselves.

This is still on a personal level as this place is below the

horizon, but because it is in the west hemisphere, it involves

feedback from others. It represents our expression of love, whether

reserved, or on our shirt sleeve, and our investments of ourselves

in others. This can take a material form as well in terms of the

investments we make on stocks. The post ascensional houses

(succeedent) represent a cycle of the flow of capital. The second

represents our having capital. The 5th therefore, since it is the 90

degree outgoing square, represents a challenge to what we have,

signifying our expenditures and spending habits.

 

Because the 5th represents what we put out from our deepest selves,

it is symbolic of the creative process, and at the biological level,

children are the result (the 5th house is 9 months after the 8th

house of sex). On an emotional level, this is the house of our

romantic lives, our playfulness (or recreation). It is about having

fun. In the month of August when the Sun is in the 5th sign every

year, people commonly go to parks, fairgrounds, or on vacation.

After this comes labor day, (Virgo) signifying that the party is

over.

 

The Sixth House:

Also known as " the Evil Fortune " . [14] The declines (cadent houses)

are generally known for their unfortunate consequences, but of the 4

declines, two stand out especially; the 6th and 12th houses. Because

the 6th house is below the horizon, it is associated with the lunar

(nocturnal) sect, and therefore with matters of fortune and the

physical body. For this reason, Mars, of the nocturnal sect, and the

lesser of the two infortunes, joys in this place. Paulus says that

the other planets when they happen to be in this place are

ineffectual for their own effects unless they should happen to be in

trine to planets in the midheaven [15]. The declines in general were

thought to be somewhat ineffectual, which is why we tend to think of

these places as weak (though the Gauquelin data disagree). I believe

one should consider what a given place is ineffectual or weak for.

Not all places are equally productive of sickness or injury, for

example.

 

The 6th house is more commonly known for giving signs related to

work and health, particularly sickness and injury because this place

is in aversion to the ascendant which represents the life breath.

The ancients often say that due to the trine figure this place has

to the midheaven, that it gives signs for what one does. Some call

it the place of apprenticeship or discipleship, but if the

indicators were more negative, then it was considered an indication

of indentured servitude or slavery.

 

From a metaphysical point of view, comparing this place to where it

stands in the cycle from the 1st house; the last place (5th house)

is related to your output, and the next place (7th house) relates to

visibility. Therefore this place is related to the feedback we

receive from others about what or how we express ourselves in

rehearsal for the debut with the public (7th). This requires alot of

work, critiquing and refining. Any planets in this place (or as lord

of this place) show our attitudes toward this process of self

improvement, and how we respond to crisis and change.

 

The Seventh House:

Also known as the setting place. [19] Paulus says that this place

gives signs for quality of death, wedding preparations, long terms

abroad and the elderly age. [20] Modern astrologers often assign

this place to partnerships and weddings but not to conditions in the

golden years or to quality of death, but the latter significations

are common in the older texts. This signification concerning the

golden years of old age and quality of death comes from the idea of

primary direction (the directing of the planets from sunrise to

sunset according to the earths rotation; also known as the " circle

of the Same " ), where sunrise represents youth, the midheaven; middle

age, and sunset; the golden years. There are also possible religious

connections for this such as Zoroastrianism and Judaism where the

setting Sun was viewed as symbolic of death. The reason why this

place is considered an indicator for long stays abroad is not

explicitly known as far as I know. However, I do have a guess. This

place is the farthest that you can get from yourself in the zodiacal

circle. If there is an astrological indication that you will become

familiar with this place, then it will naturally take a long time to

come back to home to yourself both physically and metaphorically.

 

Dane Rudhyar said that the ascendant/descendant axis pertains to

consciousness and awareness. [21] It is at this setting point that

the awareness turns to the other; part of which is known (that which

is above the horizon) and part of which is unknown (the portion of

that sign that is below the horizon). It is of course true that

there are things both known and unknown about any partner or

adversary. (This is another reason to take the whole sign that

straddles the setting point as representing the affairs of the

seventh house, and for using the whole sign house system for topical

issues.) The more degrees that passed above the horizon for your

rising sign at birth, the more visible, known and vulnerable you

become. The opposite must also be true, because if your ascendant is

mostly visible the descendant is mostly invisible and therefore

secretive to you. There is a power component here related to

altitude even in the ascendant/descendant axis. Dane Rudhayr

considered the 4th - 10th to be the main power/authority axis (of

which I agree). [22]

 

In medieval texts, especially concerning horary astrology, this

place was considered an indicator of war and open enemies. This is

because of the confrontational nature of this place; where we come

face to face with our opponent. If this confrontation is resolved

amicably, it becomes friendship, partnership and even marriage.

