Whether the chart is fit to be judged:
1. The chart is radical, or fit to be judged, when the lord of the ascendant and of the planetary hour are of the same nature or triplicity.
(Planetary natures are as follows: Moon and Venus are cold and moist. Mercury and Saturn are old and dry. Sun and Mars are hot and hry. Jupiter is hot and moist. Lilly’s triplicities are as follows: the Fire triplicity is ruled by the Sun in diurnal charts and Jupiter in Nocturnal charts. The Air triplicity is ruled by Saturn in diurnal charts and Mercury in nocturnal charts. The Water triplicity is ruled by Mars in diurnal and nocturnal charts. The Earth triplicity is ruled by Venus in diurnal charts and the Moon in nocturnal charts.)
2. Judgment may be difficult if either the 1st degrees or later degrees of a sign are ascending. In particular, if the later degrees are ascending, it is likely that the question has been asked too late for any changes to be effected, and the Querent may be in a state of despair regarding the successful conclusion of the matter. Lilly says “the Heavens advise you not to meddle with it at that time”.
General Considerations:
1. Accurate judgement requires both the querent and astrologer to have meditated on the question, and to have given some thought to what is being asked.
2. Pay attention to the condition of the Moon. Her strength or debility is more important in judgement than even the lord of the ascendant because she transmits the virtue of all the other planets to us
3. Pay attention to the condition of Saturn and Mars. They are regarded as Malefics due to their ill effects (Saturn due to excess cold, Mars due to excess heat) and they often indicate delay or detrimental effects (unless in mutual reception with the Moon).
3. If Saturn or Mars are in the 10th house, and peregrine or unfortunate, or the South Node is in that house, the astrologer will not receive any credit for his judgement (because a malefic dominating the chart is unlikely to be a portent of god news)
4. Pay attention to the condition of Jupiter and Venus. They are regarded as Fortunes due to their temperate nature. When they are significators they assist the successful conclusion of the matter, but they are better indicators of the perfection of the matter when they are in essential dignities and apply by trine or sextile
5. Fortunes as significators are a good sign the matter will be perfected; with Malefics as significators, there is a greater chance of things not working out.
Regarding the Moon:
1. If the Moon is void of course there’s a good chance the matter will not come to a good end, this is less the case if the Moon is in Cancer, Taurus, Sagittarius or Pisces, where the moon is less impedited (as being in the houses of the Fortunes)
2. A planet separating from the Moon shows something that has already happened. The Moon separating from a Fortune signifies a good event; from a Malefic, an unpleasant event (as determined by the house it rules)
3. The Moon applying to a planet shows the present condition of the thing demanded, e.g., Moon applying by a good aspect, and in a good house, to a good Planet, is a strong testimony that the matter will be perfected
4. The Moon applying to a planet in his fall, signifies “anguish, trouble and delays” in the thing demanded.
5. If the Moon is afflicted, there will be some hindrance, delay or failure in the matter, e.g., if the question concerns a journey, there will be little success, if it concerns a marriage, there may be difficulty or delay
6. The Moon is strongly afflicted when it is conjunct or combust the Sun
Regarding combustion; under the Sun’s beams; opposition to the Sun:
1. If the significator of the question is either combust, or in opposition to the Sun, this is a strong testimony that the matter will not be perfected
2. A planet within 12 degrees of the Sun, is said to be under his beams, and is in a weakened state; when a planet is within 16 minutes of the Sun, he is said to be in Cazimi, in the heart of the Sun, and it is strenghthened thereby.
