Ruler

 

Ruler. This rather over-worked and at times loosely-applied term is principally concerned with a schematic arrangement of the Signs, whereby certain planets are deemed to have special potency or congeniality in a certain sign or signs. The entire subject of rulership is involved in much controversy, particularly since the modern discovery of additional planets for which there is no place in the ancient scheme of rulerships.

 

This ancient scheme was based on the reasoning that since Leo is deemed the most regal of the signs, the Sun must naturally be its ruler. Similarly Cancer, as the most maternal of signs, should be ruled by the Moon. The planets, beginning with Mercury and moving outward from the Sun, were then ascribed to the next adjacent pairs: Mercury, to Gemini and Virgo; Venus, to Taurus and Libra; Mars, to Aries and Scorpio; Jupiter, to Sagittarius and Pisces; and Saturn, to Capricorn and Aquarius. A planet in a sign of which it is the Ruler is said to be in its own sign. In the case of the dual rulerships, the Positive sign is its "day home" and the Negative sign its "night home." The use of "day house" is unfortunate in that "house" is a subdivision of a 24-hour orbit, while the sign over which the planet is presumed to rule is a subdivision of a 365-day orbit.

 

Many modern authorities have broken down this scheme by ascribing Uranus to the rulership or co-rulership of Aquarius, Neptune to Pisces, and Pluto variously to Aries or Scorpio. Others deem these distant planets to represent a second octave, indicating higher concepts, and conferring greater possibilities upon those sufficiently developed to be able to handle a high-tension current, but threatening catastrophe to elemental and undisciplined types. On this theory, Uranus would be the super-ruler of Gemini and Virgo; Neptune of Taurus and Libra; and Pluto of Aries and Scorpio - leaving the second octave planets of Jupiter and Saturn yet to be discovered.

 

The use of "ruler" in connection with the Houses, is confusing, and the rule generally recommended is: "Lord of a House; Ruler of a Sign." As indicating anatomical and geographical areas it is more precise to say "has dominion over" than to say "ruled by."

 

The Lord of a House is deemed to be the Ruler of the Sign that occupies the cusp. The Lord of the Nativity, or as often termed the Ruler of the Horoscope, is variously the most strongly placed planet in the map, especially that planet which is in the First House and close to the ascending degree. Lacking a planet so placed, the Ruler of the ascending sign is the Lord of the Nativity.

 

It is presumed by some that the Arabians employed a system of House rulerships which consists of the planets arranged in converse order: the Sun as Lord of the First House; Moon, of the Twelfth; Mercury, the Eleventh; Venus, the Tenth; Mars, the Ninth; Jupiter, the Eighth; Saturn, the Seventh; Uranus, the Sixth; Neptune, the Fifth; Pluto, the Fourth; with three as yet undiscovered planets for the remaining Houses.

 

The commonly observed rules for determining the Lord of the Nativity are: (1) If the Lord of the Ascendant is poorly aspected and in an uncongenial sign, a more elevated planet should be considered, if there be such. (2) If the Lord of the Ascendant is strongly placed and well aspected, but there is another planet which by position and aspects is deemed of equal power, both planets may be considered as co-rulers in a dual Lordship. Some deem that with an Aquarian Ascendant, Saturn and Uranus are co-rulers of the map; and that a Piscean Ascendant makes Jupiter and Neptune co-rulers - because these are major planets and exceedingly strong. (3) If the choice is between two planets of which one is more afflicted than the other, the afflicted planet is to be selected - in that unfavorable aspects are positive and favorable aspects negative. (4) If the Lord of the Ascendant is weak, the Ruler of the Sun sign may be the Lord of the Nativity, if it is in powerful aspect to the Sun and Moon. (5) Either Sun or Moon may be the Lord of the Nativity if strongly placed and in the sign of its Rulership or Exaltation. (6) An Exalted planet is generally deemed to be a co-ruler. (7) The Ruler of an intercepted sign in the First House is generally accepted as a co-ruler - after such time as by progression the cusp will have advanced into the intercepted sign. (8) Accidental Dignities are deemed to outweigh Essential Dignities, especially where a planet occupies the Tenth House.

 

Conditions affecting the Ruler of the Sign on the cusp of a House, or of the Sign intercepting a House, are of secondary importance to the influence of a planet actually posited in the House. However, the considerations affecting the Ruler are consulted for testimony concerning a House in which no planet is posited, on the principle that the planet's dignity with reference to a house on the cusp of which its sign appears, persists even though its owner may be absent. v. Dignities.