Mansions of the Moon Video

I wanted to mention that I had just uploaded a NEW video to youtube, this time on the Mansions of the Moon! Mansions Video

I have really enjoyed making videos though each second of video takes about a minute of work. This translates into about 9 hours of work for a 9 minute video!

Truly though, these are an excellent example of mass media magic ala Giordano Bruno with sounds, images and movement all combined. I'm thinking of adding video making as a lesson in my Mass Media Magic Course .

The Mansions are a great subject for a video since the more I work with them, the more I learn. They seem to work well in paper talismans for a one off or short term effect, and even stronger when done in a precious metal, mirror or gemstone and especially when the consecration is repeated monthly each time the Moon appears in the proper mansion.

Most recently I have been working with the 13th Mansion and while I can't go into the details, the results have been quite noticeable and significant. Add that into the repeated success of the 3rd Mansion for business and profit and my interest in the Mansions keeps growing.


Watch the video here

More Mansion info here

Mansions Book

Mansions Mini-Course on CD with free Mansions Book

Astrological Magic Course with free Mansions Mini-Course & Books

Saturn Mirrors

Well, I for one was not looking forward to getting up in the dark and cold at 1:20 am to make Saturn mirror talismans. I realized, however, that Saturn wouldn't appreciate being blown off and then as I started my preparations, I got more and more into the ritual and the mirrors.

Everything went very well! I used black candles, pine resin for incense and had Nigel's amazing Saturn image for invocation and consecration of the mirrors. I etched the mirrors right on time using my new precise stencil process and they came out great! Saturn Mirror

A new wrinkle to the ritual was that I played Nigel's wonderful Saturn invocation music! More on this later.

The more I work with mirrors as talismans, the more rewarding I find them. When I was a child we had a thick glass table. I used to sit and look into the edge of it. It was like peering into a deep and enigmatic blue/green ocean. Light seemed to pause and refract unexpectedly and I could see into a strange and eerie world.

I had the same feeling with these Saturn mirrors today. I was used to looking at them face on, but then I laid them on their edge and the sunlight made the etched design float on the refracted green edges, putting me in a dreamlike reverie.

Yes, the mirrors are beautiful and look great on the wall or on your altar. But working with them as doors and windows into the realms of the spirits whose tables, characters and sigils they contain is even more rewarding. I have been completely entranced and swept away with the mirrors and mirror work that I have done since beginning the creation of etched mirror talismans.

Saturn in particular promises to be particularly useful and exciting. Saturn is, par excellence, the planet of "the more occult philosophy" His sphere is the highest, he is closest to the fixed stars and to the Empyrean, the source of all knowledge and power. Saturn jealously guards his secrets, releasing them only to his acolytes, the children of Saturn. But his are the secrets of astrology, magic, sorcery and occult philosophy. To know Saturn, is to delve deeply into the hidden roots of all esoteric practice.

I am, myself, greatly looking forward to my Saturnine mirror work. I am offering just 3 Saturn mirror talismans, in a beveled 3 x 3 mirror, with the Saturn table from Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Saturn Mirror

They are $59.95 plus shipping and include a special Nigel Jackson Saturn image from Picatrix and consecration instructions.

But that's not all! If you order a Saturn mirror ask me and I will include a free CD sampler of Nigel's incredible Saturn invocation music composed with his wife Patti. This music is incredible, I literally got high the first time I listened to it. Now
granted I am Saturn ruled, but hey! This stuff is great! Nigel is a leading traditional ceremonial musician and this music was composed specifically for the Picatrix Saturn invocation as lyrics and to use for Saturn invocation. This is perfect for putting you in the proper frame of mind and invoking Saturn. This is a smaller CD sampler of the forthcoming full Saturn CD which will not be available till later in 2009.

I am going charge $14.95 for this CD sampler, but if you order the Saturn mirror you can have it for free!