Regarding the Malefics and Benefics:
1. Beware if the significator of the question is a Malefic. If it predicts adversity, the adversity is strengthened; if it predicts success in the matter, it is less than expected and comes with delay or with obstacles
2. If a Fortune casts an aspect to a significator that is a Malefic, the destructive influence of the Malefic is lessened
3. If a Fortune is a significator, and it is cadent, or ill-dignified, or does not behold the ascendant, or is retrograde, then it is afflicted, and it it is unlikely to result in the matter being perfected (unless there is some strong mutual reception involved)
4. If a Malefic is a significator, even strong mutual reception is unlikely to be enough for a good outcome
5. A planet that is peregrine, that having no essential dignity, is “malicious beyond expression”;
6. If Saturn or Mars are significators and they are in their own house, exaltation, triplicity and in angular houses, they perform the thing desired.
7. A Fortune, although benefic in nature, should have essential dignity to perform at its best
8. When both Fortunes and Malefics in a chart are weak or in unfortunate houses, it is best to defer judgement to another time (i.e., the chart likely contains bad news).
9. If one Malefic aspects another, even if the aspect signifies a good event, it will not happen: If the aspect signifies an unfortunate event, it will happen with more malice than expected.
10. If a Malefic aspects the significator, and they are both peregrine, retrograde, cadent, or in signs contrary to their own nature, take note as this is a serious affliction
11. If Jupiter and Venus are well dignified, you may expect benefit from such people and things as are signified by that house (e.g., if in the 3rd, from siblings; in the 4th, from the father, or from the home, etc).
Other debilities:
1. If the significator is a retrograde planet, or one in his first station, it “denotes ill in the question, discord and much contradiction”
2. If the lord of the ascendant is peregrine, or cadent, etc, it shows that the querent is not in a good place when it comes to the matter being asked about
3. The lord of the ascendant or the moon joined to the Head or Tail of the Dragon, is an omen of ill fortune when it comes to the matter of the question; the house they are in will signify the mature of that affliction.
4. Check whether or not there is an eclipse near the degree of the ascendant or of the significator. If there is, there is a strong chance that the matter may not come to a satisfactory conclusion through an unexpected and unforseen obstruction.
Regarding the significators position:
28. Observe if the Planet that is Significator of the thing desired, be in a fixed Signe, moveable, or common: fixed Signes shew stability, and that the thing shall continue, whether it be begun, or is to be begun: common Signes shew the oft probability of perfecting the thing, and yet not its conclusion: moveable Signes shew a sudden resolution or conclusion of the matter one way or other. From hence we being Foundations of Houses and Townes when Significators are fixed; short Journey when they are moveable: but in things wherein we define mediocrity, we elect common Signes.
32. If the Lord of the question or the Moon be in a Signe opposite to his owne house, as Mercury in Sagittarius or Pisces, &c., the Querent hath no good hopes of his demands, he despairs, nor doth he delight in it, nor doth he care whether it can be performed or not.
34. The neerer your Significator is to an Angle, the more good you may expect; lesse, if placed in a Succeedant house; little if in a Cadent.
Aspects of the significator:
1. Consider which planets the significator aspects, and wether they are orientall or occidental. If it aspects Saturn, Jupiter or Mars, and they are oriental, the matter is more swiftly concluded and later, if occidental. The contrary is true in the case of Venus and Mercury.
2. Consider any planet impediting the significator. The house the planet rules, or is in, signifies the person or thing responsible for the obstruction
3. If planets that are significators in the matter are applying to conjunction, and they are in signs of their owe nature, then the thing quesited after is brought to perfection with much ease and facility, else not.
4. Consider whether there are any frustrating or prohibiting aspects that prevent the significators concerned perfecting an aspect. If there are, the planet frustrating describes the party or cause preventing a successful outcome
Regarding the Part of Fortune:
Consider the Part of Fortune. If it is well dignified, the querent gains by the people or things signified by the house it is in; if ill dignified, the querent will be damaged by the people or things signified by the house it is in.
Some specific testimonies:
1. In questions of Marriage, an unfortunate Planet in the 7th house is detrimental to the marriage, unless the same planet is a significator in the natal chart
2. If the Lord of the 8th is afflicted or unfortunate in the 8th, the querent may not receive money he would otherwise have received by the death of some woman, or some debt due to him from some recently deceased person