Astrology, chapter 10 of 13
Dignities, sect and rulership
A planet's sign placement doesn't only colour it; it also makes it stronger or weaker, more comfortable or uncomfortable. The traditional metaphor: a planet in a sign is a guest in a house. In its own home it has resources and authority; in an enemy's house it struggles.
The essential dignities
| Condition | Meaning | Metaphor |
|---|---|---|
| Domicile (rulership) | Planet in the sign it rules | At home: full resources, acts naturally |
| Exaltation | Planet in the sign where it's honoured | An honoured guest: elevated, sometimes idealised |
| Detriment (exile) | Planet in the sign opposite its domicile | Far from home: must work harder, unconventional expression |
| Fall | Planet in the sign opposite its exaltation | Unhonoured, humbled: undermined, but can gain depth |
| Peregrine | No dignity at all in that sign | A wanderer: depends heavily on aspects and its ruler |
(Finer traditional dignities also exist, triplicity, terms/bounds and faces/decans, useful once you're advanced.)
Master table
| Planet | Domicile | Exaltation (degree) | Detriment | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☉︎ Sun | Leo | Aries (19°) | Aquarius | Libra |
| ☽︎ Moon | Cancer | Taurus (3°) | Capricorn | Scorpio |
| ☿︎ Mercury | Gemini, Virgo | Virgo (15°) | Sagittarius, Pisces | Pisces |
| ♀︎ Venus | Taurus, Libra | Pisces (27°) | Scorpio, Aries | Virgo |
| ♂︎ Mars | Aries, Scorpio | Capricorn (28°) | Libra, Taurus | Cancer |
| ♃︎ Jupiter | Sagittarius, Pisces | Cancer (15°) | Gemini, Virgo | Capricorn |
| ♄︎ Saturn | Capricorn, Aquarius | Libra (21°) | Cancer, Leo | Aries |
The logic behind rulership (the Thema Mundi)
The rulerships aren't arbitrary. The luminaries take the two summer signs: the Sun rules Leo, the Moon rules Cancer. Then the planets are assigned outward in order of their speed, on both sides: Mercury gets the next pair (Gemini/Virgo), Venus the next (Taurus/Libra), Mars (Aries/Scorpio), Jupiter (Pisces/Sagittarius), and Saturn, slowest and coldest, the winter signs opposite the luminaries (Capricorn/Aquarius). That's why Saturn is in detriment in Cancer and Leo: it's the direct opposite of the light.
Sect: day and night charts
If the Sun is above the horizon (houses 7–12), you have a day chart; below (houses 1–6), a night chart.
- Day sect: Sun, Jupiter, Saturn. Night sect: Moon, Venus, Mars. Mercury joins whichever side it rises before or after the Sun.
- The benefic of sect is the most helpful planet (Jupiter by day, Venus by night).
- The malefic of sect is tamed (Saturn by day is more constructive; Mars by night is gentler).
- The malefic contrary to sect is the most difficult planet in the chart (Mars in a day chart; Saturn in a night chart), look carefully at where it is.
Rulers and dispositors
- Chart ruler: the ruler of the Ascendant's sign. Its sign, house and aspects are a major theme of the whole life. (Libra rising → Venus is the chart ruler; find Venus to see where life is directed.)
- House rulers: each house is ruled by the ruler of the sign on its cusp. If your 10th house is Gemini and Mercury sits in your 5th, career (10th) is linked to creativity (5th).
- Dispositor: the ruler of the sign a planet is in. Moon in Aries is "disposed" by Mars, the Moon's needs report to Mars. Follow the chain; if all chains end at one planet in its own sign, that's the final dispositor, the boss of the chart.
- Mutual reception: two planets in each other's signs (Venus in Aries, Mars in Taurus). They help each other and can "swap" places in interpretation.
Other conditions
- Retrograde: a planet appearing to move backward from Earth. Energy turned inward, reflective, delayed, repeated, or unconventional.
- Combust: within ~8.5° of the Sun, overwhelmed and hidden. Cazimi: within 17′ of the Sun, "in the heart of the Sun," extremely empowered.
- Angularity: planets in angular houses (1, 4, 7, 10) or near the angles act strongly and visibly.