In an effort to broaden the knowledge you find here on RealAstrologers, I’m inviting a select group of professionals with different approaches and other areas of expertise to become RealAstrologers Associates. Today I’m happy to introduce you to Helene Schnitzer, an exceptional astrologer in Glastonbury, England, who presents an introduction to Horary Astrology. ~ Pat

Horary Astrology is a divinatory technique that finds the answers for simple questions in the moment they were asked. The thought behind it is that question and answer are made up of the same ingredients, like the two sides of a coin. The same energies that are needed to formulate the questions make it possible to find the answer.

The origins of this technique are nebulous, but many of the rules for interpretation were preserved by Medieval Arab astrologers, whose writings often referred to ancient Greek and even Egyptian sources. It is quite possible that Horary was developed in ancient times for clients who didn’t know their date of birth but had their questions like everybody else.

In Europe, Horary Astrology became increasingly popular from the 15th – 18th centuries. But with the advent of the so-called Age of Enlightenment, astrology fell into disrepute altogether and only made a comeback during the last century.

Nowadays, only a certain number of astrologers have mastered this technique, which is quite different from natal astrology. But if your astrologer knows how to interpret a horary chart, you can hand her or him your question and possibly the date and time of the moment it arose. However, most Horary practitioners stick to the rule that the moment the astrologer hears and understands the question is crucial.

Your astrologer will first establish whether the chart is “valid.” Sometimes you may be told that it is too early or too late for your question, or that the chart is unreadable. This is not a cop-out on the astrologer’s part; there are interpretation rules for such cases. For example, some astrologers refuse to read Horary charts that feature Saturn in the seventh house. This chart area signifies, among other things, the astrologer, and Saturn in this place indicates that he or she might make a mistake.

But if the chart is “valid” – and most of them are – the astrologer will then look for the significators (representatives) of your question in the chart, to analyse their individual strength and their relationship with each other.

Let’s assume the question is, “Will I find my lost car keys?” The astrologer will identify the planet signifying you and the one representing your keys. If they make no connection in the chart, you may be advised to call the locksmith. But if they do, and the aspect between them is favourable, you may have to wait a while but you will get your keys back. In some cases the astrologer will even be able to tell you exactly where to go and look for them!

One question people ask very often is, “Will my lover (husband, wife) return to me?” Again, if the two significators make a connection in the foreseeable future, the answer is yes. But beware! If the connection between those two planets is tense, the querent may just be confronted with the same old arguments and yet another break-up. Or, if the planet signifying the querent is in a weak position, the return of the partner may not be in the querent’s best interest.

If you are about to give Horary a try, please remember to keep your question simple. Some people try to cover every eventuality by formulating complicated sentences, packing three questions into one. Maybe they think that this way, they will definitely get their money’s worth. But it doesn’t work like that. The simpler you formulate your question, the clearer the answer will be.

Right now, I am wondering whether this piece of writing will be published. Let’s see. The Sun signifies the article and is in the third house of communication and writing, so yes, the chart is valid. The Moon, another significator of the article, is in the fifth house of creativity and entertainment. OK, that shows how much fun I have writing. However, the Moon in Capricorn is not at its best and this is not high literature, sorry. Luna is also very close to the North Node, a point of destiny – these words had to be written! The next connection the Moon will make is a favourable partile aspect to Mars. Mars represents the ninth house of foreign countries and of publications. So yes, this piece will be published, and on a website in another country than where it was written.

I hope you enjoyed reading it!

Helene

Helene Schnitzer is an astrologer living in Glastonbury, England. Her specialities include Traditional, Horary and Hellenistic Astrology, and Astro*Carto*Graphy. Click HERE to read her full bio.