This is an horary I was going to throw to the forum when I first asked it because the chart was so wonderfully descriptive but given the high calibre of astrologers on this list, I was too chicken being a modern who is trying to cram all the traditional knowledge. Yesterday however the question resolved itself and I thought I would post the question and outcome in its entirety. I am really open to any comments or observations wherever I have made a mistake or have missed something.

Tracey

Where Are The Books?

Question asked: 12:16pm, 3 May 2007
Paraparaumu, New Zealand +12hrs
Lat: 40S55 Long: 175E01
Asc: 17 Can 15; MC 11 Tau 59

Background: A precious set of books disappeared into thin air during the shift of our costume hire shop from one premises to another. The books were purchased over the course of time as reference material when helping customers choose costumes. They ranged in content from a history of western clothing through the centuries to famous Hollywood actors to the history of rock?n?roll. Needless to say, they cost a lot of money and were extremely useful when helping customers choose costumes.

On the day of the shift (March 25th 2007), we left the items most used around the counter till last so that we would know exactly where they were and I thought I had packed up the books with the eftpos machine and phone to be taken home rather than risk losing these items amongst all the boxes and racks that were being put into the garage at the front of the new property. We still had to renovate the new shop and it would be some while before we could set up again (mid- to late April). In my mind, I labelled this the ?counter box? and took it home leaving it downstairs in a large, dark room that houses the washing machine and a pool table. This box sat on the pool table in full view for quite some time. Imagine our dismay when setting up the counter and finding that the books were not where we thought they were.

Back tracking over the course of events to determine what might have happened to them, on the day of the shift, we engaged two friends and my sister to help with the move. My sister had arrived during my absence and my husband left her to guard the shop while he went with the two male friends to take another truckload of costumes to the new premises. Thinking she was helping, she randomly packed stuff up and this is the point where we felt things had gone askew. She, however, had no recollection of seeing the books and swore she never left the shop unattended. In hindsight, despite the chart looking as if someone had taken them (Saturn, ruler of the 7th in the 1st), rather than entertain the idea that one of our very trustworthy friends had stolen the books (why would they want them and wouldn?t it be obvious if we went around to their house and spied the books?), we thought that perhaps she had left the shop unattended and someone had walked in and walked out with them. After searching extensively for six weeks, I exasperatedly asked the question ?where are the books??

Considerations: Despite Saturn being in the First House and sounding a warning for this self-asked question, the ascendant is in Cancer in the Hour of the Moon. Not only do I and my partner both have the Moon in Cancer, I have Saturn in the First of my natal chart square the Sun, as in the horary. We are both Virgo Suns too (see Mercury)! I immediately connected with the chart and felt it able to be read ? how exciting, a chart that works! Lilly?s indications are that the items will be recovered (CA pge 355 ? this post is long enough so for those interested you can find the details there). The Moon is in its Fall in Scorpio and is just past the via combusta area, however, being angular in the Fourth along with the books? significators ? Sun and Mercury - angular in the Tenth, the books had to be somewhere near me. This makes sense as there was nowhere else for them to be but at the shop or in my home. In Fixed signs, recovery would not be immediate.

Significators: Again, the significators of this chart describe the situation extremely well. The Sun, as ruler of the 2nd house and ruler of famous people, perfectly described the content of the books ? famous rock and movie stars. Not only that but it sits in an exact conjunction with the natural ruler of books (CA, pge 353), Mercury, which also rules the intercepted Second House of Virgo. Mercury is within 12 minutes of cazimi ? in the heart of the Sun (refer Skyscript, Horary, Combust), so I knew straight away that the books were safe but totally obscured from view. In Taurus (in Venus? term) and also in Mutual Reception with Venus in Gemini, they could be close to the ground, in a low room such as the garage at the shop or the downstairs laundry at home (CA pge 352). Again, knowing that the books could just as easily be at the shop as they could at home, the Sun and Mercury conjunct the MC perfectly described our place of business, which is in fact an old house that we have converted to a shop and which sits in full view of a busy railway station, main commercial centre and highway that runs north/south. The shop is located in a NE direction from our home.

The Moon on the other hand, being in the Fourth in Scorpio, suggested that the books could indeed be at home in a damp, dark place such as our laundry area downstairs. I don?t know how many times, I went down there to make sure I hadn?t missed them the other ten times I had searched! I had complete faith in this chart but how puzzling.

In the end, with the Fixed Sign significators suggesting it would be some while before we recovered the books, we had to give up searching since once the garage was emptied of stock, we had nowhere else to look.

