What Is Horary Astrology? Complete Beginner's Guide

Horary astrology is a branch of traditional astrology that's used to answer a single specific question by casting an astrological chart for the moment the question is asked. You could say that Horary astrology uses the astrological chart of that moment as an oracle.

Horary Astrology for Beginners

Horary astrology is one of the oldest and most sophisticated astrological studies. It can certainly appear mind-bogglingly for beginners. However, if you have a good basic grasp of the signs, planets, aspects, and houses of a natal chart, you should be able to easily translate that into horary astrology.

Casting a Horary Chart

A person may have been pondering a question for some time and asked it of other people, but it's only when the person asks the question of an astrologer and the astrologer understands the question that a chart is cast. A horary chart is cast for the time and location of the astrologer. As an example, suppose a questioner, who lived in California called a New York City astrologer, then the chart would be cast with a New York City time and location.

Horary Questions

A Horary question must be personal, serious, and pressing. If you're a beginner, it's best to start with questions that can be answered with a "yes" or "no." For example, instead of, "When will I fall in love?" it's better to ask, "Will I fall in love?" The astrologer should be able to tell when it will happen--if it happens. But it's best not to presume that "falling in love" will happen when asking the question. A horary chart can answer all sorts of questions. Below are a few examples of the types of questions that can be asked.

• Will I change careers?
• Will I leave my relationship?
• Will I get laid off from my job?
• Will my book be published?
• Will I purchase this house? This car? Another major item?
• Will my favorite team win the game?
• Is he or she telling the truth?
• Will I find my car keys? Or other lost items.
• Will it benefit me to major in "a certain subject" in college?
• Will I marry again?
• Is my husband or wife cheating?
• Will I find my lost dog?
• Will I adopt a pet?

Understand the Question

If you're doing a horary and don't understand the question being asked, don't be afraid to ask for clarification. Don't make assumptions about what the person is asking. For example, if they're asking about a divorce, ask them if they've already separated. If they're asking about changing jobs, ask them if they are actually looking for a job right now. Remember, if you don't understand the question and its context, you'll get a wrong answer.

Don't Ask or Answer Twice

Sure, you can, but you shouldn't. The person can ask again when and if the situation changes, but most situations take days and even months to change, while some situations never change. For example, if a person is asking "Does he or she love me?" and the answer is "no," but the querent is unsatisfied with that answer, and is asking over and over again in different ways, they're not going to get a different answer.

The Houses in Horary

A horary question is always related to a person, event, or thing in your life that is connected to one of astrology's 12 houses. Therefore, it is very important to understand the people and things that are ruled by each house.

First House: Strong Angular House

The first house represents the person asking the question. Their physical appearance, health, and accidents. Here you'll also find grandmother, grandfather, nieces/nephews by marriage, and great-grandchildren.

Second House

The second house deals with the querent's riches and movable possessions: their money, income, lent money, profits, and lost items. It also deals with spouse's death, children's careers, and the health of brother/sister-in-law.

Third House

The third house represents all forms of communication: documents, contracts, letters, your inbox, postal delivery, telephone, fax, and internet. It also deals with rumors and gossip, siblings, cousins, roommates and neighbors.

Fourth House: Strong Angular House

The fourth house represents immovable possessions: property, buildings, houses, your home(s), and your family, as well as a cousin's and siblings' money, and the spouse's job. It can also be used to judge the end of a matter and the outcome of a situation.

Fifth House

The fifth house represents the creativity and the talents of the person who asked the question. It also deals with your natural children, lovers, affairs, sex-life, pregnancy, performing, hobbies, sports, competition, movable possessions, father's money, and death of the mother.

Sixth House: Weak House

The sixth house represents the health of the person asking the question. It also deals with doctors, medicine, employees, co-workers, the police, and the army. It describes working conditions and daily routines. It also relates to pets, children's money, homes, land owned by siblings, aunts, and uncles.

Seventh House: Strong Angular House

The seventh house represents relationships with others: marriage, business partnerships, and open enemies. It deals with contracts, divorce, thieves, another party in court, lawyers, legal matters (ex) boyfriend or girlfriend, grandfather, sibling's children, and your clients.

Eighth House: Weak House

The eighth house represents sex, debts, taxes, death, and other people's money. It deals with inheritances, legacy, child support, loans, surgery, violence, partner's sense of self-worth, financial affairs of the wife, husband or lover, and issues that bring fear, anxiety, or loss.

Ninth House

The ninth house represents long-distance travel, higher education, foreigners, visas, legal documents, international affairs, religion, and philosophy. It also deals with publishers, professors, grandchildren, and brothers or sisters-in-law.

Tenth House: Strong Angular House

The tenth house represents profession and career. It deals with your public status, success, fame, and reputation. It represents authority figures, your boss, the judge in a court, sibling's death, and the health of querent's child.

Eleventh House

The eleventh house is the house of good fortune. It deals with the friends and acquaintances, large groups of people, associations, helpful people, colleagues, group associations, father's death, money from job, mother's money, children's marriage, aunt or uncle's health, son or daughter in law, stepchildren, and foster or adopted children

Twelfth House: Weak House

The twelfth house is about secrets, secret enemies, prisons, hospitals, and institutions. It deals with rest, letting go, release, worry, hidden situations, fears, isolation, maternal aunt or uncle, and the health of spouse, life partner, or business partner.

