Classical Concepts with Their Respective Debilities, the Detriment and Fall
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Essential Dignities ■ The modern system of dignities has only two types: the rulership, and the exaltation, along Classical Concepts with their respective debilities, the detriment and fall. ■ While these are the strongest of the dignities, the Part 1: reason that this system has become truncated in Essential Dignities. modern usage is that the meanings became vesti- gial. © 1996, 2000, 2008, 2010 J. Lee Lehman, Ph.D. 1 2 Rulerships ■ The classical system uses dignity to evaluate a planet's strength. ■ There are seven traditional planets, plus the three Outer Planets. ■ Not all of these planets are going to be operational in any particular moment. ■ The aspects tell us the ways that the planets interact with each other, but not how well. ■ Basically, the dignities tell us which planets stick out like sore thumbs, and which planets will tend to shift into the background. 4 Rulerships Sect in Rulerships ■ A planet in its own Sign (as Mars in Aries) when ■ In Hellenistic astrology, the sect (whether day or it represents a horary Significator, symbolizes a night) was extremely important. person able to charge out and get what she or he ■ Even into the Arabic period in authors such as wants. Māshā'Allāh, the doctrine of sect was important ■ That person is ready and able to do what it takes enough to declare planets considerably weaker if to accomplish the question. they lacked sect 5 6 Rulerships Rulerships ■ power ■ Planets in Rulership score +5 on essential dig- ■ owner nity. ■ success ■ Planets in Rulership are said to have one of the ■ prosperity strong dignities (fortis, in Latin). ■ strength ■ productive ■ authority 7 8 Exaltations ■ A planet in its own Exaltation (as Sun in Aries) when it represents a horary Significator, shows a person who gets things done by having someone else do it for them. ■ In natal astrology, a planet in exaltation repres- ents a planet that has others ready to step in to do whatever needs doing. ■ The downside, of course, is that another seldom does it exactly the way that the Native might prefer! 9 10 Exaltations Exaltations ■ persuasion ■ Planets in Exaltation score +4 on essential dig- ■ guest nity. ■ recognition ■ Planets in Exaltation are said to have one of the ■ comfort strong dignities (fortis, in Latin). ■ pride ■ majestic ■ grace 11 12 Triplicities and Sect ■ A day chart means the Sun is in the 12th through 7th Houses. ■ A night chart is one where the Sun is in the 6th through 1st Houses. ■ The Triplicities have a different Ruler, depending on whether the chart is day or night. 13 14 Triplicities Triplicities ■ A planet in its own Triplicity (as Jupiter in Aries ■ In natal astrology, Planets in Triplicity are gener- at night) when it represents a horary Significator, ally considered lucky. gives someone who gets his or her desires by be- ■ Good things happen not because you necessarily ing in the right place at the right time – by luck, excel at them, but because you stumble upon a in other words. good result. ■ This is when the Wheel of Fortune stops on your color. 15 16 Triplicities Triplicities ■ lucky ■ Planets in Triplicity score +3 on essential dig- ■ self-made nity. ■ fortunate ■ Planets in Triplicity are said to have one of the ■ well-off strong dignities (fortis, in Latin). ■ harmony ■ favorable ■ auspicious 17 18 Terms ■ A planet in its own Term (as Mercury at sixteen degrees of Aries) when it represents a horary Significator, gives a person who looks the part, but may not have any skill at all in the matter at hand. ■ Still, having the appearance of competency, the person may yet pull it off. 19 20 Terms Terms ■ In natal astrology, the watch word for Planets in ■ Nobody exactly knows what the Terms were Term is “dress for success.” meant to be. However, we can see a logic for ■ You can get what you want by appearing to how they were constructed. already have it. ■ The planet which is the ruler by Sign, Exaltation, ■ Protective coloration is everything. or Triplicity tends to get the first term position most frequently. This falls off dramatically after the first position. As one may note from the tables, Mars or Saturn gets the final position. 22 21 Terms Terms ■ In Hellenistic and Arabic Astrology, the Terms ■ competency were rated much more strongly than many later ■ clone sources ■ adequate ■ In Rhetorius, there is some evidence that an as- ■ settled pect of the Moon completed within the same ■ facsimile Terms was viewed as being much stronger. ■ mimics ■ In some Hellenistic sources, the Terms are called ■ acceptance the Bounds. 24 Terms ■ Planets in Term score +2 on essential dignity. ■ Planets in Term are said to have one of the weak dignities (debilito, in Latin). 