Hurry! As everyone knows Renaissance Astrology items tend to sell out immediately!
Order and more info here

More on Saturn

Venus Fly Image from Picatrix

Venus Image

Here is a translation of the Latin Picatrix, Bk II, ch. 10

If, under the influence of Venus, you make in granite the image of the head of a zebra, and above it the head of a fly, and make the head of the fly a little smaller, that is, so it is a little smaller than the head of the zebra; do this in the hour of Venus, with Venus rising, and if you make a wax seal with this image it is good for all infirmities of the stomach.

Latin Picatrix Books I & II, Bk II, ch 10, trans. Greer & Warnock at 112-3
Paperback version of Picatrix Books I & II
Hardcover version of Picatrix Books I & II

Here is the corresponding image from the Ouroboros Picatrix,

Furthermore, carve a picture of the head of a zebra with the head of a fly
on it on a granite stone. The head should be a little oversized. This
ought to be done in the hour and Venus is ascendant. The stone is used to
stamp wax for increased productions. This has been successfully
experimented in labyrinths[????].

Ouroboros Picatrix, vol I, Bk II, ch 10 at 132.


Several notes:

(1) the stone alaquech does appear to be carnelian. The Lapidary of King Alfonso X the Wise, ed. Bahler & Gatto (UPressSouth, 1997) at 187 talks of the stone called in Greek alaaquic and in Latin cornelina and identifies this as carnelian.

(2) azeberi, Ouroboros identifies this as a zebra, which is certainly possible. However, I note that one etyomology of zebra indicates that the word comes from zevra or zervo, Old Portuguese for wild ass. Given that Picatrix was written in A.D. 1000 I think that wild ass is probably more plausible.

(3) Some of the problems with the Ouroboros translation are evident from the passage quoted above. Clearly the election calls for the hour of Venus and Venus rising, yet this is not clear from the translation. The section about increased productions is obscure and the one about experimentation in labyrinths makes no sense at all! Perhaps there is a connection in Arabic between labyrinth and the labyrinthine twists of the intestines?

Contemplating the Spiritual Heavens

I was asked recently if the discovery of the outer planets, new stars and even planets revolving around stars did not pose serious problems for traditional astrology, based as it was on 7 planets and the sphere of the fixed stars?

Many of the ancients did see the geocentric Ptolematic astronomy with the Earth at the center and the 7 planetary spheres extending out with the 8 sphere of the fixed stars as the outer reach of the Cosmos as an accurate depiction of the physical universe.

However, we need to be careful not to fall into seeing history through the distorting lens of the archetype of Progress, in which the further we go back into the past, the less advanced people were and the further we go into the future the more advanced, knowledgeable and evolved we are, until we reach 21st humanity, clearly the height, the peak of perfection!

There was a rather materialistic, what might be termed "scientific" strand of astrology which focused on natural magic and was epitomized the Al-Kindi's On the Stellar Rays.

On the other hand, there also existed a second path which attempted to glimpse through the veil of the Material into the comprehensive patterns and Divine Ideas that underlie it. This path followed the invitation of the Ihkwan al Safa, the mystic Islamic brotherhood,

Will you not choose, oh my brother, to enter the Temple of [Hermes Trismegistus], in order to contemplate the heavens of which Plato spoke, spiritual Heavens, not the visible heavens shown by the astronomers?

Encyclopedia of the Ihkwan al Safa, cited in cited in Henry Corbin, "Sabian Temple and Ismailism" Temple and Contemplation (1986) at 137.

If we think of Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy which mirrored the three worlds of the Divine Ideas/Archetypes, the Material World and the Intermediate World, the Intermediate is often termed the Celestial World. Again there certain was the belief that the stars and planets were not made of the same matter as the Earth, in the "scientific" strand of astrology. But the spiritual path was never particularly concerned with matter, for this strand, the Intermediate World was perhaps best exemplified by the Alam al-Mithal, the World of Images, where the Divine Ideas took on form and matter lost its materiality and became only form. We visit this realm in dreams, at least those dreams that do not arise solely from our personal unconscious.

