Accidental Dignity

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In horary astrology a planet’s strength and capacity to perform are gauged using essential dignity and accidental dignity. Essential dignity is based on the compatibility between a planet’s nature and the sign where it is placed. It is determined by a planet’s placement in the zodiac signs. There exist five classes of essential dignity: rulership, exaltation, triplicity, terms and face or decanate. Each class of dignity has its own symbolism and is normally interpreted in a different way.
Accidental dignity is a lesser category of dignity. It indicates the strength of a planet, too. In this case planets are made strong not by the compatibility between them and the sign they’re in, but by their placement as relative to the houses, by the aspects they cast to planets, Fixed Stars, and hypothetical points; by the speed of their motion, and finally by their position with respects to the Sun.

List of accidental dignities

• In the Midheaven or Ascendant
• In the 7th, 4th or 11th house
• In the 2nd or 5th house
• In the 9th house
• In the 3rd house
• Direct motion. Of course this condition does not apply to the Sun and only partially applies to the Moon. The Moon cannot be in retrograde motion, but some authors consider its being slow of course as equivalent to a retrogradation.
• Faster than average daily motion
• Oriental. This condition applies only to Saturn, Mars, Jupiter and the Moon
• Occidental. This condition applies only to Venus and Mercury
• Not combust
• In cazimi
• Partile conjunction, sextile or trine with Jupiter or Venus
• Partile conjunction with Caput Draconis, more commonly known as the North Node
• Partile conjunction with Regulus (Cor Leonis) or Spica

William Lilly attributed a score to each of the accidental dignities. This score can be used to obtain an index of the significators’ strength. This index is given by the sum of each significators’ essential and accidental dignities, essential debilities and accidental debilities.

1. In the Midheaven or Ascendant: +5
2. In the 7th, 4th or 11th house: +4
3. In the 2nd or 5th house: +3
4. In the 9th house: +2
5. In the 3rd house: +1
6. Direct motion: +4
7. Faster than average motion: +2
8. Oriental: +2
9. Occidental: +2
10. Not combust: +5
11. In cazimi: +5
12. Partile conjunction with Jupiter or Venus: +5
13. Partile sextile with Jupiter or Venus: +4
14. Partile trine with Jupiter or Venus: +3
15. Partile conjunction with the North Node: +4
16. Partile conjunction with Regulus: +6
17. Partile conjunction with Spica: +5

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