AP - House Delineation - Morin

1
18 Sept 2003

Tom:

Hi Sue,

After giving this some thought, I decided that I really didn?t give you much of an answer regarding Morin and planets in houses versus planets ruling houses from other locations. So, here is what I hope to be a better explanation.

Morin posits two theories (for lack of a better word) regarding the influence of planets. One is that a planet in a house will have more influence over the affairs of that house than it will have influence over the affairs of the house that it rules. The second is that the good or bad of a house emanates from the ruler of the house. At first glance these two statements might seem contradictory, but they are not.

Let?s take the chart of noted horror novelist Stephen King (Sept. 21, 1947; 1:30 AM EDT; Portland, Maine 43 N 40/ 70 W 15). Yes, horror?s most famous writer is a prissy Virgo. Using Placidus houses the 5th house of creativity has Scorpio on the cusp ruled by Mars in Cancer in the 12th. Jupiter is in the 5th at 23 Scorpio and so is the Moon in the 5th at 16 Sagittarius.

Morin argues that that Jupiter and/or the Moon are more important to 5th house activity than is Mars in Cancer. He also says that Mars will determine whatever good or ill that comes from the 5th house. As an FYI Morin would put Mars in the first. Mars is in detriment, but also in triplicity. Detriment wins, but Mars is angular and this is held to be a great good. Mars is in sextile to the Sun and trine to Jupiter in 5. These aspects qualify the nature of Mars. They do not change it. On the whole this is a pretty strong Mars, and we can say that 5th house affairs will be, for the most part, good.

Jupiter is closer to the cusp than is the Moon, therefore, according to Morin, Jupiter is the most important planet in the house. The only exception to this rule would be if the cusp ruler was in the house and then that planet gets priority.

So then what does this tell us about King?s fifth house? It is fortunate (holds Jupiter) and prolific in things somewhat hidden (Scorpio). Jupiter is tied to his Sun (honors), by sextile, and Jupiter?s dispositor rules the 10th house of career, and Jupiter rules the 9th house of publishing. His creativity is also tied to the Moon and the Moon, in a Jupiter sign gives great imagination. Moon sextile Mercury allows that imagination to be articulated well. Mercury is angular and in his triplicity.

Morin would argue that transits and directions to and by Jupiter would show us how and when these 5th house activities will play out. Notice Mars? influence is very broad using Morin?s ideas. Mars shows us the influence is good despite being ruled by a debilitated malefic, and Mars ties the whole thing to the career. It is Jupiter who gives us the nuts and bolts of the house.

I hope this helps a bit more than my short answer. I must have been tired.

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Sue:

Thanks for that Tom. I will have a proper look at it tomorrow when I am not so tired. Interesting you should mention Stephen King. A few minutes before reading your post I was reading a discussion about whether his novels can be classified as literature. Seems he has just been awarded a lifetime achievement award by the National Book Foundation in America. Some people are upset about it because they don't see his work as literature. I haven't actually read any of his books so I can't comment.
Glad to hear NJ didn't fare too badly with hurricane Isabel.

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Tom:

Not much happened here with Isabel. There are a lot of leaves on the ground and a couple of tipped over garbage cans, but that seems to be it.

Stephen King is going blind, which is a terrible thing. He has some sort of degenerative eye disease, and perhaps sympathy drove the award. His books sell like no one else's, and he is considered the most popular writer since Dickens. King will be the first to admit that he is no Dickens.

I once read a review of someone's books and the reviewr made the observation that there is a level of criticism for great literature and nothing else. This is the standard by which all books are judged. He opined that perhaps there should be a level of criticism for authors like King whom he mentioned specifically.

King's work is not pretentious. He's even asked the question: what's wrong with a good story? Nothing Mr. King; nothing at all. I always found his books to be fun, and if you need a good scare, pick up a copy of Pet Semetary. You won't sleep for a week .

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Sue:

So Tom, why would Morin put Mars in his 1st house? Are you refering to the five degree rule. I understand the five degree rule but Mars is a little more than five degrees from the ascendant (if this is what you are talking about).

I am not completely convinced yet that the five degree rule should be applied to natal charts. I'm not saying it shouldn't, I just haven't got a clear understanding of it. I have no problems with it when it comes to horary and know that it is considered that planets close to the cusp influence the affairs of that house but I don't have a grasp of where it comes from. If we look at King's chart and accept the five degree rule, five planets change houses. This makes for a very different chart. If those planets were supposed to be in the next houses then perhaps he should have been born half an hour or so earlier. It's something I have been wondering about for awhile now and just thought I would ask.

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Tom:
So Tom, why would Morin put Mars in his 1st house? Are you refering to the five degree rule. I understand the five degree rule but Mars is a little more than five degrees from the ascendant (if this is what you are talking about).
Yes, but Morin used 8 degrees when near the ASC and in certain circumstances other angles. FOr example if the Sun was in Leo near the MC but a little more than five degrees he might put the Sun in hte 10th. This is a judgment call in some cases, and I look at it both ways and see which makes the most sense in context.

Yes it is true that in King's case Uranus, Saturn, Pluto, Neptune, and Mars, all would move. As a tradtionalist I don't get too involved with Uranus and Pluto, but I would have a good look at Neptune in this chart. In whole sign houses every planet in my chart moves except Mercury. Sometimes, I think it makes more sense that way. I don't have a single planet except Mercury disposited by the cusp ruler. That makes for awkward delineation. I don't know that astrology lends it self to rigid rules, and I have no problem with fudging the cusp lines. No one agrees on them anyway.

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Sue:

Wow. Eight degrees you reckon? I could go for that. It would move Saturn and Mercury out of my 12th and into my 1st.Unfortunately, I think Saturn belongs in my 12th.

Let's face it, the houses don't exist in reality anyway and have to be taken symbolically. We all resonate to our own form of symbolism.

Thanks for the explanation Tom.

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Tom:

Saturn Joys in the 12th. It's a good spot for him. My Saturn is in 12 as well, in Leo (detriment); he can stay there.

I think 8 degrees is a bit much.