On the Planetary Joys

© 2010, April 14 Curtis Manwaring

There are a number of joy conditions. The one you're probably familiar with is:

Mercury joys in 1st.
Moon in 3rd.
Venus in 5th.
Mars in 6th.
Jupiter in 11th.
Saturn in 12th.
Sun in 9th.

About the above, Schmidt makes the note that the joys of the planets match their sect where the Sun, Jupiter and Saturn joy above the horizon and Mars, Venus and the Moon joy below (in their own halves so to speak). Mercury common to both sects joys at twilight (ascendant) and because Mercury likes tying things up in the air (suspense) matching the rising condition of the place.

There is also:

Saturn prefers Aquarius to Capricorn
Jupiter prefers Sag to Pisces
Mars prefers Scorpio to Aries
Sun has 1 domicile
Venus prefers Taurus to Libra
Mercury prefers Virgo to Gemini
Moon has 1 domicile

This second set of joys are because of sect and exaltation where Mars keeps power to himself (in Scorpio), but is obligated to lift up the Sun in exaltation in Aries. Mars is of the nocturnal sect and Sun is diurnal and Mars hates doing this. Saturn is also diurnal and lifts up Mars of the opposite sect in Capricorn, so prefers Aquarius. Jupiter lifts up Venus in Pisces, so prefers Sag of the diurnal sect. The Sun lifts up no one (is King) and has no need to cooperate. Venus disliking this, being the most cooperative planet (she exalts 2 planets while the Sun does no one), decides to make the Sun fall in her diurnal domicile (Libra) by lifting up his enemy (Saturn), as light is always opposed to darkness. Mercury being truly common to both sects, avoids the power struggle and remains neutral, lifting up himself in Virgo. The Moon lifts up Jupiter and Venus lifts up the Moon in exaltation. They are of the same sect and cooperate and Venus is glad to do so (which is in her nature). The Moon being feminine, lifts up Jupiter in the place of the cosmic breath.

All based on Schmidt's translations... an examination of the politics of heaven. Note Valens, in one of his examples uses the Moon as "the lady of Taurus" as if it was domicile lord [1]. In that example, Venus was in Aries and the Moon was in Aquarius culminating with respect to the lot of fortune. Venus is in aversion to Taurus so is unable to fulfill it's role as domicile lord (oikodektor) and the Moon takes it over as the true "lord" of that place.

1. Valens Anthology Book II, part 1, pg 35. Translated by Robert Schmidt

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