Psychological astrologers often refer to the 7th house as the place

of projection, and some even call it our shadow. I tend to think of

the 12 house as representing shadow characteristics because we don't

often come face to face with our shadow; which I think is better

represented by the astrological concept of aversion.

 

The Eighth House:

Also known as the idle place and the place of death. [27] This place

has to do with the dismantling of the physical body because this

sign is in aversion to the rising sign which is about life and

breath. Yet is has been my observation that during life, it

represents the passing of those close to you. Of course, you can

only die once (in a given lifetime for those who believe in

reincarnation). Paulus states; " It [the 8th] signifies the

completion of life. This place is established as dysfunctional, and

when benefics happen to be upon this place, they make for profits

from deaths, for they give inheritances, and they show those who

profit from deadly motives " . [28] It gives signs for your finances

and property including insurance, banking, and taxes. On a

metaphysical level it represents our attitudes about sharing.

 

If we compare this place with the 2nd and 5th houses, we see that

having resources (2nd) becomes challenged by the 5th which is

spending. The result of all of this is that others obtain what you

have (8th). Once others have your resources, they too eventually

spend it, which is represented by the 11th house and when they

spend, you acquire, which is why the 11th sign is known as the place

of acquisition. In part, what you have is also representative of

your physical body, which is why when you are ill, it takes a

tremendous toll on finances. One way or another you end up handing

over your resources; part of the old saying about " death and taxes " .

For this reason, this place signifies where you must place your

resources, either because of death or to guard against loss, such as

banks (protect against theft), insurance agencies (against

disaster), the IRS and other taxes (or you lose everything), and it

shows your handling of credit or ability to get credit.

Interestingly, the governments (10th house) place of acquisition is

the 8th house of Taxes (counting 11th sign from the 10th).

 

Most ancient sources seem to believe that when planets are here,

they have the effect of being nullified, as if they were

literally " killed " , or perhaps corrupted or made idle and

ineffective. One exception was given which seemed strange at first;

according to Valens; " The Moon alone in the increase of her light,

seems to rejoice in this zoidion. " [29] The reason for this appears

to be that if the Moon is waxing (increasing in light) then the Sun

must be near setting and therefore the Moon is coming into the

nocturnal sect. Since the Moon in general signifies fortune, it can

indicate benefiting from inheritance. The idea of absence seems to

appear often as well, for when the lord of some other house ends up

here it indicates that the issue(s) of that house are either hidden

(as in the occult) or are lost, degraded, or absent. Therefore this

place also often indicates what issues will be hidden, occult and

mysterious.

 

The Ninth House:

Also known as the house of God. [37] According to Paulus: " The ninth

zoidion [sign] from the horoskopos [ascendant] gives signs for the

determination that concerns gods, dreams and living abroad " . [38]

Looking at the transitions through the houses, metaphorically, the

ninth represents the speeding through a tunnel toward a brilliant

light after death, or the new perspective that is gained after an

intense struggle symbolized by the 8th. The Sun as nous represents

the enlightenment and clarity that come after this struggle and the

light at the end of the tunnel. It is therefore no surprise that the

Sun is said to rejoice in this place. The Sun also rejoices because

this is the time of day when its heat is beginning to peak. Notice

that by using whole sign houses, you get a more accurate picture

(time of day) for this aristotlean phenomenon.

 

After an intense experience, there is often a need to make sense of

what happened. When enough people have the same intense experience,

any re-enactment becomes a ritual. This ritual helps integrate the

inscrutable parts back into a sensible whole again. This is quite

different from the process of the 3rd house, which was to be able to

take the whole apart for examination and cataloging; a very left

brain oriented process. Because the 3rd house is in aversion to the

intensity of the 8th, it does not see this picking apart of ideas as

any threat, but to the 9th, this is insanity and sacrilege. This is

because sanity depends upon being able to put the parts back

together whole; a right brain process. Here, the association between

right and left is often made in terms of good and evil, right and

wrong, light and darkness in an attempt to gain perspective after a

reality jarring experience. Since reason requires the picking apart

of ideas, faith and orthodoxy gain the upper hand here.

 

Dreams and prophesy are another common 9th house theme. After a long

day, sleep helps integrate, or make whole our various experiences

(in the form of dream images that create a story line) into our

unconscious. Dreams provide insight into the future, a form of inner

voice of prophesy. The outer representation of this voice comes in

the form of a guide or teacher who helps us to understand these

strange experiences. Yoda is archetypal of this type of individual.

The other interpretation of this would be visions and mystical

experiences which would defy explanation and must be taken on faith.

