One of the more enlightening aspects of studying William Lilly’s Christian Astrology is learning that the people of the 17^th century had the same hopes, dreams, concerns, and fears that we do. Therefore, it should hardly be surprising that Lilly had plenty of work that dealt with relationships. The chart under discussion is fun for a couple of reasons, and one of those reasons is the actions and attitudes of Lilly’s client. I maintain that, if I published this chart without data and the outer planets (which would give away the era), and I spruced up the language, I could pass this chart off as that of any client who might have walked through my door two weeks ago.

On June 16, 1646, at 7:26 PM, LMT, (O/S) a lady entered Mr. Lilly’s office and asked him if the gentleman that she desired would marry her? At one time he was an earnest suitor, but she wasn’t interested in him then, and sent him on his way. "After which denial so given, she became passionately affectionate of him, and did sorely repent of her folly, and so churlish a carriage, wishing she might again have former opportunities." (CA p 385-6). You just don’t hear language like that any more. In more modern terms: she dumped him, and later regretted it, probably after she saw him chatting up a rival.



Lilly looked at the chart. The lady is the querent, and given the ascendant and the Moon. The 7^th house and its ruler Saturn represent her jilted suitor. Notice that Lilly does not use the 5^th house and its ruler despite the fact that these people are not married. The 7^th house is a person; the 5^th house is activity.

Lilly described the gentleman thusly: "Finding Saturn in an angle of the South, and in conjunction with Mars, and both in Taurus, a fixed earthly sign, I judged the corporature of the quesited party to be but mean, and not tall or very handsome visage, long and composed, a wan pale or meager complexion, dark hair, or of a sad chestnut color, stooping forward with his head, some impediment in his going as treading away, etc. [this was confessed]"

Lilly then determines the state of mind of the gentleman (and takes a shot at the lady): "Finding Saturn so as abovesaid (sic), elevated, and in conjunction with Mars, I judged the gentleman to be sad, angry, much discontented, and scorning his former slights (as ever all Saturnine people do); … I said the gentleman had no inclination or disposition to unto her, finding the Moon separated from Void of course, and applying to opposition of the Sun, Lord of the ascendant it did argue that small hopes of effecting her desire, because she herself, by her own perverseness, had done herself so grand a mischief ."

The Moon is void of course. In horary astrology, a void Moon usually indicates that nothing good will come of the question. Lilly confirms this by noting that the next aspect made by the Moon, the querent, is an opposition to the Sun, the quesited, in the Moon’s next sign. Oppositions are bad news in horary astrology. I like to imagine Lilly hunched over his chart, searching for good news. He finally sighs, looks up at the anxious woman and says something like, "Sorry lady; you have no chance."

Now I ask you, gentle readers of both genders, what do you suppose happened next? Did the lady rise slowly, weepy eyed and depressed, hand Lilly a chicken, and walk out the door with her shoulders slumped? Ladies, would you? Of course not. I imagine, since her significator is in a cardinal water sign, she was horror struck at the pronouncement. I think she leaned across the table and demanded, with tears in her eyes and lower lip quivering, that Lilly do something, and do it damn quick.

"Whereupon she told me the truth of all, and not before, and implored my directions, which way, without scandal to her honor, it might be brought on again; if possible, and indeed she was lamentably perplexed, and full of heaviness. Hereupon with much compassion, I began to consider what hopes we had in the figure."

How many readers have had clients withhold information vital to the reason for the reading -- then, when the truth comes out, watch them crumble? This client sat down smug and secure that all would be well, and was shocked at Lilly’s answer. "Not get back together? It can’t be!" Well, it was. She blurted out her confession of "churlishness." She said she would do anything, anything (well, almost anything) to get this man back. Lilly felt sorry for her, so he did what most men would have done. He did what she told him to do, and went back to the chart.

The observant reader will notice that the Sun is applying to a sextile with Saturn, and wonder if that is enough to indicate that the two of them will get back together? Actually it isn’t. This is a relationship question, and Saturn and the Sun have no receptions between them. The Sun is in the rulership of the Moon, the exaltation of Jupiter, and the triplicity of Mars. Saturn in Taurus is in the rulership and triplicity of Venus, and exaltation of the Moon. Saturn and the Sun aren’t interacting even though they are coming together. Something more is needed.

Lilly noticed that the Moon, the querent, in Sagittarius is in the rulership of Jupiter, and Jupiter in Cancer is in the rulership of the Moon, a mutual reception. What can he do with this? He saw that Jupiter is applying to a sextile with Saturn. Jupiter represents a connection and interaction with the quesited. What does Jupiter represent? In Lilly’s day and our own, Jupiter represents an aristocrat, or a gentleman, a man of some standing in the community. Jupiter is in the 11^th house of friends. The great astrologer asked the lady if she was acquainted with a gentleman with whom she could confide her story and feelings, and if the man knew the man that she desired? She said yes, she knew such a man. He told her to enlist his aid in this matter, and to do it before the 27^th (i.e., before the Sun perfected its sextile to Saturn), for after that it would be too late.

"My counsel was followed and the issue was thus: By the gentleman’s means and procurement, the matter was brought on again, the match affected and all within twenty days following to the content of the sorrowful (but as to me unthankful) lady."

Is her lack of gratitude in the chart? Yes, it is. The two malefics posited in the 10^th often mean that proper credit would not be given.

There are several important lessons in this chart. One is that clients can and do hold back important information, many times unwittingly, sometimes out of embarrassment. The second lesson is: don’t jump at the first thing you see. The temptation is to look at the Sun applying to Saturn and saying, "Yes, you’ll be together." As in natal astrology, we need more than one testimony. The third lesson is the importance of reception. Mutual receptions by rulership are about all that is left of this vital concept. Yet some horary charts can be judged on reception alone.

Modern astrology places strong emphasis on aspects to see how the planets interact. Traditional astrology emphasizes reception. Without reception, relationship charts are difficult to judge. For example if Libra rises and Venus applies to a trine to Mars, is it a certainty that they querent and quesited end up happily ever after? Not really. We learned that it isn’t certain from the above chart. It’s possible the querent and quesited might get together and find out they can’t stand each other. (Potential lovers who meet online should give horary some serious thought) If, for example, a querent’s planet exalts the quesited, but the reception is not returned, the relationship is simply a one-way street, or if the querent’s planet is ruled by the quesited, but the quesited’s is only in the triplicity of the querent’s, it means that the querent is in love, but the quesited wants to be friends. Reception is, obviously, an important subject, and deserves a more lengthy discussion than we can give it here.

The really astute student will discover a glitch in this chart and its resulting judgment. This is not an oversight by the writer, or an error by Lilly, but goes to the heart of horary astrology. If anyone spots the glitch, post what you see on the EJ astrology board. We’ll answer. As always feel free to contact the writer on EJ or by e-mail.