That the material Universe extends far beyond the vision of earlier astronomers, is less of a problem when one's concern is not with the physical bodies of the stars and planets, but with their souls, the planetary Intelligences and the reflection of Divine Ideas in material manifestation. As Plotinus says, "Let us suppose that the stars are like characters always being written on the heavens or written once for all and moving as they perform their task..." Ennead II, 3.

Learning that there are more fixed stars or planets then could be seen by the ancients is like learning that there are other languages than English and that there are more than 26 letters. Does this mean that we must therefore begin to write using the Greek or Cyrillic or every other alphabet? Isn't the English alphabet sufficient to express whatever we wish to say?

In the 21st century we may know a great deal about stars 1,000 of light years away, but we know almost nothing about our own souls. Surely our predecessors would feel that we have made a poor bargain.

Saturn Magical Rings Pre-Orders!

I have had such a strong response to the Saturn magical rings that I am going to start taking pre-orders!

This is how we are making them. Wade will cast signets, the flat top part of a ring with the design, in this case the standard symbol of Saturn, along with the other Saturn talismans on November 24, 2008. Saturn Talisman & Ring Election

Then Wade will custom make the ring, either in sterling or 14k gold for each client. At Saturn day, Saturn hour, Wade will mount the signet on the magical Saturn ring, placing a small amount of pine, ruled by Saturn, Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Bk I, ch 25 & Christian Astrology, page 59 and harvested Saturn day, Saturn hour, under the signet. The ring will thus be doubly consecrated, at the creation of the signet and then at the mounting of the signet on the custom ring.

We have a number of different versions. Sterling silver ring and sterling silver signet are $300 plus shipping in ring sizes, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12; $350 plus shipping in ring sizes 6, 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, 9.5, 10.5, 11, 11.5, 12.5, $600 plus shipping in any other ring sizes.

Sterling silver ring and 14k gold signet, add $300 to above prices, pre-order before November 15, 2008 only.

14k gold ring and sterling silver signet, $2000 plus shipping

14k gold ring and 14k gold signet, $2500 plus shipping, pre-order before November 15, 2008 only.

Shipping is $14.95 priority insured in the US, $34 non-US global express insured mail for rings costing $600 or less. Contact me for the non-US shipping for rings costing over $600.

Anyone who is interested in pre-ordering a Saturn ring which is the only way to have the 14k gold signet versions, please e-mail me at chriswarnock@renaissanceastrology.com for an order page and further details.

Example of Astrological Checkup

This is an example of my Astrological Checkup. The client choses three life areas or three chart areas (or a combination of three of each) which I then examine using traditional natal analysis and suggest talismans. I also include the image description for the degree of their Ascendant from Johannes Angelus' Astrological Optics as well as giving the name of the Guardian Angel/Daimon from Cornelius Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Book III, chapter 26.

Note that the analysis is quite concrete and not psychological. I have cited the sources used. Note that client did not give any information other than birthdata and areas of interest.

Birthdata:
11:54 pm, (+4) Monday 2 November, 1936.

St George's Grenada, West Indies. Latitude 12N07; Longitude 61W37

10 Leo 25 rises, the 11th degree of Leo, "A woman raises her skirt"

Five Hylegical Places

Sun = 10 Scorpio = Aleph

Moon = 4 Cancer = Zayin

Ascendant = 10 Leo = Shin

Part of Fortune = 16 Sagittarius = Samech

Prenatal Syzygy (Full Moon) = 6 Taurus = Samech

Guardian Angel/Daimon Name = Ahzashsasiel


Finances & Income

Astrological Factors Considered

Lord of the 2nd house = Mercury peregrine and going to combustion in a
cadent house, thus afflicted.

Jupiter, natural significator of wealth, is strong by sign and triplicity in succedent house.

Part of Fortune, ruled by Jupiter and in succedent house,

Mars, peregrine in 2nd house

[Financial significators from Christian Astrology,pages 167-9, 552]

Jupiter separates from Part of Fortune and applies to benefic North Node of the Moon.

