Tag: saturn

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Think You Know Saturn? Let’s Find Out!

In ancient astrology, things are much simpler. Everything has a definite meaning, and the accuracy is always startling. Here I will summarise the influence of Saturn through the houses and his major significations in ancient times, which is hard to find except in occulted ancient books.

Saturn is a day planet, meaning that he shows his best side when present in a day chart and his worst side when present in a night chart. This also applies to his aspects with other planets. If he makes an aspect to a night planet such as Moon, Mars or Venus, Saturn becomes particularly destructive. However, if he aspects day planets such as Jupiter, Mercury or the Sun, his manifestations will be primarily good ones. There is overlap in the following significations, but I split them up for simplicities sake.

In a day chart (sun above horizon/sun in the twelfth-eighth house), Saturn signifies, increases in wealth and status over time – the more time passed the more increases are made – the father, water, great power, influence, success after delays or trials, high positions, responsibility, ethics, morality, agriculture, dedication, seriousness, maturity, old age and leadership.

In a night chart (sun below the horizon/sun in the second-sixth house), Saturn signifies, bondage, imprisonment, losses to wealth and status, disgrace, hard work with little reward, slavery, beggars, old people, injury, punishment, tedious work, water, isolation, hatred of society, control-freaks, long-held grudges, neuroticism, fear, grief, sorrow, tears and sadness.

So, with all these significations in mind we must ask the question, what does that mean for me? The art of interpretation is very subtle, and I don’t believe it can ever be fully mastered, because this is the art and science of God, but we can get 90% of the way. Here I will lay out Saturn through the houses in a day chart first and second in a night chart. Refer to writings by Firmicus Maternus and Rhetorius and Dorotheus for more detailed descriptions – here I provide the foundations for understanding ancient astrology more deeply. Don’t worry if it doesn’t all make sense yet, it isn’t meant to 😊

Also understand that this is not only for us to use in our own chart interpretation – as I said this is not anywhere near enough information to draw any conclusions about any single chart AT ALL. So, if some descriptions seem scary, don’t worry they define nothing about you or your life. The primary use for this list is to see the different ways that Saturn manifests in each house and what we can understand about the meanings of both Saturn and each house as a result. This list can provide us with a platform from which we can begin to build our further interpretations. Also, pay attention to the differences between a day and a night chart. If you seek true knowledge, you must learn the system, not just bits and pieces and one day you will be amazed at your own ability to see concrete truths about people just from their charts.

Always remember: If you know the principle, you know everything. If you do not know the principle, you know nothing.

Saturn through the houses in a day chart:

First house: makes those who are first-born. successful people who tend towards arrogance. They will have a moderate position in society, but no harm will come to them from Saturn. They will be in charge of properties, buildings and estates and will be an authority in these things. They will be responsible, mature, and serious, with deep emotions and will be secretive, reserved and thinking carefully before they act. They will appear older than they really are, have strong boundaries, high ambition, slowly conquering their fears and suspicions of the rest of the world.

Second house: slow and gradual increases in their financial situation as well as the inheritance from their father. They will not begin life with a good income, but the more time that passes the more this income increases, however they will be unnoticed regarding this financial situation, and they will deny themselves pleasures or be low-spirited. Their livelihood may come from water or dampness.

Third house: The ancients say, Saturn in this house by day or by night will make people who search in vain for increases in finances through any means.

Fourth house: especially in a domicile of Jupiter, it shows people who discover hidden treasure. When it’s stationary it decreases the inheritance from their parents, with many family secrets and unexpected/hidden things occurring in the native’s life. It also can cause problems with their children – aspects from good planets will show the outcome of this.

Fifth house: They have many ups and downs in their youth and will achieve the full potential of their chart only after considerable delay. They will be given positions of command and leadership only after the long passage of time (most significant cycles of 30years).

Sixth house: Generally, Saturn and Mars are best off in the 12th and 6th house because these are the weakest houses. The ancients say Saturn in the sixth will reduce their wealth and property and make them fall sick often. These people can be erratic and never remain in one place for long. Sicknesses coming from wetness and coldness or problems in the bones.

Seventh house: many increases in wealth and possessions, a long old age and great wealth during this long old age. It can make people who are administrators of large amounts of money and property, though they will have distresses in youth and their marriage will encounter difficulties.

Eighth house: People who acquire wealth with the passage of time so they can assist others or some who acquire wealth and profit from death(s).

Ninth house: famous mages, renowned philosopher, astrologers, priests of great temples, always famous in their reputation for spirituality and magic. It makes great prophets, astrologers and psychics who are famous for their true predictions and interpretations and who’s inspiration is brought forth by some kind of a divine authority. They will persevere in worship and at temples and have great power in religious matters.

Tenth: makes emperors, people of high command, military power, and people of the highest authority. Good relation to a powerful sun makes honest entrepreneurs who acquire great wealth. It gives great glory and great inheritances. They have trouble or delays in marriage and with children but will die an easy death. Fond of farming. They are in the public service and have a happy old age.

