Lessons in Horary Astrology: Never Ask Until You are Truly Ready to Know
One of the most significant horary aphorisms I learned from my teachers at STA* is that one should never ask a question until one is truly ready to know the answer. This article spotlights a personal story which showcases why this is true.
Horary charts are astrological charts cast to answer questions – the more specific the better. The casting of horary charts is understood to be a cross hair of divine timing. In other words, the moment the chart is ready to be cast, is when the universe is ready to supply an answer. Unlike a Magic 8-Ball, we cannot keep asking the same question until we get the result we want. It’s important that the question is charged with a sense of urgency – that one must know the answer now at all costs. That moment is usually when the client will reach out to the astrologer.
But even in that moment of an all-consuming need to know – very often the querent is still very attached to a specific outcome. How do we know, then, that they are truly ready to know the answer? We will not always know. However, there are certain questions which could undoubtedly disappoint. A classic question, “Will I ever fall in love?” would be a total coin toss. Which is why most astrologers won’t answer questions phrased in this way. Instead, we encourage our clients to specify a time frame: “Will I fall in love in the next two years?” This way, we hold space for a person to alter their own path, versus giving ultimatums about their life. Additionally, we are minimizing the risk of creating uneccesary harm.
Some tips for using horary:
Be ready to hear the answer – even if it’s not the answer you hope for
Specify a time frame – that way you’ll always be comfortable with the answer
You’re welcome to ask this same question to another astrologer in a few years once this outcome/timeframe has played out. If we ask the same question too soon – the charts are typically muddled, confusing and weak. This is because it’s not asked with the same urgency as the first time we ask the question. Or even better, you can ask a new question based on your new circumstances once they change!
Most of the questions our clients ask us are deeply personal to them. If you have any doubts about whether or not they would be ready to receive the true answer to their question, you can always email them back and ask if they are really ready to know the answer before you cast the chart. You can also post a disclaimer of best horary practices on your booking page – as most people are not as familiar with horary.
Will we have another baby?
I had always envisioned myself having two children. After a lifetime of seeking answers, my husband received his official Tourette’s diagnosis the week of my daughter’s first birthday. Nervous that he could possibly pass it on to our child, he took it as a sign: he got his daughter and now, he wasn’t meant to have any more children. Empathizing with my husband on this colossal news, I decided that my priority was trying to understand him and support him in the integration of this news. Despite feeling heartbroken, I leaned into a personal experiment to try to envision my life with just the three of us.
A year passed and I had grown more and more comfortable with the idea of not having more children, although I resolved to never close the door of possibility. I frequently toyed with the idea of casting a horary to find out, but I wasn’t ready. I knew I’d be devastated if the horary turned up with a “no.”
I began to give away baby items to expectant family members, reassuring myself that if it was meant to come back to me one day it would. However, I now realized how frustrating it was to continue to stuff my daughter’s closet with maybe’s. Every time I would open her closet, I would get sad that I might never have another child. I decided it was time to know once and for all – to either get rid of the baby stuff and move on, or hold onto it with purpose. I cast the chart, “Will we have another baby?” (Note that I did not need to specify a time frame, knowing the limits of my biology.) The chart sent me mixed signals at first, but at least I was ready to know.
Vibing with my Libra Sun, the horary emerges with a Libra rising. This confirms that the chart is “radical,” or rooted with my birth chart. In other words, we’re off to a great start. I am then represented by Venus in Taurus (domicile), but in the 8H processing a potential grief. My husband is represented by Mars in Aries, also in its domicile and even stronger in the angular 7th house. We would interpret this as my husband standing his ground and getting his way. I am also standing my ground, but his stance is outwardly stronger. Venus here also holds triplicity and bound rulership, adding oomph to her endurance for her cause. Note that Venus and Mars are in aversion to one another, reflecting that we do not see eye to eye on this issue.
But wait, the Moon in fertile Cancer in the 10th house stands out. This seems to answer the question with an affirmative yes – I will be a mother again. Looking closer, the Moon has transferred light between Mars and Venus, linking the two planets together. This seemed to suggest that we had a conversation of coming to an agreement to have children, yet this never happened. Alternatively shocking, it seemed to suggest that I was already pregnant. Impossible! And yet, the Moon’s next aspect is to Uranus (surprise!) and the ascendant. What the hell is going on here?
The biggest thing to look for in questions about fertility is the 5th house of children. My heart sinks when I see Saturn in the 5th, a planet typically associated with barrenness, difficulty and prevention. At the very least, Saturn here could indicate a hurdle. However, Saturn is in its own sign in Aquarius; this is called emplacement, a second indication that I could already be pregnant. Saturn was stationing retrograde, reversing its tracks. Could the boundary my husband created be reversing? Could he be changing his mind?
Ultimately, a lack of connection between Venus (the ruler of the first) and Saturn (ruler of the 5th), made me doubt what this horary was really trying to say. I knew the chart was solid, but I decided to sit with it for a few days before I defined the message. It’s true that astrologers always have our blind spots when reading for ourselves! Either way, I knew I was ready to accept the answer no matter what.
Outcome:
A few days later, I began to feel like I should take a pregnancy test. To my shock and disbelief, it turned up positive! Doing the math, I realized my baby would be born during Aquarius season – the sign on the cusp of the 5th house! Aquarius is also a diurnal sign, and I now know that I’m due to have a boy. In hindsight, Saturn’s retrograde meant that Saturn was also mutually applying to the ascendant. As it turns out, Saturn, stationing retrograde meant that it was now applying to the Libra ascendant, the exact degree it stations direct at in October. With a 7-degree orb, but moving slow, this matches up with the timeline of meeting my new baby about 8 months out from the question. The Moon’s next aspect was to Uranus, with a 9-degree orb (the human gestation period). Looks like fixed Venus got her way after all.
The other moral of this story is that Saturn does not always deny. A “good” Saturn can certainly deliver! To reiterate the premise of this article, while I indeed received the answer I’d initially hoped for, I didn’t ask until I was also fully prepared to receive a “no” answer as well. Uranian surprise indeed! So if you’ve read this far, congratulations, you are one of the first to know!
Join us next month in Cauldron on 9/8/22 for a 2-hr Intro to Horary webinar!
And if you’re still looking for more, I couldn’t recommend STA, the School of Traditional Astrology enough! My teachers Deb Houlding, Dr. Lee Lehman, Eve Dembowski and Wade Caves are absolutely brilliant and amazing teachers.