Analysis

Mixed significations of wealth, native (person whose natal chart is being examined) has considerable variations in wealth.

Note that Mars is the key problem. He is in the 2nd house as well as applying to a partile (almost exact) square of Jupiter, natural significator of wealth. Mars rules the 4th, so this indicates financial problems (with Mars probably arguments and disputes) with family, particularly father or father's side of the family or problems with real estate or inheritance. Mars also rules 9th of long distance travel, religion and higher education, so possible financial problems relating to these areas.

I note also that Venus, ruler of the 10th of career and employers is applying to a square of Mars as well, showing financial problems (again probably arguments and disputes given that it is a square and involves Mars) associated with work and bosses. Mars is really the center of the financial problems.

(2) Health

Astrological Factors Considered

Ruler of the 1st shows the body of the native: Leo rises so Sun is ruler of 1st. Sun is dignified by face, a weak dignity, in the 3rd, a cadent house.

Sun and Moon naturally signify health. Moon is strong, in her sign Cancer, in the 11th house. Moon trines Sun.

Ruler of the sixth of illness is Saturn. Saturn is peregrine, but retrograde in the 8th house.

Christian Astrology pages, 576-80.

We note that Saturn is in Cancer which signifies the liver, Christian Astrology, page 580 and afflicts Venus in the 5th house and the 5th house also signifies the liver Christian Astrology, page 245. Saturn in Cancer is also associated with the bladder and spleen, while the 5th house signifies the middle of the body. With Saturn retrograde in a water sign (the Sun and Moon are also in water signs) we might expect problems with fluid retention. Liver. bladder and circulatory problems seem indicated.

Sun, ruler of the body, is somewhat stronger than Saturn, the ruler of disease, so the native is able to overcome health problems. Weakness of the Sun indicates some bodily weakness as well so native has health problems of the nature indicated.


(3) Friendship

Astrological Factors Considered

Ruler of the 11th house of friends is Mercury who is peregrine in Scorpio and going to combustion.

Venus makes partile (almost exact) though separating opposition to cusp of 11th house.

Moon in Cancer, in 11th

South Node is in 11th afflicting it.

Mars applies to a square of South Node.

Christian Astrology, pages 634-9.

Analysis

While the native has some good friends who are likely women, sailors, fisherman and common people, they are likely to be somewhat inconstant (Moon in 11th,
Christian Astrology, pages 634-9. 636). As the ruler of the 11th is Mercury who is afflicted and in Scorpio, he is also likely to have friends who are tricky, engaging in power struggles and underhandedness, perhaps clerks, merchants, etc. The presence of the South Node in the 11th shows that the native has problems and difficulties with friends.



Talismanic and Ritual Prescription:

Mars seems to be involved in many of the areas mentioned. He afflicts the finances, the career and friends.

Because he is a malefic and weak, we do not wish to add any more Martial energy to the situation so I do not advise a Mars talisman. A Venus talisman is a possibility, since she is his natural opposite.

I would suggest Mars charity, however. This is a way to propitiate and soothe Mars so he will go somewhat easier on you.

What you do is give a Mars ruled thing to a Mars ruled person or organization on Mars day (Tuesday) ideally at Mars hour. You can see a list of at Mars ruled things and people. Perhaps a charity for veterans would be appropriate. Dawn is always the hour of the planet that rules the day, so dawn on a Tuesday is Mars hour, Mars day.

My suggestion for health and finances is Jupiter. The strongest planet in your chart is Jupiter and he is the natural ruler of wealth as well as being the best planet for prosperity and good fortune. Jupiter is also the natural antidote to Saturn, who is your significator of illness as ruler of the 6th house. A Jupiter talisman would work very well!

