Rather than be rude and jump into my question, my name is Laura and I've been a natal astrologer for several years. Feeling like taking on a challenge, I've moved recently to studying horary charts. (Ow, brain hurts. ) Now onto my question:

I'm trying to find a person using an horary chart. He's the friend of my boyfriend so my first thought was turn the chart - 11 (friend) from 7 (BF) = 5. Or should it be 2nd (stuff) from 7H - i.e 8H? The reason I ask is that it really could go either way in this chart. (I'm using traditional dignities but including Uranus-Pluto in the chart.)

July 18, 2006 11:57 am (DT -5:00 GMT), Canton, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts 71?08'43"W 42?09'31"N
The question - Where is Steve? Is he sick or hurt?

This guy just dropped off the face of the earth, and hasn't been seen by any of his friends for two months. Natally he's a Cancer, echoed perhaps by Sun/Mercury/Fortuna in Cancer? Nothing supports the fact he's sick or hurt - no contacts between significators, Moon almost in 8H and separating from its dispositor.

When I looked at the first possibility, my thought was 'he's working too much." (Saturn in Leo in 10H, ruling 5H Aquarius) With that powerful yet weak placement I think he's depressed and needs to be alone, hence not returning phone calls, emails, etc. Uranus in 5H echos the fact that this was a sudden separation; with Neptune opposite the quesited, confusion and the need to escape just screams out at me. Jupiter opposite Moon could be feeling pulled between career and home and Moon square Saturn could be he feels out of control of his feelings.

But if I use the 8H with Taurus on the cusp instead, I have the same peregrine significator for both querent and quesited which makes no applying aspects all, and has the separating Moon sextile as the last aspect. Plus Venus is at 29 degrees of Gemini - not good. That says maybe he went off on a long vacation and forget to tell his friends which fits with his character. (His family lives abroad so it would make sense.) He does tend to wander off without telling anyone, especially if he's angry.

Both possibilties are equally likely according to my boyfriend, hence my confusion on which house to use.

I've reviewed the few other "missing people" posts here and couldn't find a satisfactory answer. Am I just thinking too much? I would greatly appreciate a second opinion or guidance from someone more experienced at this.
- Laura

Hi Laura,

I think your initial assessment of using the 11th from the 7th would be correct; from the missing person charts I've come across, the simplest significator (or, the most obvious) is the one used, eg the 5th for a child, the 3rd for a brother, the 12th for an aunt, etc.. I wouldn't use the 2nd house since that *generally* means 'things', although Lilly used it for thieves and such. Perhaps others can pitch in?

Thank you!