26 25 Face Face ■ A planet in its own Face (as Venus at twenty two ■ In natal astrology, the anxiety issue also predom- degrees of Aries) when it represents a horary inates. Significator, gives someone fearful about the ■ There is another use: rather like the idea of a whole process. mask. The Face may show the persona that this ■ As a result, while this really isn’t much of a dig- natal planet wears to portray itself to the world. nity, the person’s attention is focused!. 28 27 Face Face ■ The Face table looks exactly like the concept of ■ fear decanates, as far as construction is concerned. ■ climber ■ The decanates that most modern astrologers are ■ danger familiar with are actually Vedic. These tradtional ■ anxiety western Faces are also called Chaldean ■ denial decanates. ■ concern ■ Loathing 29 30 Face ■ Planets in Face score +1 on essential dignity. ■ Planets in Face are said to have one of the weak dignities (debilito, in Latin). 31 32 Debilities Developmental Model ■ The Detriments are the signs opposite the ruler- ■ I envision the difference dignity and debility ships, as Mars is debilitated in Libra and Taurus through a developmental model. ■ The Falls are the signs opposite the exaltations, ■ In any society, the people with panets in their rul- as Jupiter is in Fall in Capricorn ing signs will naturally act like that society's ex- ■ Debilities mean that you start the race behind pectations for that planet. everyone else ■ Accordingly, people with planets in Detriment or Fall may learn to operate via a contrarian model, which is easier than qualities nothing like the preferred type. 33 Mutual Receptions Peregrine Planets ■ Can occur between any of the five different dig- ■ Peregrine planets have no dignity by any of the nities five essential dignities in their degree. ■ Those between Rulership, Exaltation and Tripli- ■ "Peregrine" comes from the same Latin root as city are much stronger "pilgrim." ■ Reception means the planets will "help" – but ■ Note: Noel Tyl decided about 30 years ago to re- this can be negative as well cycle the word “peregrine” to mean unaspected. ■ At the time, classical astrology was virtually un- known, so that no conflict was originally presented by this redefinition. ■ However, since then, his choice has created consider- able confusion. 35 36 Peregrine Planets Debilities ■ In horary, peregrine planets represent damaged ■ Furthermore the debilities are just as strong as goods, or persons unable to control their own fate the dignities. ■ In natal, peregrine planets come without an ■ The debilities may be thought of as being bad in owner's manual – the Native has to learn how to the modern slang context, as we will see. use them, and gets little support for this learning process 37 38 Partile Partile ■ A partile aspect is one within the degree. Notice ■ The Pythagoreans believed that numbers had intrinsic that I didn't say within one degree of separation. sacred qualities. In this case, any planet would be in a partile as- ■ This is embedded in astrology: our system is based on pect if it were in a ptolemaic aspect (conjunction, the basic position that each of the twelve signs have spe- cific and intrinsic meanings. opposition, trine, square, and sextile) and located ■ The partile concept merely extends this sacred numero- at 13º. logy one step further. The degree is as far as human con- ■ Any other aspect not in the same degree is plact- sciousness detects, except perhaps at a very subtle level. ic. It becomes obvious in horary and electional work, where the difference between approaching or separating mat- ters. In both these forms, a partile separating aspect still brings results, while a plactic separating one doesn't. 39 40 Orbs Moieties There are at least two classical systems of orbs, ■ The Medieval and Renaissance system was to assign neither being much in use today. moieties to the planets. ■ ■ The older system is whole sign: Mars in Aries is A moiety is a half-orb. I have presented them in the sextile Mercury in Gemini regardless of the de- table following. ■ In order to create an aspect orb, it was necessary to sum gree. the moieties of the two planets together. This is ■ This is the system of orbs you will encounter in completely different than the three most common Ptolemy. modern systems: the harmonic system (conjunction gets ■ Other variations were possible, such as Rhetorius the biggest orb, then opposition, then trine, etc.); the mentioning the completion of orbs within the same lights and planets system (the lights get a bigger orb Term. than the planets); and the Cosmobiology & Uranian system (keep it as small as possible). 41 42 Moieties Table Almutens ■ Through the Renaissance, Almutens were used Orb preferentially to sign rulers if the Almuten was Saturn 10.0 Jupiter 12.0 more dignified. Mars 7.5 ■ No doubt the reason this dropped out of usage Sun 17.0 was laziness: it is simply easier to eyeball a sign Venus 8.0 ruler.