Response to Astrological checkup:

Client described checkup as "amazingly spot on"

More on Astrological Checkups and Traditional Astrological Readings

Election Using Horary

Here is an example of an election using the methods set forth in
John Gadbury's 1691 Nauticum Astrologicum, which is a book of horary and electional astrology for ships. He discusses the three methods of doing elections and gives examples. This chapter is included in my

Renaissance Electional Compilation

Anyhow, Gadbury says start with the natal chart of the ship or for an election for a person, their natal chart. Try to use the Ascendant of the nativity as the Ascendant of the election or the sextile or trine of the natal Ascendant as the electional Ascendant. Or the location of the Sun, the Moon, Jupiter and/or Venus or the trine or sextile of these locations as the location of the electional Ascendant, MC, Sun, Moon or Part of Fortune. Avoid in the election the place of Saturn, Mars or the South Node and the places of their square or opposition. Nauticum Astrologicum, p. 18.

Here we would use the natal chart of the mare, but this information is not available. Since we don't have a natal chart we proceed to the next method which is to use a horary question. Use the same procedure as above if the horary is favorable. If the horary is unfavorable make fortunate the factors that were unfavorable. Nauticum Astrologicum, p. 23-4. If we didn't have either a natal chart or horary, we would try get the most favorable electional chart. Nauticum Astrologicum, p. 30-1.

Here is the horary:

Question: Will we be able to successful mate our mare, to a stallion and have a safe delivery for mare and foal?"
Time Question Received & Understood: 11:26 am EST December 2, 2003
Place Question Received & Understood: Washington, D.C. 77 W 55 38 N 55

In this chart Aquarius rises and it is Saturn hour. As Saturn is the ruler of Aquarius the chart is radical and has initial signs of accuracy.

As Aquarius rises, Saturn is the significator of the querent. Saturn is in detriment and retrograde in the 5th house.

As this is a question regarding a mare the 12th house and its ruler signify her. Lilly, Christian Astrology, page 56. Saturn is ruler of the 12th. Saturn is appropriate for an older mare. Saturn is in Cancer, fruitful sign. Christian Astrology, 566.

Now since we are asking about the pregnancy of the mare and not the querent, we turn the chart, the 5th (offspring) of the 12th (mare) is the 4th house.

The ruler of the 4th is Mercury who is in the last degree of Sagittarius and about to go from being in detriment to being peregrine. The Part of Fortune is in the 4th. Mercury applies to conjoin Venus.

The sign on the turned 5th is Gemini, a barren sign. Christian Astrology 565. The ruler of the turned 5th Mercury is barren and in Sagittarius a more fruitful than barren sign, though about to go into Capricorn, a more barren than fruitful sign. Christian Astrology 566. The sign on the 12th, the Ascendant of the mare, is Capricorn, a more barren than fruitful sign. We also note that Venus, dignified by triplicity is conjunct the 12th Ascendant of the mare. Christian Astrology 225. Lilly says that if there is a good planet in the Ascendant that conception will take place, but if good and bad planets be mixed together there may be conception, but the offspring will not live. Christian Astrology, 223.

My sense of this chart is that it is indicating that conception is possible, but that a miscarriage would then ensue. Also possible, due to the afflicted state of the mare is no conception.


Here is the election for breeding the mare, based on the previous horary.

Election: time breeding mare, probably for contract or sending mare to stallion

Date: 12:16 am January 24, 2004
Location: Washington, D.C. 77 W 55 38 N 55

As I don't have the proper location I have used Washington, D.C. as an example.

In this chart, since this election is for the mare, the mare is signified by the first house and it's ruler Venus. Venus is exalted in the 5th house of offspring. This is, "a strong argument of...issue" Lilly, Christian Astrology 222. Venus is in Pisces, a fertile sign. The Moon is also in Pisces and conjunct the 5th house cusp, similarly a positive sign.

Now the cusp of the 5th is sextile the mare's Ascendant (the radix 12th) in the horary chart. The Moon and Venus in the election are also sextile the place of Venus in the horary chart. Venus is the Lesser Benefic, fruitful and dignified by triplicity in the horary.

