10 AM Pacific / 1 PM Eastern / 6 PM GMT / 7PM Central European
5 April 2025 – Zoom Room (codes TBA)
Have you ever wondered why astrologers can’t agree on a single house system? Why don’t all astrologers use the same house system? What distinguishes one system from another? And why were new house systems developed throughout history?
From ancient times to the modern era, astrologers selected house division methods based on divergent celestial circles, believing that each method aligned more closely with the techniques they practiced. The symbolism inherent in these celestial circles profoundly influenced their delineations, often yielding more accurate and meaningful results.
In this talk, attendees will explore the reasoning behind the major house systems in use today and uncover the deeper symbolism of the celestial circles that shape house division in astrology.
The Sun is in aversion to the second place and second quadrant division.
In twentieth century astrology, when a two planets are 30° apart, this is called a semi-sextile, and because the planets are always in different elements, they are said to have difficulty working together.
When two planets are 150° apart, this is called an inconjunct or quincunx. The energy is likened to a person who speaks Italian, the other person speaks Japanese, and the only language they have in common is German, but they only know 50 words in German, of which maybe they have ten in common, so they must communicate with those…
Traditional astrology takes a similar approach, although, as always, the language is more black and white.
In traditional astrology, when two astrological objects are not in a Ptolemaic aspect (conjunct, sextile, trine, opposition), that is, if they are 30° or 150° apart from each other, they are said to be in aversion. The idea is that they are not able to see or witness each other. The don’t communicate or share light with each other; so they must rely on other planets that they are connected with in order to work together.
Endless deliantion fun there!
In the above illustration, the Lord of the second house is the Sun, who is in the third house of Virgo. The poor Lord of the second house is not able to see what is going on in his second house of personal finances.
Without the intervention of some other factor, an obvious delineation of this position would be that the native will have problems managing their finances, particularly when Leo is activated by zodiacal releasing, or the Sun by primary direction, solar revolution, transit, or some other time lord system.
The more time lord systems that are activated, the surer the prediction will be. If by one, the effect might happen; if by two, it probably will happen; if by three, it is sure to happen.
With the second consideration, Bonatti turns his attention to the querent and the proper way to ask one’s question. Bonatti recommends intense and heartfelt prayer to our higher power, whatever that may be, that we know the truth of the matter we are inquiring about.
He then recommends creating an area of focus around the question and concentrating on it for at least a day and a night before going to the astrologer, and in doing this, we increase the likelihood of the words of Master Jesus coming to pass, as stated in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.”
This in fact is the process used in hermetic magic. In traditional kabbalah, there is a process known as kavanah, which literally means “intention” or “sincere feeling, direction of the heart”. We create an area of focus on a specific thing and concentrate on it, and through doing so we bring the things concentrated on into manifestation.
To give a benign example, one could strongly visualize a coin of one euro, or a GB pound, or an American quarter. We visualize the coin strongly each day over a period of time, making kavanah with it, and voilà! One day we are walking in the street, and we happen on the coin while walking. The act of finding the coin seems completely natural and can be explained away as chance. But practitioners of magic would know that the coin appeared as a result of the Path of Creation, where an intense thought form that is concentrated on over a period of time gradually takes form on the physical plane.
Equally, Bonatti advises us to make, in effect, kavanah with our horary question, first praying to know the truth of the matter and doing this with intense emotion and feeling, because we have a strong NEED to know.
And only after doing this, do we go to the astrologer and pose the question.
Bonatti adds that of course there will be times where there is a sudden need to have an answer to the question. In this case the need is so strong and the emotions and feelings of the querent so high that the question, once posed, will be answered.
Bonatti then warns that there are many foolish people who will not make the necessary preparations for posing their question and phrase their query in such a way that it does not get at the truth of what the querent really wants to know. And then the querent blames the astrologer when the given answer is ambiguous.
In short, Bonatti’s advice for us is that for a clear and precise answer to our question, it is best that the question comes from a sincere and deeply felt need to know.
