This is a deeply profound chart and it illustrates the psycho-spiritual potentials of horary. In fact there are several instances where more modern psychological definitions of the houses were much more appropriate than the more mundane medieval meanings, and this will be explained below. The querent’s question was very vague (and I was asked to not reveal too many details in this analysis for privacy reasons), and they did not give me much background information. While speaking with them I got a sense that there was probably a life changing event that had recently occurred and this had created spiritual differences between them and their friends that the querent might not have been aware of. This ended up being the case and is shown very simply in the chart.

 

• Cancer is rising and thus the Moon alone is our querent. The Moon is in the 12th house and in Gemini (12th sign from Cancer, and considered a debility for the Moon) reflecting the fact that our querent felt uncertain and isolated during this current interval of life. Curiously the Moon is applying to Venus, also in the 12th, who is L11 and thus friends. Both are together separating from an opposition to Saturn retrograde, himself being L8. I asked if a recent emotional crisis (this is a more modern definition of the 8th house) had recently been encountered by our querent. This was indeed the case and the querent confirmed that the crisis happened while with a friend (hence the close conjunction of Venus and the Moon separating from Saturn). This was primarily an emotional/philosophical crisis and deeply affected the querent (Saturn is also L9). This was one reason that the chart needed to be interpreted more psychologically. In addition to this I also asked a slew of more mundane questions based on my reading of the chart (as the querent had given me very little information) that could have been possible. Many of these were incorrect and thus I turned to a more abstract perspective.

 

• Mercury is L4 and is afflicted by a conjunction with Mars in detriment in Taurus, both in the 11th. I had first asked if any of these friends were making the querent’s home life difficult. This was not the case. I then said instead that perhaps the querent’s sense of grounding was unstable and that they felt unrooted emotionally. This was confirmed.

 

• Mars is L10 and L5. The source of this trouble was partly to do with the querent’s current form of employment (south node also in the 10th) and possibly with a stifled ability to express themselves in an individually fulfilling manner (5th). The blockage of joy and self expression (5th) is interlinked with the difficulty being experienced with friends. One example the querent gave me was that there was difficulty encountered when trying to discuss the philosophical implications of the 8th house crisis referred to above with at least one of the friends. Mars/Mercury also afflict Jupiter in Leo and the 2nd house by square aspect. Jupiter is natural ruler of faith and religion and also rules the 9th by whole sign houses. His placement in the 2nd, along with the part of fortune, may show on the one hand that money or rather security were at the time of the question in the back of the querent’s mind (this was confirmed). The 2nd is also self esteem and so we can say that faith and self esteem are being challenged or afflicted by what is said concerning Mars/Mercury above (job/destiny, ability for joy/expression, a sense of grounding, and I add here doubts (Mercury as L12)). The querent said that they lived day to day, financially speaking, and while to me they seemed to be a self confident person (Jupiter in the 2nd) they were clearly struggling in that area (square from Mars/Mercury).

 

• The Sun adds some additional information. It is L2 and placed in the 11th of friends. In this case it makes sense to say that the native’s self esteem and even physical security is tied to the notion of the friends originally inquired about. It also, along with Mars, shows a connection with the 10th house. At first I thought to ask if the native’s job interefered with their friendships. This was not the case, so I then said perhaps your actions in the world, your public persona, don’t sit well with your friends. This was confirmed, but I didn’t receive any other details regarding the matter.

 

• The Part of Spirit falls in the Gemini and once again we return to the afflicted state of its dispositor, Mercury. The Pars Fidei is also in Gemini but in the 12th. This reinforces the theme of shaken faith as a big part of the difficulties the querent was facing (already discussed above).

 

• Mars as Almutem Figuris shows the deeper dimensions of the chart. This is the strongest planet in any chart calculated through an esoteric technique preserved by the Medieval Astrologer Ibn Ezra. This planet seems to show something of the deeper purpose behind the situation in a horary chart. Again he rules the 10th and the 5th and psychologically and spiritually these houses mean creative identity, and individual destiny within the greater whole. These areas are highlighted and the main inner problems our querent must deal with are these. Such deep questions are disturbing both the querent’s sense of groundedness (Mercury as ruler of the 4th) and faith, or philosophical conceptions regarding the purpose of life (square to Jupiter and Mercury dispositing Pars Spiritus and Pars Fidei) and ultimately this is all having the most noted impact on certain friendships (planets in the 11th).

 

• In classical astrology Mars is debilitated in Taurus, yet from a humanistic perspective this Mars has a deeper meaning. Mars is the warrior and the Sun, the symbol of truth, is exalted in the sign of Mars, Aries. Therefore the real Mars is the defender and warrior of truth. Taurus is an earth sign and a fixed sign. In many ways it is a symbol of sexual and all sensual desires. Thus Mars’ dynamic quality does not find adequate expression in this sign and indeed as Mars is said to rule the 3rd chakra of individual identity and will, these features become hindered when he is placed in this sign. Yet the truth of the matter is not that Mars is hindered or hinders, but that the person’s reluctance to give up what they regard so stubbornly as their identity is what hinders. In Taurus this identity may be linked to racial heritage or family heritage and most importantly to desires of all kinds and a belief that there can be security in that which is physical and temporal. Mars as servant of truth placed in Taurus comes to shake and destroy these erroneous notions so that right action (also Mars) may be cultivated. In the 11th this identity is somehow tied to these friendships. At least this is one possible interpretation.

 

• Finally Venus co-rules the 4th house of emotional/individual grounding. The north node is placed there and the Moon is moving to join with Venus. This represents the future, just as the separation from Saturn represents the past. The future lies in digging deeper foundations, which is a very personal journey and one which requires a great amount of work. I see the dual rulership of the 4th as moving from Mercury (rational mind) to Venus (the wisdom of the heart). Venus is in the 12th and thus it is only through going deeper into the feeling of isolation that this discovery of truth will be possible. One only hopes that this friend (Venus) is not working secretly against our querent (12th).

Yet one (this one) may never come to know the outcome and so for now some of this remains as pure speculation.