Outcome: Exactly three months and a day to the date of this question ? August 4th 2007 - my daughter came in to the shop and asked if one of the books had a certain title. When she said this, I knew immediately that the books had been found! Where? The book she referred to had been in my brother?s little flat out the back of the shop and she had seen it sitting on the table. Wondering how he would have it, he explained that he had been in the run-down shed immediately adjacent to his flat and which houses his washing machine the evening before and had been playfully scaring his children with the mannequins that we had stored there (note he has Pisces Rising ? see Mars in Pisces). His children (see the semi-sextile between the Moon and Jupiter in the 5th ruling the 5th of children) had pulled an arm (Jupiter opposition Venus in Gemini!) out of the bag and discovered the books, one of which was the book my daughter had seen in his flat. When we went out to this low-roofed building, there was the red, white and blue striped bag on the ground with all the books totally safe and sound! This was the room described by both the sign of the Sun and Mercury in Taurus ? low-roofed and low to the ground ? and by the Moon in Scorpio in the Fourth ? damp and dark!

Since the books were under the arms, Venus in Gemini in the 12th in Mutual Reception with Mercury immediately came into play! Not only that, but Venus describes clothes and fashion. Venus also rules the Third House of brethren (CA pge 52) and according to Lilly ?doth rule shoulders, arms, hands and fingers? (the mannequin?s body arms and hands were all in the bag obscuring the books!). My brother had said he had brought the bag into the shop when we first moved there but we told him to take it back out to this shed because we weren?t using the mannequins ? little did we realise the books were at the bottom and this is where I suspect my sister packed up stuff that she didn?t realise had been put aside especially. Lilly suggests that if the ruler of the First (Moon) separates from Saturn, then the item was lost due to forgetfulness (CA pge 321) and lo and behold, the Moon separates from Saturn by 22 minutes!

The distance from where I asked the question ? at home ? and the place of the books is, I am pretty sure, described by the opposition of the Sun and Moon as stated by Lilly (CA pge 350). Moon separates from opposition by six degrees ? we are pretty sure that it is approximately 6 miles away by car to the shop from home where I asked the question! I will drive there later today and confirm the exact distance.

Lilly says that brothers are ruled by Mars (CA pg 364), which is trined by the Moon applying by 2 degrees. Mars is in Pisces in the Eighth in Mercury?s term. Pisces describes a wet, damp place. Conjunct Uranus, the books turned up suddenly and were in the least likeliest place! Jupiter in the Fifth House within five degrees of the Sixth not only describes the find by both my daughter and my brother?s children but also where I get my knowledge during the course of the day about costumes.

This chart is amazing since is appears complex with just about all the traditional planets involved but, now that the mystery has been solved, it really is very simple.

The only problem now is that as soon as we found the books, my daughter lost her expensive mobile phone so it?s back to the horary drawing board!

Wow, stellar reading!

'Hindsight' charts are fab; they always seem to make more sense. Now if we could only find a sure-fire way to decipher the more difficult charts while we are still looking frantically for the item!

Cheers for sharing this one. I shall make a note to self about the symbolism seen in the significators!

Best,
GH

Thank you very much Gunhilde!

It was easy to decipher what everything meant such as the books being in a dark place low to the ground, it was just that it was the wrong wash house - I must have looked five times in the domestic wash house. We had not long been in this place and I hadn't thought we'd put anything from the counter out in the shop's wash house. The clear symbology of the chart was what got me very excited - you just know when you see a chart whether it's speaking to you and this was one of those - well worth the embarrassment of sharing. I think the moment one asks the question makes a huge difference too i.e. the urgency.

I enjoyed that
Tracey

Hi Tracey,

Thank you for sharing this. I?ve put a graphic of the chart at the top of the thread because this is such a good judgement for other students to read and follow.

You are very welcome Deb and thank you for putting up the chart.

One thing I forgot to mention in my judgement: it was your statement in one of your horary articles on Skycript about the hour ruler being the same as the querant's. This really struck a chord and worked perfectly.

Thank YOU for all your wisdom.

Tracey

I agree with Deb, your interpretation was simply flawless

Thanks BiBi! I must admit though I am not a newbie and have been an astrologer since 1982 when I commenced my journey in the sudden way that astrologers take up astrology. Of course, we did not have access to all the technical information that today's astrologers do. This list - along with recommended texts - has helped sharpen whatever tools are in the box.

Tracey