Void of Course Moon Rehabilitated?

Barleywine

I just came across a brief article on John Frawley's web-site that I find intriguing. Apparently, William Lilly said that, with the Moon VoC, "things go hardly on." Frawley opines that modern astrologers have misinterpreted the word "hardly," equating it with its modern definition of "scarcely," and have concluded that Lilly meant nothing happens until the Moon makes its first aspect in the next sign. Frawley points out that "hardly" in Lilly's time would have meant "in a hard way," so what Lilly really meant was that there would be difficulties during this period. I've seen it written elsewhere that the Moon becomes something of a "free agent" when VoC, but not that it is particular challenged. The general idea seemed to be that it's "taking a breather." Any thoughts on this?

Minderwiz

Barleywine said:
I just came across a brief article on John Frawley's web-site that I find intriguing. Apparently, William Lilly said that, with the Moon VoC, "things go hardly on." Frawley opines that modern astrologers have misinterpreted the word "hardly," equating it with its modern definition of "scarcely," and have concluded that Lilly meant nothing happens until the Moon makes its first aspect in the next sign. Frawley points out that "hardly" in Lilly's time would have meant "in a hard way," so what Lilly really meant was that there would be difficulties during this period. I've seen it written elsewhere that the Moon becomes something of a "free agent" when VoC, but not that it is particular challenged. The general idea seemed to be that it's "taking a breather." Any thoughts on this?

Yes he's probably right but I'm not sure that has a major impact on the use. Lilly clearly saw difficulties with the Void of Course Moon. Elsewhere he says You shall seldom see a business go handsomely forward when she is so' Which ties in with Frawley's point but suggests that things will not go well at all. In his statement that Frawley quotes from, I think it's clear that he means things will be hard - i.e. difficult He then goes on to say that 'yet somewhat she performs if void of course and be either in Taurus, Cancer Sagittarius or Pisces Apart from her own sign, those are the signs of Jupiter, and Venus (and the exaltations of the Moon and Venus).

Lilly also says/ it's not safe to judge when the Moon is in the later degrees of a sign, especially Gemini, Scorpio or Capricorn (the Detriment of Jupiter and the signs of the two malefics).

My reading of this is that firstly you don't judge if the Moon is in the last three degrees of a sign. Secondly you will take the Moon VOC to mean there's little chance of getting the matter perfected except with a lot of difficulty, unless the Moon is in Cancer, Taurus or Sagittarius. Thirdly just because Lilly said it does not make it so.

Barleywine

Minderwiz said:
Yes he's probably right but I'm not sure that has a major impact on the use. Lilly clearly saw difficulties with the Void of Course Moon. Elsewhere he says You shall seldom see a business go handsomely forward when she is so' Which ties in with Frawley's point but suggests that things will not go well at all. In his statement that Frawley quotes from, I think it's clear that he means things will be hard - i.e. difficult He then goes on to say that 'yet somewhat she performs if void of course and be either in Taurus, Cancer Sagittarius or Pisces Apart from her own sign, those are the signs of Jupiter, and Venus (and the exaltations of the Moon and Venus).

Lilly also says/ it's not safe to judge when the Moon is in the later degrees of a sign, especially Gemini, Scorpio or Capricorn (the Detriment of Jupiter and the signs of the two malefics).

My reading of this is that firstly you don't judge if the Moon is in the last three degrees of a sign. Secondly you will take the Moon VOC to mean there's little chance of getting the matter perfected except with a lot of difficulty, unless the Moon is in Cancer, Taurus or Sagittarius. Thirdly just because Lilly said it does not make it so.

I sure wish my facsimile edition of Christian Astrology was easier to read; those damn archaic "f" characters trip me up every time, making it slow going. I believe Dave Roell's Astrology Classics has published a re-set version that retains the organizational structure of the original. Maybe one day I'll spring for that.

Anyway, I appreciate the feedback. I'm going to save these quotes for future use.

Minderwiz

Barleywine said:
I sure wish my facsimile edition of Christian Astrology was easier to read; those damn archaic "f" characters trip me up every time, making it slow going. I believe Dave Roell's Astrology Classics has published a re-set version that retains the organizational structure of the original. Maybe one day I'll spring for that.

Anyway, I appreciate the feedback. I'm going to save these quotes for future use.

I use an old Ascella version of Deb Houlding's retyped edition for Books I and II. There's a later version by Astrological Classics. I have Book III from them.