Horary: Retrogradation

jayaso

Hi all,

I had a very quick question about horary.

I have recently drawn a chart and found that the significator for the first house (Jupiter) and the significator for the 7th house (Mercury) are separating. However, Mercury is retrograde.

Provided all other things are equal, what does this mean?

Does it potentially mean a "change" of heart about the separation once Mercury goes direct, or is a change of heart only likely when there is an applying aspect?

P.s. I know that Jupiter is about to move in to Libra, but as the aspect is not applying... I do not think this amounts to evasion. Also, I know the moon is via combusta at present, but humor me for a second.

Thanks in advance x
 

Minderwiz

Can you post the question and also the chart details (time, date, place).

Jupiter and Mercury were in partile conjunction up to two days ago so you might still have a positive answer: depending on the question, of course.

Apart from the obvious change of direction, which can change application to separation, retrogradation is an accidental debility. It weakens the significators. Usually this signifies heading in the wrong direction, looking backwards either physically or mentally; behaving erratically. This list isn't exhaustive but in general, if the significators is a person, they are unlikely to behave in a manner that will secure the desired outcome.
 

Barleywine

John Frawley has an observation on this very subject in The Horary Textbook:

"It is common when the person signified by the retrograde planet is coming back, either literally or metaphorically. If the question were "Will I get back with my old boyfriend?" the significators coming together to an aspect with one of them retrograde would make sense in the context."

Assuming that direct Jupiter and retrograde Mercury are converging on an aspect, this would seem to apply in your case. I've also read somewhere (possibly in Kevin Burk or Avelar and Rubeiro) that aspects formed when the faster planet is retrograding back toward the slower one are considered to be "applying" aspects.
 

Minderwiz

Yes, mi you are right, in such circumstances the matter is likely to be perfected. In this case I'm not so sure, but it could be so. Mainly this is because of the word recent in the original post. Taking it back to the start of the month, Jupiter and Mercury were both in 28 degrees Virgo, with Mercury being about 20 minute further on. Over the next three days, Mercury retrograded over Jupiter, which does meet your condition but by 4th Septembrr, Mercury is back into 27 degrees and Jupiter is forward into 29 degrees and the two are separating. So when the chart was cast becomes crucial ( and of course the question always is).