Minderwiz
Judging a Chart - Overview of the main features
Let's have a look at a chart:
I've attached a chart for Bill Clinton, the former US President. I'm going to make some very general comments on it's features. Perhaps later on we'll do a more in depth analysis but for the moment we will concentrate on forming an impression.
I did think of doing two charts, one a whole sign approach and one a 'quadrant' approach to the houses. However Clinton's chart is a little unusual in that all his house cusps are in different signs, even using a quadrant approach. So apart from an odd comment we will keep to the quadrant houses. I've used Regiomontanus cusps because I use those in virtually all my work. I'm not saying they are any better than Placidus, merely that I like them LOL
The first point of note is that this is a diurnal (Day) chart. This can be seen at a glance as the Sun is above the horizon (houses 12 to 7 inclusive)
Looking at the Ascendant first we see that it's in Libra, making the Ascendant ruler Venus. A quick glance shows us that Venus is also in Libra, in the first house and less than 6 degrees away. So we have a highly dignified Venus by both Essential and Accidental dignity. Just as a reminder, Essential Dignity comes from sign placement, Accidental dignity comes from it's chart position.
There are two other planets in the first house, both in Libra. Mars which is within a degree of the Ascendant and Jupiter which is well away from the Ascendant. Of these two Mars is going to have far more effect. Mars is in the sign of it's detriment and is also peregrine (no other essential dignity) This is a weak Mars and therefore a potentially troublesome Mars. All three planets are likely to have some effect on character and physical attributes. Mars therefore could be more troublesome on a health front than in regard to character and you should remember the body as well as the mind LOL.
Mars has accidental dignity because it is in the first and conjunct the Ascendant. It is also a little faster than average which is also good but is occidental (it will appear in the sky after the Sun has set). Jupiter is also quite slow which is an Accidental debility and it's distance from the Ascendant weakens what would be normally a very good placement.
Mars and Venus are both nocturnal planets so their placement below the horizon in this diurnal chart is good (though Mars will shortly rise). Jupiter is a diurnal planet and therefore would be happier above the horizon in this chart.
No other planet is situated below the horizon - so there's nothing about Clinton that is hidden from view.
The next thing of note is the position of the Sun. This is in Leo it's own sign and in a day chart the Sun also rules the Fire Triplicity. So it is also in its own Triplicity. It's positioned in a diurnal sign so it is in 'Hayz' an Arabic expression meaning that it's in a diurnal chart, above the horizon and in a diurnal sign - a powerful position for a diurnal planet. The Sun is in the eleventh House - not angular but succedent. The eleventh is also the house of the machinery of government - parliaments, ministers, cabinets, etc. Perhaps not a kingly placement but one tha indicates a very strong political standing.
Mercury and Saturn are both in conjunction in Leo. This is the only instance of placements that would be different in a Whole Sign approach. Here they are in the tenth rather than the eleventh. For Saturn Leo is the sign of it's detriment BUT it is in it's own terms and its own Face, so it has some dignity. Saturn is also a diurnal planet - so being placed in a diurnal sign, in a diurnal chart and above the horizon make it also in Hayz. Saturn has real power and here in the tenth, the House of the king. Saturn is also Almuten (planet with most dignity) at the degree of the Ascendant (Saturn is in exaltation in Libra, plus has Triplicity rulership of the air Signs in a diurnal chart). The Sun is also sextiled by Jupiter the Greater Benefic, it might not add much in this chart but it adds something positive.
Mercury is in its own terms in Leo, so it too has dignity. It is weakened a little by being oriental (Saturn conversely is strengthened). With a conjunction the outcome may be favourable or unfavourable, depending on whether the planets get on (are 'friends' or 'enemies'). Most modern Astrologers would not put Mercury and Saturn as natural friends. BUT Saturn and Mercury both rule Air Signs - Aquarius and Gemini, AND both rule Earth signs (Capricorn and Virgo). They can be natural allies. So the outcome here is likely to be fortunate. Bill Clinton is likely to have a good forensic mind, which can be put to political use. This is even stronger because both Mercury and Saturn sextile the Ascendant.
That leave us the Moon. The Moon is placed in Taurus, the sign of its exaltation. A very good zodiacal placement. However it is in the Eighth House, an unfortunate placement. The Moon is also third quarter, so it is waning or 'decreasing in light' which is accidentally weak. And it casts a square to the Sun. Furthermore, the Moon is ruler of the Tenth House. If Clinton makes it to be 'King' it will either be with difficulty or he will struggle to retain the throne.
A couple of final observations about Mars and Venus. Mars is also the ruler of the Seventh - it is the significator of his wife. Mars is also the ruler of his Second House, the house of money and wealth. If Clinton suffers in his public life it may be because of issues relating to his wife or money matters (or both together). The early classical Astrologer Maternus says that in a diurnal chart Mars in the Ascendant makes men 'bold clever, emotional, wanderers, unstable in every way'.
Venus also rules the eighth - so Clinton may be the author of his own 'death'. Venus therefore rules the Moon. Venus and the Moon are friends so the Moon might not be quite as unfortunate as it's position suggests.
A final quote from Maternus - Venus in the Ascendant in a diurnal chart makes men 'oversexed, unchaste, of ill repute'.
We've done a general overview there. Notice that the concentration is on planets and their placements in the chart. Signs modify the power of the planets to act. They do not impart some character traits of their own.
This is by no means a full reading for Clinton, issues of temperament, character and mind have been mentioned but not investigated. We haven't looked at areas of his life in any depth at all but we have formed some impressions. Again if you have any comments or questions relating to this overview please post.
