The foundations according to William Lilly

In classical astrology we use seven visible planets: the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Each has a specific nature.

Classification by beneficence (capacity to produce good or harm):

• Benefics: Jupiter is the greater benefic (expansion, fortune, wisdom). Venus is the lesser benefic (love, pleasure, harmony).
• Malefics: Saturn is the greater malefic (restriction, discipline, fear). Mars is the lesser malefic (action, conflict, impulse).
• Luminaries: the Sun (vitality, authority, identity) and the Moon (body, emotions, habits). They are neither benefic nor malefic in themselves; their effect depends on context.
• Mercury is convertible: it adopts the nature of the planet with which it is in aspect or according to its position.

Basic meanings:

• Sun: will, honor, father, kings.
• Moon: mother, the people, changes, memory.
• Mercury: communication, commerce, reason, writing.
• Venus: love, art, beauty, pleasures.
• Mars: war, surgery, competition, passion.
• Jupiter: religion, law, wealth, optimism.
• Saturn: old age, hard work, solitude, structures.

In a chart, a planet always acts as a significator of something: for example, Mars can indicate conflicts or professions of risk. The key is to see its nature and then evaluate its strength by sign and house.

Source: Christian Astrology, Book I (chapters on the nature of the planets).

The twelve signs are grouped by elements (fire, earth, air, water) and by qualities (cardinal, fixed, mutable).

Elements:

• Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius): enthusiasm, action, initiative.
• Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn): practicality, stability, materiality.
• Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius): communication, ideas, relationships.
• Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces): emotion, intuition, sensitivity.

Qualities:

• Cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn): they initiate, they impel.
• Fixed (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius): they maintain, they resist.
• Mutable (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces): they adapt, they change.

In classical astrology, a planet behaves like the clothing it wears: Mars in Aries is impulsive and direct; Mars in Cancer is emotional and reactive. The sign modifies the expression of the planet, it does not change it completely.

Each sign has a planetary ruler (domicile), which we will see in the dignities lesson. For now, remember that the element and quality give the general tone: an excess of fire suggests dynamism, while much earth indicates prudence.

Source: Christian Astrology, Book I (chapters on the signs and their qualities).

The houses divide the sky into twelve sectors from the Ascendant (house 1). Each house represents an area of life.

Meanings of the houses (according to Lilly):

• Life, the body, personality.
• Money, possessions, resources.
• Siblings, communication, basic studies, short journeys.
• Home, family, father, real estate.
• Children, pleasures, creativity, romance.
• Illnesses, service, daily work, employees.
• Marriage, partner, open enemies, contracts.
• Death, inheritances, money of others, crises.
• Religion, philosophy, long journeys, higher education.
• Career, honor, reputation, authority.
• Friends, hopes, groups, benefactors.
• Hidden enemies, confinement, losses, secrets.

Strength by position:

• Angular (1, 4, 7, 10): the strongest. Planets here act with vigor and visible results.
• Succedent (2, 5, 8, 11): medium strength. They sustain what was begun in the angular ones.
• Cadent (3, 6, 9, 12): the weakest. Planets here are scattered or act in a hidden way.

A planet in an angular house is more effective than if it were in a cadent one, even if its sign is good. This distinction is key in classical astrology.

Source: Christian Astrology, Book I (chapters on the houses).

Essential dignities are points that a planet receives for being in certain signs. They are taken from Lilly's table.

Numerical values (according to Christian Astrology):

• Domicile (sign ruled by the planet): +5
• Exaltation (sign where the planet is honored): +4
• Triplicity (elemental ruler by day/night): +3
• Term (unequal subdivision of the sign): +2
• Face (decan, third of the sign): +1

Essential debilities:

• Exile or detriment (sign opposite the domicile): −5
• Fall (sign opposite the exaltation): −4

Peregrine: when a planet has no essential dignity in the sign it occupies. It is considered weak, without resources of its own.

Examples:

• Venus in Taurus: domicile, +5.
• Sun in Aries: exaltation, +4.
• Moon in Scorpio: fall, −4.
• Saturn in Aries: fall, −4 (its exaltation is Libra).
• Mars in Gemini: peregrine (it has no dignity there).

These dignities are added to obtain an idea of the planet's essential strength. They are not limited to a single point: a planet can have domicile and triplicity at the same time.

Source: Christian Astrology, Book I (chapter on essential dignities).

Accidental dignities depend on factors other than the sign. We do not use fixed numbers (Lilly does not give them for all), but a qualitative assessment.

Accidental factors:

• Houses: angular (stronger), succedent (medium), cadent (weaker).
• Motion: direct (stronger) vs retrograde (weaker).
• Speed: fast (more effective) vs slow (less).
• Orientation (relative to the Sun): oriental (more active) vs occidental (more receptive).
• Solar condition:
• Cazimi (within 17 minutes of arc from the Sun): extreme strength.
• Combustion (within 8°30' of the Sun): weakness, the planet is hidden.
• Under the rays (within 17° of the Sun, but outside combustion): moderate weakness.
• Free from combustion (more than 17° from the Sun): normal or strong.

Sect: each chart is diurnal (Sun above the horizon) or nocturnal (Sun below the horizon).

• Planets diurnal by nature: the Sun, Jupiter, Saturn. They are in their sect in diurnal charts.
• Nocturnal planets: the Moon, Venus, Mars. They are in their sect in nocturnal charts.
• Mercury is convertible: if oriental (rises before the Sun) it is diurnal; if occidental (sets after it), nocturnal.

A planet in its sect feels more comfortable, as in its natural environment.

The practical rule: the sign is not enough. A planet in domicile but cadent, retrograde, and combust loses a great part of its strength. Always evaluate the essential and the accidental together.

Source: Christian Astrology, Book I (chapters on accidental dignities and sect).