Eleventh house: Bestows moderate goods in all areas. When the good of the chart manifests in the native’s life, they will enter to the same rank of social nobility and honour of their father. However, this manifestation can only happen after the thirtieth year of the native’s life. Before thirty years has passes the native loses whatever they acquire and cannot attain lasting dignity or possessions.

Twelfth house: Saturn in the twelfth is in its joy. This means that the native’s enemies will only be their enemies (enemies in the place of enemies). This placement will cause illnesses similar to Saturn in the sixth house and betrayal or crises from people who are of a lower class than the native. All these things are milder by day than by night.

In a night chart:

First house: gives sickness and weakness in the body. The native will constantly work hard and be worn out because of it. Some will work regarding water, but they will be very tired because of their jobs. They will be fearful of the world and desire control as a result.

Second house: illnesses and financial losses. Diminishes the family’s income or the inheritances of the native. It can harm the wife and children; however, this is not for certain. They will work very hard for their incomes.

Third house: The ancients say, Saturn in this house by day or by night will make people who search in vain for increases in finances through any means.

Fourth house: It can wound the native’s father or mean that the father will disappear quickly from their life. It will also mean that the native will receive a very small or no inheritance at all from their family.

Fifth house: over the passage of time (after peak dates like 30, 60 and 90), the native will gain some small good fortune (finances, leadership and reputation, family, children etc), but the native will have inconsistent strength of his body and will be lazy and slow.

Sixth house: Generally, Saturn and Mars are best off in the 12th and 6th house because these are the weakest houses. The ancients say Saturn in the sixth will reduce their wealth and property and make them fall sick often. These people can be erratic and never remain in one place for long. Sicknesses coming from wetness and coldness or problems in the bones.

Seventh house: It makes many illnesses especially if Mars makes an aspect. They have abscesses frequently and grief and sorrow because of their wives.

Eighth house: Creates loss of the inheritance from family and partners, but good planets make aspects they can have a good livelihood throughout their life, although troubles in marriage.

Ninth house: They will suffer the wrath of the king of their country as well as the religious powers. They will be knowledgeable about mysteries, philosophers, recluses, interpreters of dreams.

Tenth: Here Saturn will delay marriage or block it completely and will cause troubles with the health of the children – but they will be rescued from these troubles if good planets make an aspect. It denotes sorrows in general.

Eleventh house: Their business enterprises – their hopes and dreams – will come to them very slowly, or they will be slow in achieving them. It can also make the native to lose their own possessions, property and finances that they have acquired.

Twelfth house: Saturn in the twelfth is in its joy. This means that the native’s enemies will only be their enemies (enemies in the place of enemies). This placement will cause illnesses similar to Saturn in the sixth house and betrayal or crises from people who are of a lower class than the native. All these things are milder by day than by night.

I stress it again, NONE of these descriptions apply to you or me alone. They are a template for us to begin understanding the ancient system and the placement of one planet in a house is not enough to understand a whole chart – it’s not even enough to start guessing!

I have written this post to provide everyone with an opportunity to read at least some of the descriptions of the ancient authors for each planet in each house. This is a very important doctrine which is utterly priceless in my own practice (especially when you add on the aspects given by firmicus) as it provides the foundation for us to understand practical interpretations of a birth chart.

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Life or Death: The Most Important Teaching in Ancient Astrology

DayNight
SaturnMars
JupiterVenus
SunMoon
Morning MercuryEvening Mercury
Table Showing Which Planets Belong to Which Sect

This teaching goes by two names, and they mean the SAME thing. Often it is called “sect” but can also be called “hays”. You will hear ancient astrologers talk about whether a planet is IN sect/hays very often – if it IS in hays, it is showing its best self, if it is OUT of hays, it is showing its worst self.

There are 6levels of Hays. The first level is the most important and accounts for 70% of the hays of a planet. It is whether the chart is a day chart or a night chart. This is very easy to see – you simply look at where the sun is in the chart. If the sun is above the first house and the seventh house shown in Fig1, it is a day chart. If the sun is beneath the first house and the seventh house, it is a night chart as shown in figure 2.

Figure 1. A Day Chart   
            Figure 2. A Night Chart

The second level of hays which is about 10% is the quadrant of the chart the planet falls in. If the planet is between the ascendant and the MC it is in a day quadrant, between the MC and the seventh house (DC) it is in a night quadrant as illustrated below in figure 3.

Figure 3. The Hays of the Quadrants

The other levels of hays are much more difficult to represent graphically, but I will explain them here for those who are interested. You may also ask me any questions you have on my Instagram or by email at admin@olympus-astrology.com.

The third level of hays is which SOLAR quadrant the planet is in. This is a more advanced technique, but only accounts for approx. 5% of the hays of a planet. In principle it is the same the second level of hays, except you use the sun as the ascendant and divide the zodiac into 90degree segments. From the conjunction with the sun to the first square is day, from the firs square to the opposition is night etc.

