posted December 27, 2010 03:05 PM            

Few astrologers would dispute the relevance of sign rulership - we base much of our art on its strengthening influence and judge the condition of the planets according to their relationship with the signs. Ancient astrologers called the signs the 'houses of the planets', regarding them as planetary abodes. Although it is natural to assume that sign rulerships form the very essence of astrology, they have a limited history which, unlike planetary exaltations, cannot be traced to the Mesopotamian period. [1] We assume that their origin is classical, not only because of a lack of data from earlier times, but because the arrangement is based upon a planetary order which considers the length of their orbital periods (i.e., - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Sarturn), first introduced by the Greeks.

Curiously, planetary rulerships are absent from the Astronomica of Manilius - possibly due to a lacuna in the text, or the author's untimely death which left the work incomplete. [2] They are evident in the literary sources and charts of the 1st century BC, however, and were clearly an established part of astrology by that stage. [3]

In Book I of his Tetrabiblos Ptolemy gives a clear explanation of the reasons for the arrangement of sign rulerships, showing how they are based upon a symmetrical pattern that extends from the luminaries. As in most ancient symbolism, the pivotal point in the underlying philosophy is the relationship of the Sun to the Earth. Hence the distribution of planets to signs begins at the cusp between Cancer and Leo where the power of the Sun is greatest (at least in the northern hemisphere where astrology evolved).

Since the most productive of heat and warmth are Cancer and Leo, they assigned these to the greatest and most powerful heavenly bodies, the luminaries, as houses. Leo, which is masculine, to the Sun and Cancer, which is feminine, to the Moon. [4]

The five visible planets are then distributed between the ten remaining signs in such a way that each has a 'day house' in a masculine sign and a 'nocturnal house' in a feminine sign. (It is, of course, fitting that the luminaries rule only one sign each since the Sun loses its power in a feminine sign, just as the Moon loses its potency in masculine signs.)

Symetry of sign rulers

The androgynous planet Mercury governs those signs - Gemini and Virgo - that adjoin the home of the masculine Sun and that of the feminine Moon, in keeping with its asexual nature. Ptolemy pointed out that Mercury is never further from the Sun than one sign in either direction so it is appropriate that the cusps of its signs preserve this relationship with the cusp of the sign of the Sun.

Following Mercury is Venus, the fertility goddess, governing signs which Ptolemy described as 'extremely fertile': Taurus and Libra. Venus is a benefic planet; the friendly sextile between the beginning of Leo and the cusps of her signs again preserve the astronomical relationship between Venus and the Sun by keeping them within the distance of two signs.

Next comes Mars, designated to Aries and Scorpio because, according to Ptolemy, they are agreeable to its destructive and inharmonious nature, and form a hostile square aspect to the 'houses' of the luminaries.

Jupiter, the 'Greater Benefic', governs the signs that form a harmonious trine aspect to the luminaries - Sagittarius and Pisces.

Saturn, the furthest visible planet from the Sun, is given rulership of the signs that are most distant from the Sun's 'home': Capricorn and Aquarius. These are the signs of the coldest, wintry weather, their unfriendly aspect to the signs of the luminaries befitting the destructive nature of the 'Greater Malefic'.

The association of planets to places of their own gender (or sect) was far more relevant in traditional astrology than it is today and formed an important part of evaluating planetary strength. Al-Biruni tells us that a masculine planet was dignified when positioned in a masculine sign and weakened in a feminine one, the former being known as hayyiz (or hayz), meaning 'natural place' or 'preferred position', the latter being known as contention. [5] Although the planets have two signs each, they are nonetheless more potent when located in the sign which corresponds to their own gender and temperament. Saturn is a masculine planet and thus prefers the sign of Aquarius to Capricorn. For the same reason Jupiter prefers Sagittarius to Pisces, and Mars prefers Aries to Scorpio. Venus is feminine and so prefers Taurus to Libra, while Mercury, although common to both genders, prefers Virgo to Gemini because it most closely maintains its natural relationship with the Sun.

Preferred rulerships of the planets

Signs of detriment are simply those which oppose signs of rulership. The Sun, for example, rules Leo and is detrimented in the opposite sign, Aquarius. Clearly, if a planet in its own sign is in its strongest, safest position, it is at its most vulnerable in the furthest sign from this point.

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Notes & References:

1] Neugebauer & Parker, Egyptian Astronomical texts Vol. III, p.203.
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2] Even so, it is strange that Manilius gives so much other information on the signs, but never once mentions their rulers (and even offers an alternative scheme of guardianship which links the Sun with Gemini, the Moon with Sagittarius, Mercury with Cancer, Venus with Taurus, Mars with Scorpio and Jupiter with Leo).
Astronomica, 2.433 (Loeb p.117.) See also Intro. xlvi.
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3] This can be seen from the early classical charts published in Neugebauer's Greek Horoscopes.
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4] Tetrabiblos, 1.17 'Of the Houses of the Several Planets'; (Loeb p.79)
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5] The Book of Instruction in the Elements of the Art of Astrology, (written 1029, translated 1934 by R. Ramsay Wright) ch. 496 & 497, p.308.
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http://www.skyscript.co.uk/rulership.html

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No..I am not a Virgo.

posted December 27, 2010 03:11 PM            

The first column of the table indicates the signs of the zodiac.

