mutual reception in opposition

1
Mysterious are ways of the horary astrology. Almost every time I did a chart lately, concerning one or the other romantic question of mine, Moon appeared in the fifth in mutual reception with Saturn. Mutual reception might be a good sign, as I learned, but the two are always in opposition (or sometimes Moon is conjunct Saturn in Cancer; the orbs are always very small). Is that bad?

Regards, Alya

2
Hi Alya,

From a traditional perspective, a mutual reception (which requires that the planets also aspect each other) generally mitigates problems. But:

With squares and oppositions, there will only be reconciliation between the things signified by the planets with "hardship and error" (Masha'allah).

Morinus adds that reception won't mitigate problems if the planets are in detriment in the signs where they are. E.g., if the Moon is in Capricorn and Saturn in Cancer, and they oppose each other by aspect, then they are in mutual reception; but since each of them is also in detriment in those signs, they are too debilitated for mutual reception to overcome their problems. A better situation would be, e.g., Moon in Libra trining Saturn in Taurus (mutual reception by exaltation). Neither is debilitated by itself in those signs.

With the Moon conjunct Saturn in Cancer, that is very malefic and destructive to the Moon. Saturn is received by the Moon, but the Moon is damaged by her conjunction to Saturn.

Hope this helps,
Ben

3
Hello, Ben.
I kind of expected an answer like that. It was only after reading an article about mutual reception in love relationships, saying, that there is nothing like two planets, denoting the querent and his/her partner, occupying each other's signs. Everything OK up to the example of Venus being in Scorpio and Mars being in Taurus ? each in the sign of its detriment. It seemed as if in romantic charts it was of utmost importance that the planets are kind to each other and not so much that they occupy a friendly sign. This raised certain hopes in me, though I suspected there must be something wrong with such reception. The author of the article explained a weak planet as querent having a weakness for the longed for person.

Your answer is logical and most clarifying (although not very comforting in my case) and I thank you.
Kind regards, Alya.

4
The best description I've heard, and I don't recall from whom, of situations like Moon in Capricorn Saturn in Cancer or Mercuryin Sagitarius Jupiter in Gemini, is that these mutual receptions are like two drunks trying to help each other home. It's help, but not much.

Tom