Like many of us we occasionally get asked horarys when the 7th lord is rectrograde. And from Lilly's words, as I understand, a 7th rectrograde ruler is generally a warning light or the chart may not be safe to be judged.

http://www.skyscript.co.uk/gl/retrograde.html

"The Lord of the 7th retrograde or Saturn retrograde in ascendant is a warning against judgement - p.122"

I like many here, I'm sure, hate not to be able to render a judgment or verdict upon a horary asked, so I'm asking many of you as fellow artists, has Lilly's anphorism upon 7th house lord being rectrograde always proved the case that judgment should be avoided?

In other words should we always refrain from answering such a question or have a few of you found that this was not the case and your judgment was correct though possibly not appreaciated or liked by the querant?

And Yes, the question was recently asked with Gemini ascending, Mercury being Rectrograde as well as Jupiter, lord of the 7th!

Clinton Garrett Soule

"The Lord of the 7th retrograde or Saturn retrograde in ascendant is a warning against judgement - p.122"

To clarify, the above words are not taken verbatim from CA. What Lilly said on page 122 is this:

You must also be wary, when in any question propounded you find the Cusp of the seventh house afflicted or the Lord of that house Retrograde, or impeded, and the matter at that time not concerning the seventh house, but belonging to any other house, its an argument the judgment of the Astrologer will give small content, or anything please the Querent; for the 7th house generally has the signification of the Artist.

Lilly isn't saying that we cannot render judgment. He is saying that if the 7th isn't the house used for the Quesited, it signifies the judgment of the astrologer will not be well received, e.g. bad news. Notice he uses the words "be wary." He does not say, "Sit this one out."

Thanks Tom,

That clarifys a lot of questions where the 7th is not the house of the matter. And it has been my experience that generally the querant will not like the answer and hold it against the astrologer.

I've even found that if the 7th lord was Rx and the matter was of that house the querant was very angry at me for the verdict. Something we should possibly emphasize to the querant before we give the verdict or judgment that this is a long standing view from horary artists of the past; it may ease thier pain!

Clinton Garrett Soule