The Planets in Horary

In horary astrology, the traditional rulers are used, and the strength and weakness of a planet are determined by the sign it occupies.

The Aspects in Horary

In horary, only the five basic aspects are used. These are:

• Conjunction: Can be challenging but usually means yes.
• Sextile: Planets work together and are harmonious, which usually means yes.
• Square: Challenging and frustrating and usually means "no."
• Trine: There's an easy flow between the planets, which usually means "yes."
• Opposition: Something or someone are is opposing you. (Look to the 7th house for an answer.)

Applying and Separating Aspects

If an aspect is applying to exact, it has yet to happen--look to the future. If the aspect is separating from exact, whatever the question is about, it has already been answered. Yes, people can be in denial and ask questions they already know the answer to.

Don't Assume

Don't assume a square always means no or a trine always means yes, because that's not always the case! A square can still mean a yes if the planets are friendly to one another and are applying. This could mean yes, but they will have to work hard for it. Likewise, an applying trine in a question such as "Will I get divorced?" might mean that instead of divorce there will be a reconciliation.

Keep It Simple

It can be very tempting for a beginner to examine the relationships between every planet in a horary chart, but don't! Keep it simple until you get a really good understanding of how the rest of a chart works using the signs and the traditional seven planetary rulers and the basic aspects. As a beginner, all you'll need to consider in most horary charts are:

• The first house ruling planet and the sign and house in which the ruler is located (questioners significator).
• The planet ruling the house of the person, thing, or event that is the subject of the question and the sign and house in which it is located (the question significator).
• The moon

The Moon

The moon is important in horary. It's often thought of as the co-significator for the person asking the question. The moon is said to drive the action of the chart--or not. What is the moon doing? What house is it in? Is it in a strong or weak house? Is it a strong sign or a weak sign? Is it applying to or separating from one of the significators, or to an important angle? The aspects of the Moon in a horary chart can help to clarify the answer.

Moon Void-of-Course

When the moon is not making any applying aspects to planets, it's considered void-of-course. In a horary chart, this can mean: the matter won't come to fruition, the wrong question is being asked, the matter has been completed, or nothing will come from answering the question.

Other Considerations

Even while keeping it simple, there are other things to consider when judging a horary chart for an answer.

Mutual Reception

When two planets are in each other's signs of rulership, they are in mutual reception. When the planetary significators are in mutual reception but not in aspect, they feed off each other and are being activated so you can get an answer.

Retrogrades

When a planet appears to be moving backward in the sky, it's said to be retrograde. In horary, retrograde significators mean that the outcome is erratic and unpredictable. A situation can begin but in an inexplicable manner. These can indicate the person may not be thinking clearly, or, if the question is about a missing object, it will return.

Combust and Cazimi Planets

When a planet is in close to the sun it is said to be combust. When a planet is combust the sun, the sun is said to "destroy" the planet. If a planetary significator is combust the sun, this means it is powerless in the situation. However, when a planet is in an almost perfectly exact conjunction with the sun, it is said to be cazimi and therefore is very powerful.

The Ascendant

The Ascendant must be between 3 and 27 degrees. Basically, 0 to 3 degrees means that it is too soon for the chart reading and 27 to 30 degrees means that the situation is developing and there's a lot of room for change.

Via Combusta

If the ascendant or descendant is between 15 degrees Libra and 15 degrees Scorpio, the chart is said to be "Via Combusta," which means "burning way." This means the chart is too "hot" and unpredictable to judge. If the moon is in the "Via Combusta" degrees, external factors make it hard to reconcile an answer. More often than not, this is an indication that the astrologer should not judge the chart.

Example Question and Chart

A woman asks an astrologer: "Does my partner love me?"

This is a relationship question, therefore this is a seventh house question.

Seventh House Aquarius

Aquarius is on the 7th house cusp, so, according to the traditional rules, Saturn rules the partner. Saturn is in Cancer and in the twelfth house. Saturn is weak in Cancer and the twelfth house indicates the partner is feeling scared and vulnerable and is hiding his love for her by withdrawing his loving behavior.

Leo Ascendant

The woman asking the question is represented by the sun, ruler of the ascendant. The sun is in Aquarius and the sixth house. The sun is weak in Aquarius, plus it's in the sixth house, which is considered a weak and unfortunate placement. The sun, exactly square the mid-heaven, can indicate disbelief in the astrologer's interpretation. Taken together, this can all mean that the woman feels she's in a weakened and unfortunate position and will be doubtful, whatever the answer is.

The Moon

The moon, co-significator for the woman asking the question, is in Gemini. The Moon is weak in Gemini, but it is applying to the descendant by trine. This indicates that although she's doubtful, she'll soon know the answer to her question is "yes."

Know the Basics

Horary is a specialized type of astrology that has ancient and vast knowledge behind it. Learning it in depth can take years and years of practice. However, if you know the basics of astrology, the basic rules of horary, and then use common sense, you should be able to read an uncomplicated horary chart.