The South Node, while in the 1st, is close enough to the 2nd to be conjunct it, so this assists the mare as well, getting the Node out of the 1st house.

Whew! That was difficult! I looked at over a hundred charts to get this one. Really shows the absolute necessity of having a computer to really be to look at the full range of electional choices.

Not a bad election, and I managed to include some factors from the horary in it! I was going to go on and do a pure election just based on getting good factors, but this one is pretty good.

More on Traditional Electional Astrology

Properly Applying the Tradition: House Meanings

One of the major differences between modern and traditional astrology lies in the meanings applied to various houses. In modern astrology, the 6th house is the house of service, the 8th, the house of sex and the 12th the house of "how you sacrifice your self-interest to serve the needs of others: social work, charity work, volunteer work" In traditional astrology, the 6th is the house of servants, that is to say your servants or people that work for you or that you supervise, the 8th is the house of death and the 12th is the house of curses, witchcraft and secret enemies. Interesting how modern has dropped out all the negative meanings! Of course this makes sense when you are working in a psychological/therapeutic setting since you don't want to bum out the patient. For prediction, though not surprisingly, dropping all the negative areas means highly inaccurate predictions as negative stuff happens to people all the time.

Ok, so we decide to stick with the traditional house meanings, but we need to understand the basic patterns and relationships of the houses so we can accurately apply them. For the most part this is not a problem, people still fall in love and get married, 7th house, lend and borrow money, 2nd house and have careers, 10th house. However, in some cases relationships have changed between the 17th and 21st century (no, not because we are spiritually evolved!).

In Christian Astrology, originally published in 1647 William Lilly says that tenants are ruled by the 6th house. Is this the appropriate house for a modern question regarding landlords and tenants, however?

I would just say that I agree entirely with the contemporary traditional astrologer John Frawley's discussion of modern tenants as 7th house in Real Astrology, page 180. I think that there is a tendency for traditional astrologers to follow 17th century practice blindly. Clearly this is less of a problem than trying to mix in modern astrology which is truly the bane of traditional practice.

However, the key is to catch the spirit or the essence, if you will, of the traditional practice rather than thoughtlessly following every jot and tittle of Christian Astrology. Be particularly careful of situations where the name is the same, but the underlying reality or relationship has changed. "But this means knowing all about 17th century England", the student exclaims. Well, to fully utilize the precision and accuracy of traditional practice requires real work on the part of the practitioner. Sadly, traditional horary just isn't "plain and simple"

The 6th house is the house of servants, Christian Astrology 6th house and as JF notes in the 17th century one's tenants would be one's social inferiors as a landowner was a fairly superior sort of person. To this day in England and Scotland much land is not freehold and owned by the occupant, but held on 99 year or other long term leases leases. In London, for example, the Duke of Westminster still owns large and hugely valuable sections of the West End of London.

In the U.S., nowadays and most non-aristocratic types in the the U.K., who are renting out a room or apartment, are not in this position with their tenants. In fact, in Washington, D.C. the courts have found that this relationship is basically contractual, the landlord must provide a unit that passes muster under the housing code and the tenant must pay the rent. So this modern form of tenancy, despite having the same name as 17th century tenancy, is of a different form, one that much more properly fits in the 7th house.

More on Houses in Traditional Astrology

How to be an Amateur Horary Astrologer

1. Read "a book" on horary astrology

Why waste your time taking a course or spending a lot of time studying, you can pick up everything you know to be an amateur horary astrologer with one book or even better just by hanging out for a week or so on a discussion group or surfing a few web sites. After all, you learned everything else you know about "astrology" (modern natal that is) that way.

2. Never be afraid to have an opinion

Even if you haven't read that book yet on horary, don't be afraid to speak up, express yourself and particularly to point out the mistakes of others. Everyone is equal, we all have something to say, so don't let even the complete lack of knowledge of or experience with horary stop you from making ex cathedra pronouncements or castigating even a leading astrologer like Lee Lehman or John Frawley. After all everyone is ultimately on the same amateur level that you are.


