The Rationale for the Significations of the Houses
This episode is a solo show where I focus on a discussion about the differences between the ancient and modern rationales for determining what each of the 12 house signify in a chart.
I’ve been wrestling with an issue recently where the conceptual notion underlying the houses is completely different in the traditional and modern approaches, and while there is some overlap, most of the time the significations are derived from different things.
The question I have at this point is whether these two approaches can or should be reconciled. Some traditional astrologers think that the two approaches should not be mixed together, while others think that they should.
During the course of the episode I try to outline and frame the debate for those who aren’t familiar with it, and explain some possible conclusions that one might come to.
News & Announcements
- First, sorry I haven’t recorded any new shows in a while.
- My main focus over the past few months has been recording a new series of lectures for my Introduction to Hellenistic Astrology Course.
- New lectures on the domicile lord of the ascendant, rulers of the houses, triplicity rulers of the sect light, etc.
- Once I’m finished with that I will be raising the price, but you can still sign up now for the lower price.
- I talk about this a little bit more in this blog post on my website.
- Just got back from NORWAC, and it was a great conference.
- ISAR is holding a conference in Phoenix in September, and I’m doing a post-conference workshop there on using ancient astrological techniques in modern practice.
- I recorded a new lecture on how to rectify a birth chart that is available for purchase on my website.
Show Notes
- During the course of putting together the new lectures for my Hellenistic course I’ve been doing some research.
- I built a database of a few hundred chart examples with AA times for my new lectures.
- Used over 70 examples in the ruler of the Ascendant lecture.
- I also did a literature review of all of the significations the Hellenistic astrologers used.
- This led me to see much more clearly the differences between the ancient and modern approach to the significations of the houses.
- In modern astrology the significations of the houses are largely derived from the 12 letter alphabet (a.k.a. “natural houses”).
- In ancient astrology they were largely derived from 3 things: 1) angularity, 2) configuration to the rising sign, 3) the joys of the planets.
- This is one of the major divides between the ancient and modern traditions.
- One of the questions is whether these approaches should be reconciled.
- In the domicile lord of the Ascendant lecture I started seeing evidence of Mercurial significations associated with the 3rd house.
- This led me to wonder whether I should reconsider using the natural houses, since then Gemini would be associated with the 3rd.
- First I tried to see if there were any decent explanations for this within the context of traditional astrology.
- Mercurial significaitons started entering into the 3rd in the early Medieval tradition (messengers, legates, messages), but it is not clear from where.
- These significations weren’t there in the Hellenistic tradition.
- Possible traditional explanations?
- Does it have to do with the Moon since that is its joy?
- The Egyptian god Thoth was originally a Moon god.
- The Thema Mundi is Virgo.
- Or can the Moon itself indicate messengers because of moves between the planets.
- Link to the discussion on Skyscript.
- Or is it really just because the 3rd house should be associated with Gemini in some way due to the natural houses?
- Should the two systems be reconciled, or should traditional astrologers continue to avoid the natural houses?
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 17 transcript
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