This is because as soon as you analyze a mystical experience, its

visionary qualities fall apart.

 

In modern texts, this place is about seeing and surveying, hence the

signification for living abroad. There are at least two other

reasons why the 9th signifies this. Frequently after turmoil, there

is the need to escape. Here the lack of familiarity of the

surroundings helps to alleviate any past references to trouble. But

from the ancient perspective, if one ran into trouble with the law

(the law is also often associated with the 9th), one was often

forced into exile and had to learn to deal with foreigners in

strange lands. The ancients often looked to the 9th and the other

cadent houses along with the " lot of being away from home " to get an

idea if the native would stay in the homeland or not.

 

 

The Tenth House:

This place is also known as the midheaven or praxis, the Greek word

for work. [44] Because it is the highest point on the ecliptic for a

given location, it represents authority. For most of us it shows us

our attitudes toward and relationships with authority figures. It is

interesting that this place is not associated with God as one would

think (as the highest authority). My best guess is based upon two

reasons. The 10th is very concrete in its manifestations, yet one

cannot concretely prove anything about God. The other reason is that

the 10th, Capricorn and Saturn have a natural affinity for each

other and Saturn is often associated with the devil and ignorance;

that point beyond which one cannot go beyond, because it is too

great. For this reason the midheaven also represents our highest

potential, and our best achievements. The mountain top is symbolic

of this. Saturn being excessively cold and dry shows what kind of

conditions to expect at our peak. We will likely be very tired

(indicated by the Aristotelian quality of cold - inactive) and the

dryness tends to separate us from each other in the sense of putting

you head and shoulders above another. For this reason it is

considered to be a lonely place by nature, though through accident

it can become more active and socially binding.

 

According to Dane Rudhyar, the 10th/midheaven is the height of the

power axis. [45] Because it is the highest point (on the ecliptic)

it is also one of the most visible areas of the sky. Political power

comes from this visibility, as well as fame, social responsibility,

status and character. Here, the slightest mis-step is magnified many

times over, and the higher the attainment, the more dangerous the

fall. In other words, the bigger they come, the harder they fall.

Morality and ethics play an important role here. The lord of the

10th and its cosmic condition show what honor and reputation the

native is likely to attain as well as the nature of our work or

profession. It cannot tell if one is a good person or not, only what

the public perception is likely to be. Our actions are not

necessarily our identity. This is a common pitfall of this place for

many who believe that they are what they do.

 

According to Valens: " When the ruler of this place is well situated,

it makes those who are effective; but when it is poorly situated,

those who are unsuccessful. " . [46] If unsuccessful, then one may try

to succeed by dishonorable or criminal means. While I have not done

much research on this yet, it stands to reason if the lots of theft,

accusation or treachery or their lords fall in this place,

especially without dignity then you may suspect that they do evil.

There have been other examples of this kind of thinking; for example

according to Valens: " If it (lord of the midheaven) happens to be

upon the setting place and a malefic should be present with it, or

make a diameter (opposition), it makes evil-doers... " [47]

 

If we look at this place from a cyclical perspective, we see that

the 9th, which represents learning, is put into practice in the 10th

house. Here is where your dreams (9th) are actualized (10th). It is

also the school of hard knocks, because there is no turning back

from decisions made here. It would make no sense to turn back

because this is the point of no return. Related to this idea is that

this place gives signs relating to conditions at midlife. This is

because sunrise represents birth, and sunset represents death, and

the midheaven is halfway between the two.

 

The Eleventh House:

Also known as " the Good Spirit " . [57] Notice that this is in

contrast to the 5th house which is called the good fortune. Since

this place is above the horizon, it is aligned with spiritual

matters. Interestingly enough this place is also said to be the joy

of Zeus (Jupiter), and Jupiter is productive of belongings, religion

and spiritual matters in general. Valens and other astrologers of

the time called this place the acquisition because it is said to be

an indicator of how one makes a living. As I had said earlier, this

place is called the acquisition from your perspective because from

the others perspective (the 7th) this place is the 5th and related

to expenditure, and investment, but instead of the investment going

out, it is an investment back into you. It is natural that if you

put something out into the world, that eventually there will be a

return and this is that place. It is not simply financial return,

but it is the sum total of the world's reaction to your efforts. If

it is a performance (Leo), then what is gained in return is applause

from the crowds (Aquarius). It is probably for this reason that

Paulus also said: " It gives signs for the determination that

concerns alliance and patronage " . [58] This is not unexpected from

the modern viewpoint since we see it often an indicator of

friendships and the type of crowd that we naturally fall into.