3. Mix and match systems, switch techniques frequently

Make sure that when you look at a chart that you use a combination of horary and natal techniques, plus modern, Vedic and traditional astrology. The more methods you can throw at a chart, the more amateur results you get. Also don't stick to one house system or one Zodiac, if you use a helicentric tropical Zodiac on one chart, use a geocentric sidereal on the other. The more information you can get from a chart, from a widely changing grab bag of methods, the more of an amateur astrologer you will be.


4. If a technique worked once, it works all the time

If you had, for example, a horary where the sixth house signified computers then feel free to use the sixth house for computers in any chart thereafter. Don't worry if some fuddy duddy old fools have been doing something differently for 2,000 years, your single example proves them wrong!


5. "Everything I need to know about astrology I learned at the kindergarten level"

Always stick closely to the first things you learned. Whatever you read first in a discussion group or had someone show you on your first chart should be permanently set in stone and should be followed religiously thereafter. Don't be confused or diverted from your initial methods by some smarty pants quoting Lilly!

6. Apply the considerations strictly, refuse to judge charts

Treat the Considerations before Judgment (these are set forth by William Lilly in Christian Astrology in Christian Astrology page 121-3, but an amateur astrologer either has never heard of Lilly or downloaded a free pdf of half of Christian Astrology but can't read it because it is in "Old English") as death sentences for horaries. If a chart is not radical, or has late or early degrees rising, void of course Moon in any sign (pay no attention to Lilly!) or any other consideration, drop it like a hot potato! This allows you to exhibit your mastery of the intricacies of horary and as an added bonus avoid having to judge negative charts or even judge the chart at all. Too much chance of getting it wrong anyhow!


7. Focus on hindsight

One of the best methods for staying an amateur astrologer and avoiding the risk of an inaccurate prediction is to never make predictions. Hindsight is always 20/20! Wait until the results are known before looking at the chart. Better yet lurk on discussion groups and pick apart other people's predictions with your uncanny insights after the fact. The foolish mistakes of others and your own brilliance become so much more obvious if you wait to judge the chart until after the result is known.


8. Stay abstract and focus on debate

Another excellent amateur astrologer method is to shy away from looking at actual charts entirely. You can argue about technique endlessly in the abstract without any fear of actual evidence to the contrary. "I think X" does perfectly well for discussion group debates and provides endless hours of amateur enjoyment.

9. Always look for a positive answer

Don't let a plethora of negative factors in the chart get you down, besides from your 5 minutes of study of modern astrology you know that nothing is really bad and everything is a challenge. Besides who wants bad news? If you look hard enough you can always find something positive. Relationship horary with rulers of the 1st and 7th in detriment separating from an opposition, Moon conjunct Algol, square Saturn? Yes, but look the Part of Fortune is in the 7th, hurrah all is well!

10. Spend most of your time judging your own questions

After all isn't this why you decided to become an amateur horary astrologer anyway? Your own questions are the most interesting after all, you really, really want to know if X is going to leave his wife of 25 years and 4 kids and marry you like he said he would. Besides all of this emotional involvement helps you judge the chart in a relentlessly positive and thus amateur way. For extra bonus points ask your own personal question several times in quick succession.

11. Never charge for astrology & condemn those that do

Once you do charge, you may be amateurish, but by definition, not an amateur. The amateur doesn't charge for a variety of reasons. To do so would besmirch the sacred art of astrology, which is necessary for life itself, unlike medicine, rent, utilities or food, which the amateur has no objection to anyone charging for. The amateur knows that it is far better to pursue astrology as a hobby and thus remain pure of commercial stain, while either being parasitic on their spouse or society at large or working as a telemarketer, subprime mortgage broker, Humvee salesman or other socially elevating profession. Besides being a professional astrologer would entail answering other people's questions, actually making predictions, and judging a large volume of real charts before the outcome was known all of which is antithetical to the true amateur spirit.