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Mutual reception by rulership

1 by wintersa
I've been curious lately about mutual reception, especially by rulership. Assuming the two planets form an aspect, does it tend to increase their essential dignity, or simply give them more power to act? Also, in your experience, how strong of an effect might we expect from it? I haven't come across very much material discussing it (and perhaps I am looking in the wrong places?) but it seems that some astrologers weight it heavily and others ignore it in the assessment of planetary dignities. I'd be very interested to hear others' thoughts.

One of the example charts I'm looking at in particular has Mars in Virgo on the Midheaven, sextiling Mercury in Scorpio in the 12th. Both planets have some dignities of their own, apart from the mutual reception. I can't tell if the reception will give Mercury a "way out" of the 12th house (i.e., enough strength to act), and whether Mars should be considered malefic in that connection or not. Any thoughts are much appreciated.

2 by Tom
There is an idea, apparently started in the 20th century, that planets in mutual reception "swap places." If that were the case then and only then could essential dignity be increased. Essential dignity is based on the planet's position in a sign and nothing else. The essence is what it is and can't be changed. Traditional astrologers do not take this idea too seriously.

What can be enhanced is accidental dignity, which is based on the position in the chart by house, aspect reception etc. Mutual reception then can be an accidental dignity. If Jupiter is in Taurus, he is peregrine (I think) or he may have essential dignity by term or face. If Venus at the same time is in Pisces, then he is accidentally fortified by being in mutual reception with a planet in a sign of his and who happens to be very strong herself in exaltation.

This is a little trickier than it seems because by strictly adhering to this logic, Mars and Venus can never help each other as whenever they are in mutual reception they are in signs of their own debility. Mars in Libra and Venus in Aries is a good example. Can they help each other all that much?

It is generally considered that mutual reception with aspect is stronger than mutual reception without aspect. The same is true with simple reception and in fact some argue that there is no reception without aspect, but that will have to be for another day.

Regarding your example, for those unfamiliar with the traditional concept: planets in the 12th are said to have difficulty "acting" or being themselves. This is also said to be true of planets in the 8th or 6th. A planet can "get out" if it is in aspect, and aspect by sign will do, with one of its dispositors, domicile or exaltation, but I think triplicity might help. The 12th house planet would find voice that way. Mutual reception is an excellent way for any 12th house planet to get out. So Mercury would find expression in the 10th house through Mars.

Mars in Virgo is peregrine and can be benefic or malefic in that state depending on the rest of the chart.

Bonatti I believe had a lot to say about reception and mutual reception, but he's hard to find in English. You'll have to keep looking in various sources. YOu're more likely to find information in older texts on mutual reception than you are in modern ones.

Tom

3 by PallasAthene
Saturn in the 12th.. do you want it to get out?

Mercury in leo, jupiter in gemini, MR by triplicity. So mercury benefits by having a planet in its sign of rulership.. and jupiter "looses" it's detrimented status?

What about a one way reception, as mentioned in Bonatti's table of Perfection? Does this apply to natal? What is the effect?

4 by Tom
Saturn in the 12th.. do you want it to get out?
In what sign? Good question though I've wondered about it myself. Perhaps Saturn in Leo in 12 is best left there. Saturn joys in the 12th.
Mercury in leo, jupiter in gemini, MR by triplicity. So mercury benefits by having a planet in its sign of rulership.. and jupiter "looses" it's detrimented status?
I don't think so. Detriment is an essential and like essential dignity it doesn't change. I think Jupiter would gain accidental strength but he is still essentially debilitated.

Tom

6 by PallasAthene
Tom wrote:
In what sign? Good question though I've wondered about it myself. Perhaps Saturn in Leo in 12 is best left there. Saturn joys in the 12th.
So leave a detrimented, fallen or peregrine saturn in there?
Tom wrote: I don't think so. Detriment is an essential and like essential dignity it doesn't change. I think Jupiter would gain accidental strength but he is still essentially debilitated.


So borrowing horary concepts, dignified planet has the inclination to act, accidental dignity has the power to act. So this jupiter has the accidental power to act or initiate (the chart I'm thinking of has jupiter in it's joy 11th).. but what he produces may not be beneficial, due to detriment? O dear. Is this excess gone mad, without limits?
MR with mercury.. in mercury significated areas, and/or those houses ruled by mercury in the chart? An expanded mind is a good thing surely. Could produce a bigot though? My voice and mind are right and that's that. My way or the highway : )...??
Last edited by PallasAthene on Fri Feb 19, 2010 3:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

7 by PallasAthene
Thanks Deb. That table is certainly useful.

I think I can see it's application to natal work also and the ease with which natal aspects are expressed..or assimilated.. or otherwise.
Would you agree that is an appropriate usage?

9 by Eddy
Perhaps a weird idea but in an older thread on John Lennon, I saw something that could be seen as a 'three way reception'.
I'll quote the question I had:
I don't have a remark about Lennon's appearance but rather a question about a particular issue I saw in his chart.

Mars is in Libra which is ruled by Venus,
Venus is in Virgo which is ruled by Mercury,
Mercury is in Scorpio which is ruled by Mars.

This looks like a sort of three way reception. I don't know how to name it.

I wonder if this has been acknowledged of having some value in (traditional) astrology.
Does this make sense, or would it just be useful for chats at parties etc?

11 by Olivia
It's in some of the Arabic-Persian texts, and I don't have time to look it up now, but if a planet is in detriment, fall, or retrograde, and its dispositor by rulership or exaltation is in good shape essentially and in aspect to it, it takes away some of the imbecility of the planet that's in bad shape.

It's called rendering - there may be another term for it in English (as simple as beholding, perhaps?), but I can't think of it off the top of my head.

12 by johannes susato
Eddy wrote:Perhaps a weird idea but in an older thread on John Lennon, I saw something that could be seen as a 'three way reception'.
I'll quote the question I had:
I don't have a remark about Lennon's appearance but rather a question about a particular issue I saw in his chart.

Mars is in Libra which is ruled by Venus,
Venus is in Virgo which is ruled by Mercury,
Mercury is in Scorpio which is ruled by Mars.
This looks like a sort of three way reception. I don't know how to name it.

I wonder if this has been acknowledged of having some value in (traditional) astrology.
Does this make sense, or would it just be useful for chats at parties etc?
Hi Eddy,

mutual reception is when each of the planets is in the other planet's dignity - in our cotext, mutual reception by rulership, it had to be the dignity of rulership only.

Mars is received by Venus in her domicile so she had to be received by Mars in one of his domiciles to be in mutual reception with him.
Instead of this Venus is in Mercury's domicile, and he not in hers but in that of Mars, but Mars is not in Mercury's!

None or the pairs of the three Planets is in mutual reception and neither in a "three way reception".

Johannes
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