Let's have a look at a chart:
I've attached a chart for Bill Clinton, the former US President. I'm going to make some very general comments on it's features. Perhaps later on we'll do a more in depth analysis but for the moment we will concentrate on forming an impression.
I did think of doing two charts, one a whole sign approach and one a 'quadrant' approach to the houses. However Clinton's chart is a little unusual in that all his house cusps are in different signs, even using a quadrant approach. So apart from an odd comment we will keep to the quadrant houses. I've used Regiomontanus cusps because I use those in virtually all my work. I'm not saying they are any better than Placidus, merely that I like them LOL
The first point of note is that this is a diurnal (Day) chart. This can be seen at a glance as the Sun is above the horizon (houses 12 to 7 inclusive)
Looking at the Ascendant first we see that it's in Libra, making the Ascendant ruler Venus. A quick glance shows us that Venus is also in Libra, in the first house and less than 6 degrees away. So we have a highly dignified Venus by both Essential and Accidental dignity. Just as a reminder, Essential Dignity comes from sign placement, Accidental dignity comes from it's chart position.
There are two other planets in the first house, both in Libra. Mars which is within a degree of the Ascendant and Jupiter which is well away from the Ascendant. Of these two Mars is going to have far more effect. Mars is in the sign of it's detriment and is also peregrine (no other essential dignity) This is a weak Mars and therefore a potentially troublesome Mars. All three planets are likely to have some effect on character and physical attributes. Mars therefore could be more troublesome on a health front than in regard to character and you should remember the body as well as the mind LOL.
Mars has accidental dignity because it is in the first and conjunct the Ascendant. It is also a little faster than average which is also good but is occidental (it will appear in the sky after the Sun has set). Jupiter is also quite slow which is an Accidental debility and it's distance from the Ascendant weakens what would be normally a very good placement.
Mars and Venus are both nocturnal planets so their placement below the horizon in this diurnal chart is good (though Mars will shortly rise). Jupiter is a diurnal planet and therefore would be happier above the horizon in this chart.
No other planet is situated below the horizon - so there's nothing about Clinton that is hidden from view.
The next thing of note is the position of the Sun. This is in Leo it's own sign and in a day chart the Sun also rules the Fire Triplicity. So it is also in its own Triplicity. It's positioned in a diurnal sign so it is in 'Hayz' an Arabic expression meaning that it's in a diurnal chart, above the horizon and in a diurnal sign - a powerful position for a diurnal planet. The Sun is in the eleventh House - not angular but succedent. The eleventh is also the house of the machinery of government - parliaments, ministers, cabinets, etc. Perhaps not a kingly placement but one tha indicates a very strong political standing.
Mercury and Saturn are both in conjunction in Leo. This is the only instance of placements that would be different in a Whole Sign approach. Here they are in the tenth rather than the eleventh. For Saturn Leo is the sign of it's detriment BUT it is in it's own terms and its own Face, so it has some dignity. Saturn is also a diurnal planet - so being placed in a diurnal sign, in a diurnal chart and above the horizon make it also in Hayz. Saturn has real power and here in the tenth, the House of the king. Saturn is also Almuten (planet with most dignity) at the degree of the Ascendant (Saturn is in exaltation in Libra, plus has Triplicity rulership of the air Signs in a diurnal chart). The Sun is also sextiled by Jupiter the Greater Benefic, it might not add much in this chart but it adds something positive.
Mercury is in its own terms in Leo, so it too has dignity. It is weakened a little by being oriental (Saturn conversely is strengthened). With a conjunction the outcome may be favourable or unfavourable, depending on whether the planets get on (are 'friends' or 'enemies'). Most modern Astrologers would not put Mercury and Saturn as natural friends. BUT Saturn and Mercury both rule Air Signs - Aquarius and Gemini, AND both rule Earth signs (Capricorn and Virgo). They can be natural allies. So the outcome here is likely to be fortunate. Bill Clinton is likely to have a good forensic mind, which can be put to political use. This is even stronger because both Mercury and Saturn sextile the Ascendant.
That leave us the Moon. The Moon is placed in Taurus, the sign of its exaltation. A very good zodiacal placement. However it is in the Eighth House, an unfortunate placement. The Moon is also third quarter, so it is waning or 'decreasing in light' which is accidentally weak. And it casts a square to the Sun. Furthermore, the Moon is ruler of the Tenth House. If Clinton makes it to be 'King' it will either be with difficulty or he will struggle to retain the throne.
A couple of final observations about Mars and Venus. Mars is also the ruler of the Seventh - it is the significator of his wife. Mars is also the ruler of his Second House, the house of money and wealth. If Clinton suffers in his public life it may be because of issues relating to his wife or money matters (or both together). The early classical Astrologer Maternus says that in a diurnal chart Mars in the Ascendant makes men 'bold clever, emotional, wanderers, unstable in every way'.
Venus also rules the eighth - so Clinton may be the author of his own 'death'. Venus therefore rules the Moon. Venus and the Moon are friends so the Moon might not be quite as unfortunate as it's position suggests.
A final quote from Maternus - Venus in the Ascendant in a diurnal chart makes men 'oversexed, unchaste, of ill repute'.
We've done a general overview there. Notice that the concentration is on planets and their placements in the chart. Signs modify the power of the planets to act. They do not impart some character traits of their own.
This is by no means a full reading for Clinton, issues of temperament, character and mind have been mentioned but not investigated. We haven't looked at areas of his life in any depth at all but we have formed some impressions. Again if you have any comments or questions relating to this overview please post.