Johannes Schöner (1477–1547: priest, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, cosmographer, cartographer, mathematician, maker of globes and scientific instruments, editor and publisher of scientific texts, and German scholar) provides a list of guidelines intended for the study of the essential and accidental conditions of the luminaries (the Sun and Moon) and of the five wandering planets (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury). He considers both fortunate and unfortunate conditions according to the principles of the doctrine of the essential and accidental strength and weakness of the celestial bodies.
The concluding table presented by Joannis Schonerii, reportedly deriving from Antonio da Montolmo (fourteenth century: professor at the universities of Bologna and Padua in grammar, astrology, medicine, and philosophy; author of an eleven-chapter treatise on the method of casting horoscopes, expanded in the following century by Regiomontanus and published in Nuremberg in 1540 under the title De iudiciis nativitatum liber praeclarissimus), was presumably intended to provide a general assessment of the essential and accidental condition of the planets. This assessment was based on their dignified or debilitated states, each of which was assigned a numerical value from 1 to 6. The resulting calculation probably involved assigning a final score of strength and weakness, whose value offered a general indication of the expressive capacity of a particular planet.
The following tables and guidelines by J. S. concerning the strength and weakness of the celestial bodies are translated from the Latin text of the Opusculum Astrologicum. A link to a digitized copy of the work is provided in the bibliography.
DETERMINING THE STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS OF THE PLANETS
CANON XXXIX
The Sun is said to be favourably placed when it is:
Whatever bestows good fortune makes strong.
I. In aspect to, or conjunct with, a benefic.
II. Besieged by benefics or by their rays.
III. When the malefics fall away from it.
IV. In good aspect to the Moon or to the other planets.
V. In any of its essential dignities.
VI. Separated from a malefic and conjoined to a benefic.
VII. In a bright degree.
VIII. Received (Reception (feminine noun): in an application, it is the recognition of nature by the celestial bodies that join their lights. It occurs in two ways: when the pulsans is in the dignities of the receptor—for example, Mercury in Capricorn applying to Saturn in Taurus—and when the receptor is in the dignities of the pulsans—for example, the Moon in Virgo applying to Saturn in Taurus. For reception to be effective, the celestial bodies must not be weakened by combustion, detriment, fall, or retrogradation).
The Sun is said to be strong when it is:
Whatever bestows good fortune makes strong.
I. Ascending in the circle of its apogee (Auge (feminine noun): in Ptolemaic astronomy, the highest point of the epicycle, corresponding to a planet’s greatest distance from the Earth: the apogee).
II. In the upper part of the eccentric.
III. In an angle or a succedent house.
IV. In a masculine sign, degree, or quadrant, except in Libra.
V. Near Venus.
VI. In the dignities of the benefics.
VII. Elevated above the malefics.
The Sun is said to be unfavourably placed when it is:
Whatever brings misfortune makes weak.
I. Conjunct with, or in aspect to, a malefic.
II. Besieged by malefics or by their rays.
III. In an adverse aspect to the Moon or to the other planets.
IV. In opposition to its dignities, that is, in fall or detriment.
V. Separated from a benefic and conjoined to a malefic.
VI. In a dark degree.
VII. In the degree of Caput or Cauda.
VIII. Not received.
The Sun is said to be weak when it is:
Whatever brings misfortune makes weak.
I. Descending in the circle of its apogee.
II. In the lower part of the eccentric.
III. In a cadent house.
IV. In a feminine sign, degree, or quadrant.
V. In the dignities of the malefics.
VI. With a malefic being superior.
VII. Conjoined to a planet that is cadent by aspect from its own dignities.
VIII. Conjoined to, or in aspect with, a planet that is opposite its dignities.
IX. Peregrine.
The Moon is said to be favourably placed when it is:
I. Conjunct with, or in aspect to, a benefic.
II. Besieged by benefics or by their rays.
III. When the malefics fall away from it.
IV. In good aspect to the Sun or to the other planets.
V. In any of its essential dignities.
VI. Separated from a malefic and conjoined to a benefic.
VII. In a bright degree.
VIII. Received.
IX. United with the Sun.
The Moon is said to be strong when it is:
I. Northern.
II. Ascending in the eccentric.
III. Ascending in the epicycle.
IV. Recently emerged from the rays of the Sun.
V. In an angle or a succedent house.
VI. Occidental to the Sun.
VII. In a feminine sign, degree, or quadrant.
VIII. Above the Earth at night.
IX. Below the Earth by day.
X. Elevated above the malefics.
XI. In the dignities of the benefics.
XII. Swift in motion.
The Moon is said to be unfavourably placed when it is:
