Hi GH,

It is a different situation when the planet is separating from combustion, but I don?t think that combustion can ever be ignored, because it is fundamental symbolism and it is always going to mean something. Traditionally, the Moon moving to conjunction or opposition of the Sun is one of its worst afflictions, and if the Moon is weakened, then the rest of the chart needs to be really promising. In your case you have both the Moon and the main significator combust and under the earth, with no positive indications around any of the angles to counterbalance. This is a worse than just having Venus combust, when Venus and the Sun are both significators.

So what I want to know is, does a combust Moon (or a combust planet, in general) EVER, in your experience, give a 'yes' answer?

To quote my own course notes:

A direct conjunction of the two main significators is usually taken as a positive sign, even when the planets are not naturally compatible in nature. For example, we normally judge Venus as afflicted by combustion in its conjunction with the Sun, but if perfection relies upon contact between these two, the conjunction would then be viewed more favourably. (The principle of combustion would still be expected to operate in some way, perhaps reflecting something of the power play behind the agreement).

That probably needs some further explanation. For a traditional example see Lilly?s chart ?If I should purchase Master B his houses? (CA p.219), where Lilly is signified by a combust Venus, and where the application to the Sun is judged as showing the successful accomplishment of the deal.

It is clear that Lilly?s position was weak, and there were some background politics going on with the seller?s daughter which illustrates the secrecy and fear of combustion. Lilly also admits that he did himself an injustice in the deal, and it seems that he blindly went into this as a way to ?buy some respect?. It?s a very interesting chart, and the more you look at the judgement of it, and the events that were going on at the time, the more you realise that the combust Venus perfectly signifies Lilly at a time in his life when he was quite insecure and naive. Even though this chart is supposed to demonstrate a ?yes? answer, it really demonstrates a ?well you will, because you can?t help yourself, but you shouldn?t really? kind of answer.

There is also the 'consideration before judgement' which warns of making judgments for querents whose significator is combust. This often shows them wrapped up in their own compulsive needs or fears, and so uable to apply calm reason to the judgement, so that they can actually use the information. Again, I think Lilly's own chart demonstrates this, because it seems pretty clear that he was going to spend whatever was necessary to buy those houses - the chart only reflected his compulsion to purchase at whatever cost, it could not offer him a 'game plan' to take control. If Lilly had been just the astrologer and not also the querent, I'm sure he would have told the querent that the seller was being too demanding and the deal was not worth making on those terms.

So yes, a combust planet can show a ?yes? answer, but not, I believe, without the combustion expressing itself in some way.

Hi Deb,

Thanks very much for the explanation. I guess what had me wondering, with this particular chart, was that the Sun was the significator of the 9th house, which was a crucial part of the question...so what I saw was that the Moon was bringing Venus (the job) to the Sun (a foreign country, e.g. England). So it seemed to me to be a positive indicator of finding a job in England before ever stepping foot on the tarmac at Heathrow.

As it is, I now have another question...on to the next thread!

GH