 

There is another interesting observation about Jupiter's joy in this

house. Since the upper half of the chart is naturally more aligned

with the solar sect, and Jupiter is itself sanguineous and airy

forcing you to take the existence of the stars beyond the sunny blue

sky on faith, it represents that there are just some things that we

take on faith with associates, based upon trust. The 11th house is

not a place of deep commitment and depth understanding where we need

to see proof of what other people stand for. If we receive

something, it is not a normal reaction to inspect it. We naturally

expect to receive what we are due. We don't look gift horses in the

mouth, unless this place indicates a suspicious temperament,

negating the naturally uplifting effect of this place. If we do

this, we need to take a look at our 5th house to see the type of

energy we put out into the world, for the seed that we sow there

will show themselves here.

 

There were differing opinions of how the malefics were affected in

this place. According to Valens: " But if the malefics should be

present with the Good Spirit, they will not have the power to do

anything evil " . [59] From the passages in Paulus however, it seems

that if the malefics were in sect then they were benign but if not

they became more difficult to handle. [60]

 

The Twelfth House:

Also known as " the Evil Spirit " . [71] In contrast to the opposite

house which is called the " Evil Fortune " , this place is often

associated with the mental (rather than physical) pain and suffering

induced by spiritual issues. According to the ancients, Saturn

rejoices in this place. This is probably because it likes to

suppress the knowledge of what is beyond its own bounds. Paulus

states: " When the star of Kronos [saturn] occupies a masculine

zoidion [sign] for a diurnal birth, it alone rejoices in this

place " . [72] This is a condition known as hayz, an ancient form of

dignity that takes into account the sect of the chart, but it was

not considered quite as favorable there at night. Even so, Saturn

naturally has the easiest time rejoicing here because this is the

last place we get to in the natural course of life through the 12

archetypes. It is also the slowest of the visible planets and the

reason why it comes in last place. All of this is very symbolic of

the cause of any spiritual pain or madness: agnoia. Saturn's color

is black, which is highly symbolic of darkness and ignorance. In

other words, not knowing the truth will not set you free.

Astrologers say that this place gives signs for retirement,

restriction, imprisonment (not necessarily physical), mental

confusion (the extreme being an insane asylum), secret enemies,

living abroad (in the sense of exile), self undoing (in the sense of

guilt or being haunted by demons or ghosts from the past), taboos,

hang-ups (in the sense of what makes us uncomfortable),

procrastination, and neglect, slaves (as in their character) and

quadrupeds, etc ... This place is also naturally hidden. It

therefore represents secrets, skeletons in the closet that the

native does not want to come to light, and because it is

representative of spiritual issues, also the unconscious and

subconscious mind. Frequently people with a heavy emphasis of

planetary alignments here can be seen to deal with the poor and less

fortunate, through monasteries, mental institutions or relief

agencies like the Red Cross that deal with unforseen incidents.

 

The 12th sign from the ascendant is often considered to be the

garbage bin of the zodiac. This is because it represents what is

left over from the previous 11 houses (misfits), and therefore, what

is left undone. Some astrologers believe that this place represents

the most recent previous incarnation. Along with this idea,

therefore, they believe that it represents the reason for the

current incarnation, caused by the souls desire to rectify

unfinished business from the last lifetime. The idea of neglect is a

key ingredient here, because in order to complete and balance out

the circle of existence, we need to confront all of these issues, a

few of which will seem unpleasant. Those things that are, will

naturally be avoided until the pressure to deal with the issue

becomes too great to ignore. Closely tied into this idea is the

astrological concept of aversion; which is any two signs that do not

have a Ptolemaic aspect between them. The 12th house is in aversion

to the 1st house by nature, and the 1st house is what we immediately

pay attention to. An aversion to immediate attention to any issue is

neglect, procrastination, etc...

 

The karmic school of astrology makes heavy use of this place along

with two other key factors in the chart: the Moon and the nodal

axis. As I have already mentioned, the 12th represents the immediate

past incarnation. In this approach, the south node represents those

qualities that we have an excess of (over the course of many

lifetimes), and the north node, those qualities which we tend to

have neglected in the past. The north node and the 12th house

therefore have this in common as a driving force for the purpose of

this lifetime and how we plan to finish or balance spiritual growth.

The squares to the nodes represent distractions, or potential traps

on the way to the goal. The Moon represents the past and habits in a

more general sense or it can also represent what we need for the

future if its qualities are more in agreement with the qualities of

the north node. These 3 positions represent a major " molecule " from

which astrologers can ascertain much about the " compounds " behavior

(souls development and future direction of growth) and hopefully

help triangulate their approximate position.

 

Jai sat chit anand

Regards, Terry

www.macro-astrology.com