So You Think You Can Horary? 💃🏾

What is interrogational astrology?

Practicing Horary astrology can be a rewarding experience, as it allows you to provide valuable insights and guidance to those seeking answers to pressing questions. On April 1st, 2023 I decided to sign up for Chris Brennan's and Rob Bailey's Horary course through The Astrology School. It was during that time that I had to study a list of aphorisms in order to successfully answer a question posed to me. To be able to explain how to do this, I wanted to give an overview of the history, a couple of aphorisms to get some understanding, and then my submission of the question that I had to answer correctly with feedback given to me by one of my teacher's.

So what is Horary astrology? Horary is also known as interrogational astrology which is a branch of astrology that emerged in the later Hellenistic tradition and gained prominence in the later Medieval tradition. In this form of astrology, the astrologer casts a horoscope for the exact moment when a client asks a specific question. The belief is that the astrological chart cast for that moment holds valuable information and insights about the nature of the question and its potential outcome.

In horary astrology, the astrologer interprets the positions of planets, houses, and other astrological factors to provide answers and predictions related to the question asked. The interpretation often involves careful analysis of the planetary aspects, sign placements, and other celestial indicators to gain a deeper understanding of the situation at hand.

Horary astrology became quite popular during the Medieval and Renaissance periods, and even though it had its critics, it's remained a significant in astrological practice. The astrologer's skill lies in accurately interpreting the chart and applying astrological principles to offer insightful answers and guidance to the client's specific inquiry.

It's important to note that while horary astrology has its followers and practitioners, the broader field of astrology also encompasses other branches, such as natal astrology (reading a person's birth chart) and mundane astrology (analyzing events and trends on a larger scale, such as national or global events). Each branch of astrology serves different purposes and has its own methods and techniques.

Aphorisms

Here is a couple examples of common aphorisms or principles used in horary astrology:

1. The chart must be cast for the moment the question is clearly understood or asked by the querent (person asking the question).

2. The Ascendant (rising sign) represents the querent, and the first house signifies the nature of the question.

3. Applying aspects indicate the future, while separating aspects indicate the past.

These aphorisms serve as fundamental guidelines for interpreting horary charts and providing answers to specific questions. As with any form of astrology, the skill and experience of the astrologer play a crucial role in accurately applying these principles and offering insightful guidance to the querent. So when I delineate the chart casted at the moment the question is understood, I will not only be going through a set of rules to help me navigate the answer of the matter, but I will also be going back into my books, such as The Astrology of Sahl B. Bishr, Volume I: Principles, Elections, Questions, Nativities and Christian Astrology Volumes I & II. In The Astrology of Sahl, it lists a set of fifty aphorisms used to explain some basic concepts in order to practice horary astrology. It also has section called "On Questions", which goes through planetary conditions that you could take into account if you were to say be answering a question regarding relationships, marriage, lawsuits, children, and much more.

So now, my quest. A journey into trying to answer a posed question correctly...

The question that was asked was, “Will my dad text me in the next week?

Chart Info: July 13, 2023

8:49:05pm PDT + 7:00

Everett, WA

First thing I see is that the domicile lord of the ascendant is Saturn. Saturn is in the 3rd house in Pisces. The Moon which is ruler of the 7th is in the 6th house in Gemini and it is separating from Saturn in the 3rd which indicates the past. I would say the answer is no, just based on the separation. Mars in the 9th of Virgo is also in an applying opposition to Saturn. Mars can indicate separation or cutting off and since it is an applying aspect, this indicates the future.

Saturn being in the 3rd was striking since it is in the house of communication. This being a day chart with Mars being the malefic contrary to sect in the 9th can indicate more destruction, rather than constructive. The querents father will not text him in the next week.

In the book, The Astrology of Sahl B. Bishr Volume I, I had no luck finding anything relating to cell phone communication, however on page 135 Chapter 7.6 I think “meetings”, can be a significance in this instance considering that this talk would have been a lead up to future visitation. It says, “And if the Moon connected with the lord of her house, then they will separate with satisfaction and profit; and if she did not look at it, they will separate with accusation by one against the other.” The Moon is in aversion, located in the 6th house which is in a cadent house and does not connect with the ascendant. I found this interesting because the querent had deep fears of this connection being a bad idea and that nothing would come of it or that it would cause a feud.

Update: 7/23/2023 9:23pm- Querent did not receive a text or any sort of communication.

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Response from my teacher Rob Bailey:

Your analysis of the chart was detailed and I could see you were referring back to the core principles in the course, like identifying significators, the distinction between applying and separating aspects, aversion and angularity.

I was also really pleased to see you perusing Sahl for relevant rules, this is something I do all the time and was glad to see you have this habit too.

The one thing I feel you missed was not considering the 4th house, the house of parents. With a question like this one, my approach would be to look for connections between the ruler of the 1st house and the ruler of the 4th house of parents, or at a pinch a connection between the Moon and the ruler of the 4th house. I recognise you focused on the 7th house, the house of "the other" -- I think this would be appropriate for a question like "Will my business partner contact me?" or "Will my girlfriend contact me?" Similarly, we can adapt by choosing whichever house is relevant - for example, if the question is "Will my brother contact me?" we might look to the 3rd house of siblings, for "Will my friend contact me?" we might look at the 11th house, and so on.

In this chart the 4th whole sign house is Aries, so Mars the ruler of Aries signifies the querents father. So a connection between Saturn and Mars, or the Moon and Mars, should give us a Yes answer.

Then I saw that Mars was heading to an opposition with Saturn, the ruler of the Ascendant and the significator of the querent, and I thought "Well maybe this does actually show a Yes answer" because the opposition, while not ideal, is still a connection and better than nothing.

And that made me wonder, how can we have a connection between the relevant significators, and yet in reality the father did not call or text? Then I realised, Saturn is retrograde, meaning that it is too weak to accept the connection with Mars and will "return" the aspect, so that it is effectively null and void (Sahl, Introduction, Ch.3, 65). This means even though there is a connection, nothing will come from it.

Another factor pointing to the opposition being ineffective is that it's between malefic planets and there is no reception, which Sahl says "makes the matters hard and undermines them" (Fifty Aphorisms, Aph. 19).

This concept of "returning" is not covered in the present course materials but we will be covering it in our upcoming lecture on planetary condition, so keep an eye out for that.

I don't think you should be marked down for not knowing about "returning" -- after all, we haven't even covered it yet in the course content! I just mention it here for your benefit as a student. So my only real critique is that you didn't look at the 4th house or its ruler in a question about a parent.

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My thoughts:

Rob did an amazing job at explaining in way that can be understood and I am grateful for his feedback.

My biggest mistake that Rob so graciously pointed out was not looking to the 4th house of parents. When I was interpreting, I did focus a lot on the condition of the 1st house, 7th house,and the moon. Additionally, I realize how elegantly rob responded and how I need to work on explaining to a normal person without the astrology jargon.

All this to say, that if you wish to practice horary, remember that it requires practice and experience to become proficient. As I continue to study and apply these principles, I will eventually enhance my ability to interpret horary questions effectively. It's so fascinating to even be able to do this. My advice is to continually study. Practice with your family and friends and be open to critique. It's what is going to make us better astrologers.

If you wish to sign up for the course, please follow this link.