The second column shows the traditional rulers of the signs. It is headed 'house' because ancient terminology referred to the signs that the planets ruled as being their natural 'houses' or 'homes'.

Apart from the Sun and Moon, each of the planets rules one sign by diurnal expression (D) and one by nocturnal expression (N). Hence Mars rules both Aries and Scorpio, but in Aries, its diurnal rulership, its energies are expressed more openly and directly; in Scorpio (its nocturnal rulership), its energies are more introverted and unconsciously driven. Diurnal simply means 'of the nature of the day'; nocturnal, 'of the nature of the night'. The terms 'diurnal and nocturnal' are synonymous with 'masculine and feminine', 'yin and yang', 'extrovert and introvert'. Diurnal energy usually gives a more spontaneous reaction where inner drives are consciously expressed and clearly apparent. Nocturnal energy is usually more reflective and operates at a deeper level of consciousness.

In considering the traditional scheme, note from the illustration at the top of the page how the planetary rulerships fan out in a symmetrical pattern from the union of the Sun and Moon.

The third column shows where each of the planets are exalted. The specific degree of exaltation is included - these degrees are particularly notable although the dignity of exaltation is generally applied to the whole of the sign. Hence Mars is dignified at any position in Capricorn, the sign of its exaltation, but the dignity will be especially apparent in the 28th degree. The traditional exaltations of the nodes are included although I have never really seen these put to good use in judgements.

The fourth column shows the planetary rulership of the triplicities. You will see that the pattern repeats for the fire triplicity - Aries, Leo and Sagittarius; the earth triplicity - Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn; the air triplicity - Gemini, Libra and Aquarius; and the water triplicity - Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.

In triplicity rulerships the planetary rulers change according to whether the chart is a daytime chart, (which features the Sun above the horizon), or a night-time chart, (where the sun has set). The 'D' and 'N' at the top of the column indicate the rulers by day and night. So if the chart is cast for noon then Saturn acts as the triplicity ruler of all the air signs; at midnight Mercury would be used instead.

The fifth column shows the degrees where rulership by term transfers. That is, Jupiter rules the first six degree of Aries, from 0°00' - 5°59'; Venus rules from 6°00' - 13°59 Aries.

Notice that the Sun and Moon do not rule any of the terms. Also that the malefic planets, Mars and Saturn rule the final terms of every sign (this principle is fixed from 27 degrees to the end of the sign). The malefics fo not rule any of the middle terms (from 6 degrees - 19 degrees), which are all held by Mercury, Venus or Jupiter.

The sixth column shows the degrees where rulership by face transfers. That is, Mars rules the first ten degree of Aries, from 0°00' - 9°59'; the Sun rules rules from 10°00' - 19°59 Aries.

Notice how the order of planetary rulership over the faces winds across the column in descending order of their proximity to earth; that is - Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon.

As you read their order down the column, you find the pattern that matches the order of the days of the week - Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn:

Sun - Sunday
Moon - Monday
Mars - Tuesday (equivalent Scandinavian god Tyr - O.E.: Tiw)
Mercury - Wednesday(equivalent Scandinavian god Odin - O.E.: Woden)
Jupiter - Thursday (equivalent Scandinavian god Thor)
Venus - Friday (equivalent Scandinavian god Frigg)
Saturn - Saturday

The seventh column shows the signs where the planets experience detriment. These are the signs opposite the ones they rule, so apart from the Sun and Moon, each planet has two signs of detriment just as they have two signs of rulership.

The eighth column shows the signs where the planets experience fall. These are opposite the signs of exaltation, so each planet has only one sign of fall, just as they have only one sign of exaltation. Although the debility is applied throughout the sign, the specific degrees mentioned in the list of exaltations carry extra significance, so the 28th degree of Cancer is particularly notable as a degree of debility for Mars, being the sign and degree of its fall.

The following sections in this article explain the use of dignities, debilities and reception in chart interpretation. Before moving on, try the exercise below to make sure that you understand how to take dignities and rulerships from Ptolemy's table.

Test your ability to read the table correctly

If you want to check that you can read this table correctly, try the following exercise - a link to the answers is given below.

1) In a day-time chart, Saturn is placed at 15°35' Taurus. List the planets that rule Saturn's position by sign, exaltation, triplicity, term and face. Does Saturn have any essential dignity in this position?

2) In a night-time chart, the Moon is placed at 19°45' Cancer. List the planets that rule the Moon's position by sign, exaltation, triplicity, term and face. Does the Moon have any essential dignity in this position?

3) In which three signs is Venus essentially debilitated?

4) In a night-time chart Mercury is at 26°12 Aries. List the planets that rule Mercury's position by sign, exaltation, triplicity, term and face. Does Mercury have any essential dignity in this position?
http://www.skyscript.co.uk/dig2.html

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No..I am not a Virgo.

posted December 27, 2010 03:32 PM            

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No..I am not a Virgo.

posted December 27, 2010 03:34 PM            

That's great because sometimes I find it hard to remember, plus the specific degrees are mentioned.

posted December 27, 2010 03:42 PM            

I need to get me a Traditional Astrology book that includes the traditional interpretations of the planets in sign and house placements.

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No..I am not a Virgo.

posted December 27, 2010 04:05 PM            

quote:

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Jupiter, the 'Greater Benefic', governs the signs that form a harmonious trine aspect to the luminaries - Sagittarius and Pisces.

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