Hi everyone,

A question about the concept of chart quadrants or quarters ,in traditional astrology:
https://www.skyscript.co.uk/gl/quarters.html

As far as I'm aware this concept is based on primary motion and the 1st quadrant-quarter is houses 10-12th, the second is houses 7-9th, the third is houses 4-6th, and the fourth is houses 1-3d.

Johannes Schoener in his dignity table / scoring guidelines give +2 for "conformity by quarter" to either masculine planets in masculine quarters (quarters 1 and 3) or to feminine planets in feminine quarters (quarters 2 and 4).

My question is: Why the 1 & 3d quarters are considered masculine while quarters 2 & 4 considered feminine?

Is it because quarters 1 and 3 begin the day and the night respectively, while quarters 2 and 4 end the day and the night respectively?

Schoener's dignity table:
http://www.skyscript.co.uk/schoener_dignity_scores.pdf

Hi Dima,

Is it because quarters 1 and 3 begin the day and the night respectively, while quarters 2 and 4 end the day and the night respectively?

Your guess is very close to the only rationale I've ever come across for the Quadrants, which was made by James Holden in a footnote to section 7 of Paul of Alexandria: Introduction to Astrology.

Paulus connects the four quadrants to four stages of life:

The [first] quadrant is masculine [extending] from the ascending degree up to the MC [degree]; and this quadrant is also oriental, and is is called eastern. This signifies the first age of life, I mean that of youth. The second is feminine from the MC degree down to the DSC [degree]. It is southern and like mid-day. It signifies the age of life after youth, namely the middle age. The third quadrant, from the DSC degree down to the IMC, is masculine, meaning "western," [and it is] called "westerly." It signifies the age of old age. The fourth quadrant, from the IMC [degree] to the ASC degree, is feminine and northern. It signifies extreme old age up to the final end of death.

And Holden, in his footnote to Paulus, says:

These characterizations of the four quadrants are based upon the diurnal motion of the Sun. The day begins when the Sun comes to the ASC; and the morning is usually considered to be preliminary to the main part of the day, during which the Sun moves from the MC to the DSC; the day fades away into evening when the Sun drops below the DSC and moves toward the IMC. But other writers put death and burial at the IMC and rserve the 4th quadrant (IMC to ASC) for "the things that happen after death."

Manilius, in his Astronomica (trans. GP Goold, Book 2.841-855 Loeb Classic) gives a description similar to Paulus.

At a guess, I'd say the 1st and 3rd quarters are "masculine" as rising and setting are more visibly (actively) noticeable than a planet's crossing of the MC or IMC; activity is usually associated with masculinity so they are labelled masculine while the other two (2nd and 4th) are considered passive and so feminine.

Jane
Thanks for replying, always enjoy getting your input on things.

I've actually posted this question on the AstrologyWeekly forum as well, and got there an interesting reply from a member called JupiterASC:

The First & Third quadrants are masculine and diurnal because there, the planets - by diurnal motion- move towards culmination, reaching their highest point in the South & reaching their lowest point in the North - think solstices - more active.
The Second & Fourth quadrants are feminine and nocturnal because there, the planets - by diurnal motion - move towards the horizon, rising up over the Eastern horizon, & down under the Western horizon - think equinoxes - more passive.

Hi Dima, that is interesting, thank you for sharing the response.

Here's the entire thread, if anyone would like to browse:

https://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/i ... ion.147435