The fourth level of Hays is whether the planet is on the same side of the horizon as the sun. If it is a night chart (the sun is below the horizon), so if a planet is also below the horizon WITH the sun, it is on the day side of the horizon. If the sun is above the horizon and a planet is also above the horizon WITH the sun, it is on the day segment of the horizon. This is about 5% of the hays of a planet.

The fifth level of Hays is whether the sign is a day or a night sign. The signs alternate, the first sign Aries is a day sign, the second sign taurus is a night sign and it continues like this. This comes to about 5% of the hays of a planet.

The sixth level of Hays is whether you are a man or a woman. Men belong to the day sect and women belong to the night sect. This also comes to about 5% of the hays of a planet.

Now that your brain has been fried with details, let’s simplify this system and look at some practical examples. Below you will find two charts, figures 4 and 5. The first is the chart of my teacher, Rumen Kolev. The second is a chart of an anonymous character given in a lecture who spent 5years in prison!

Figure 4: The Chart of Rumen Kolev

Figure 5: Anonymous Chart of a Man Convicted to Prison

What you will notice about both these charts, is that both charts have Mars close to the MC. This is their defining characteristic. However, one chart belongs to one of the most notable astrological scholars of modern times and the other to a convict!

If you have learned this system of hays, you can recognise this difference immediately. Let’s find the sun! For chart 1 it is below the horizon but for chart 2 it is above the horizon! If you like, you can analyse the other levels of hays as well, however the most important is simply whether the chart is day or night. You only need to go the other levels for a very deep analysis.

In the ancient texts (firmicus maternus, mathesis, book 3 translated by James Herschel Holden) mars in the tenth house or MC is described as follows:

“If it is in a night chart, in its own domicile or a sign of Jupiter it will make the native exposed to many dangers and swindled in different ways. But nevertheless, it will make governors, generals, lords of life and death, and great magistrates over provinces and cities… but if it is found in the tenth house or MC by day, it makes ineffectual men who are hindered in many ways in everything they do; it signifies great damage and loss to their personal wealth. It makes natives who are judged as outlaws or persecuted by the law. It indicates burden of travel; compels some to flee or makes them exiles; it makes some to die abroad or in exile from their homeland.”

In general: By night, Mars in the tenth house gives leaders and courageous people who encounter dangers and swindling in their life but are still great and successful. But during the day it makes criminals and people who will face mostly misfortune.

Another example: below is my own chart, figure 7, the chart of J.F Kennedy in figure 8 and the chart of my mother, figure 9. You will notice all the charts are characterised by a powerful Saturn in the ninth or tenth house on the meridian (MC). To illustrate the power of hays let us read what firmicus says about Saturn on the meridian (equal to the tenth house) and then tell the real stories. It reads as follows:

“Saturn in the tenth house or on the MC by day will make emperors, military commanders or captains of the imperial bodyguard… it will give great assets, glory and inheritances from great people most especially if mars does not make aspect… if found in the tenth or MC by night it will cause the loss of inheritance, it will deny marriage, it will deny children, however if a good star makes aspect (Venus or Jupiter), the native will have in some part, children, marriage and inheritances. However, often Saturn in an angle at night kills the marriage partner, ruins the children and causes bitter pain and loss.”  

Figure 7: Saturn on MC by day (me!)

Figure 8: Saturn on MC by day – J.F. Kennedy

Figure 9: Saturn on MC by night (my mother)

Saturn in the tenth by day is very clear in its manifestation especially in the chart of JFK – it literally made him a king as described in firmicus. In my own chart… we will have to wait and see! I will discuss the omens of my own chart – as they are a great testament and example of practical ancient astrology – in another blog post.

My mother’s chart is a very interesting case! As you can see it is a night chart, Saturn is in the MC. However, Saturn also has a wide trine with her Venus – which is incredibly powerful – and a conjunction with Jupiter. We can interpret that she WILL be married and she will have children, however they will only come after great delay and there will be complications in their health which they will survive. Saturn creates the delay and the troubles with children.

The real story: Her inheritances were not ruined as Firmicus described, in fact they grew and are still growing today. We can thank the conjunction of Jupiter and trine of Venus for this! Also the wealth star Rukbat on her MC with Saturn indicates good income. As for marriage and children which Saturn so cruelly denies at night: She did not marry until she was 38 years old! Saturn delayed it greatly. Her first child (me) was happy and healthy. However, her second child was born 5 days before a solar eclipse! As you can imagine, disaster struck. My brother became sick with meningitis when he was five months old! 5days-5months. He did survive (thanks to trine from Venus and conjunction of Jupiter), but he became deaf as a result!

As you can see, the omens were quite accurate! It is lucky my mother had the aid of Zeus Jupiter and Venus to bring her through a trial which may have been much more tragic than it already was. Saturn gave her many delays and trials when it came to creating her own family, finding a partner and having children, however these things did come eventually, but were tainted with grief just as Firmicus describes.

Now you have a good understanding of the technical and practical side of the use of Hays in astrology. May it change your life forever and bring you great peace and the bliss of Olympus!