The querent asked (paraphrased), “Will my economic situation improve over the next 6-12 months? I’ve been living in Germany for the past few years, natively from Romania, and have been struggling to make ends meet. I am met with disappointment after disappointment in the professional arena. If I’m unable to see good improvement in the next 6-12 months, I am prepared to go to another country or back home to Romania. What does horary advise?”
Chart Details: 14 March 2015, 8:21pm. San Francisco, CA. Regiomontanus Houses.
The querent is identified by ♀ in ♈ (her detriment) in the terms of ♄, in the 7th house. I like to confirm physical descriptions at this early stage to settle into the symbolism. Lilly says we can see where there are marks or moles on the body by the location of the ☽, and the sign on the 6th house cusp. The querent confirmed she has a scar on her knee (☽ in ♑) and on one of her toes (♓ on 6th cusp). Her significator, ♀ in ♈, shows her to be of nice proportions, some curves, with brown, sandy hair that shows a glint of red. The querent has confirmed these descriptions to be accurate, adding that her hair was recently dyed a reddish tone.
♀ is only in dignity by face. Lilly says in Christian Astrology, p. 103: “A planet having little or no dignity, but by being in his decanate or face, is almost like a man ready to be turned out of doors, having much ado to maintain himself in credit and reputation.” Dignity by face alone shows the querent to be in difficult condition (as are most people who come for horary consultations), lacking external support, putting in tremendous effort for only modest gains.
NB: Dignity by face may seem minor, but when we take into consideration what happens when that dignity is stripped we see why Lilly says it is such a precarious position. Dignity by face gives a planet +1 on the dignity/fortitudes scale, while a planet peregrine is -5. That is six points of dignity removed from a planet, which drastically alters interpretive positioning.
The ☽ shows the focus, the unfolding of events, and also serves as primary significator for the querent’s career as the 10th house ruler. The ☽ in ♑ is in her detriment, in the lowest depths of the chart. The job buries her, makes her feel low and depressed. This placement describes her as unsettled, discontented, unhappy. It’s a somber placement. Nina Gryphon has made the point that the ☽ ruling the 10th of career in this sign of ♄ points to work that no one wants to do (janitorial work, graveyard shifts, etc.). The querent confirmed that she cleans for a living — not a covetable position. The ☽ on the 4th house cusp shows that her thoughts are with returning home, and being with her family again.
It is obvious to see why and how a move to Germany has been so difficult. The 9th house ruler, ☿, is in poor essential and accidental shape. ☿ in ♓ is in his fall and detriment, and from the early degrees of ♓ sends his □ to ♄ and his ⚹ to the 8th house cusp. This describes the foreign foray as abasing, leaving the client to feel shunned and powerless. It adds pressure, an increased responsibility just to stay afloat, and ties in the fear and anxiety of the 8th house.
The chart goes so far as to show geographical detail surrounding this move. The querent left her home, Romania, about five and a half years ago in 2009. Looking at the past aspects of the ☽, we can see that she transferred the light of 9th house ruler ☿ to the Ascendant, a little over five degrees between them. Germany is northwest of Romania, so the placement of ☿ in ♓ indicates a move to the northwest (and the air sign ♊ on the 9th cusp reaffirms a westward travel). Germany falls under the zodiacal rulership of ♈, where ♀ is in her detriment — another argument against this being a fruitful relocation. This isn’t to say that there’s something wrong with Germany itself, but rather that a move to Germany would cause undue difficulties for the querent.
Next we turn our focus to upcoming contacts with the ☽ (which show not only the course of events, but changes in career). Her next aspect is a □ to ♂ with reception. In combination with ☽’s poor zodiacal state and ♂’s □ to the 10th house, it’s hard to put too much store in this as a redemptive aspect. In relation to one’s office (in this context, the workplace or career of the querent), Lilly says that if the 1st-ruler is configured with a planet in the fall of its dispositor, the querent will “carry himself ill in this place” (CA, p. 447). The ☽ is in such a condition, and though she is not the 1st-ruler, she is a highly active significator in this chart. The ☽ in ♑ is disosited by ♄, and she is configured by □ with ♂ who rules and is placed in ♈, the sign of ♄’s fall.
In the same passage, Lilly says to be concerned about the condition of the governed place (i.e., the workplace) if the 10th ruler is configured with a planet that rules the sign of its fall (CA, p. 448). Here, the ☽ is in □ with ♂, ruler of ♏ (sign of the ☽’s fall).
So what do we tell the querent? There are a number of indications that a return home would be best. The ☽ is in the 4th house, showing the querent’s desire to return back to her ancestral homeland and be with her family while she regains footing. The ☽’s next aspect is a received square to a dignified ♂ in the 7th house. ♂ in ♈ points toward an eastward destination (all fire signs are associated with eastern directions). The 4th house has significations of our home, and its ruler ♄ is retrograde on the cusp of the 3rd house (familiar places, where her siblings/kin are). ♄ and the 3rd house cusp are in ♐, which points east by southeast from the querent’s home in Germany. Romania, the querent’s homeland, is east and a little south of Germany. Interestingly, Romania falls under the zodiacal rulership of ♐, where we also find Fortuna in trine to its dispositor ♃. The 3rd house ruler, ♃, is retrograde in ♌ in a partile conjunction with the 11th house cusp, promising a fortunate return journey eastward. Finally, ♀ is three degrees away from exiting debility in ♈ and entering her own sign of ♉. As an earth sign, ♉ has an affinity with southern directions, particularly southeast.
In summary, it does look as if new career opportunities might arise, but they will be poorly matched to meet the querent’s needs, wants and desires. The angles and all primary significators are in cardinal signs — change is on the horizon. There are recurring testimonies that a return home to Romania is worthwhile, if for no other reason than to re-calibrate and re-focus. Time with family will be helpful and reassuring, as they will be supportive of the querent’s needs during the return journey.
A brief look into the querent’s solar return for later this year shows the 1st ruler, ☽, conjunct Fortuna in the 9th house in ♓, trine the ascending degree. Though she will still be in the process of working through her own battles, this positioning shows the querent to be in more control of her situation and gives a glimmer of hope at the end of this difficult tunnel.