I. Conjunct with, or in aspect to, a malefic.
II. Besieged by malefics or by their rays.
III. In an adverse aspect to the Sun or to the other planets.
IV. In opposition to its dignities.
V. Separated from benefics and conjoined to malefics.
VI. Conjunct with fixed stars of malefic nature.
VII. In a dark degree.
VIII. Not received.
The Moon is said to be weak when it is:
I. Peregrine.
II. Southern.
III. Descending in the eccentric.
IV. Descending in the epicycle.
V. Under the rays and combust.
VI. In a cadent house.
VII. Oriental to the Sun.
VIII. In a masculine sign, degree, or quadrant.
IX. Below the Earth at night.
X. Above the Earth by day.
XI. When the malefics are elevated above it.
XII. If it enters the limits of an eclipse, namely within twelve degrees of Caput or Cauda.
XIII. In the Via Combusta, as in the second half of Libra and the first half of Scorpio.
XIV. In Gemini.
XV. In the dignities of the malefics.
XVI. In conjunction with a planet that falls from an angle.
XVII. In conjunction with a planet that is opposite its own dignities.
XVIII. Slow in motion.
The authors of our century place the Via Combusta in the Milky Way: in its northern section from 18° Gemini to 2° Cancer; in its southern section from 8° Sagittarius to 13° of the same sign; and, again, because there it is divided in two, from 24° Sagittarius to 2° Capricorn.
Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury are said to be favourably placed when they are:
I. In aspect to, or conjunct with, a benefic.
II. Besieged by benefics or by their rays.
III. When the malefics are separating from them.
IV. Conjunct with, or in good aspect to, the Sun.
V. In good aspect to the Moon.
VI. In any of their dignities.
VII. In a bright degree.
VIII. Separated from malefics and conjoined to benefics.
IX. Swift in motion.
X. Increasing in light.
XI. Direct.
XII. Received.
Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury are said to be strong when they are:
I. Ascending toward the North, or northern.
II. Ascending in the circle of their apogee.
III. At their second station.
IV. At heliacal rising, that is, emerging from the rays of the Sun.
V. Oriental to the Sun; but Mercury and Venus, occidental to the Sun.
VI. In masculine signs, degrees, and quadrants; but Mercury and Venus in feminine signs, degrees, and quadrants.
VII. Above the Earth by day and below the Earth by night; but Mars, Venus, and Mercury below the Earth by day and above the Earth by night.
VIII. Elevated above the inferior planets.
IX. In the dignities of the benefics.
Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury are said to be unfavourably placed when they are:
I. Conjunct with, or in aspect to, malefics.
II. Besieged by malefics or by their rays.
III. Combust.
IV. In an adverse aspect to the Sun or the Moon.
V. In opposition to their dignities.
VI. In a cadent house.
VII. Separated from a benefic and conjoined to a malefic.
VIII. Decreasing in light.
IX. In the terms or domiciles of the malefics.
X. In dark degrees.
XI. Peregrine.
XII. With Caput or Cauda within twelve degrees.
XIII. Retrograde.
Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury are said to be weak when they are:
I. Descending toward the South, or southern.
II. At their first station.
III. Descending in the circle of their apogee.
IV. Occidental to the Sun; but Mercury and Venus, oriental to the Sun.
V. In feminine signs, degrees, and quadrants; but Mercury and Venus in masculine ones.
VI. In dark degrees.
VII. In the Via Combusta.
VIII. Below the Earth by day and above the Earth by night; but Mars, Mercury, and Venus above the Earth by day and below the Earth by night.
IX. Conjunct with a retrograde planet.
X. Conjunct with an impeded planet.
XI. Conjunct with a cadent planet.
XII. Not received.
XIII. When the malefics are elevated above them.
It should nevertheless be noted that Master Antonio da Montolmo assigned numerical values to the various conditions of strength and weakness. For example, the first and tenth houses receive five points; they are therefore strong by virtue of their very position, just as a planet is strong when it is in its own domicile. The following is his table.
| Conditions of planetary strength | Conditions of planetary weakness |
|---|---|
| +5 First house | Twelfth house -5 |
| +4 Seventh or fourth house | Eighth house -4 |
| +2 Ninth house | Sixth house -3 |
| +3 Eleventh or fifth house | Second house -2 |
| +1 Third house | Seventh house from the planet’s domicile, that is, detriment -2 |
| +5 Domicile | Seventh house from exaltation, that is, fall -5 |
| +4 Exaltation | Planet combust by the Sun -6 |
| +3 Triplicity | Planet under the rays, but not combust -4 |
| +2 Term | Besiegement between two malefics -5 |
| +1 Decan | Application to a malefic -3 |
| +5 Cazimi | Bodily conjunction with two malefics -5 |
| +5 Bodily conjunction with a benefic | Application by diameter to a malefic -4 |
| +4 Application by trine to a benefic | Bodily application to a malefic star -5 |
| +3 Application by sextile to a benefic | Peregrine -5 |
| +5 Reception | Void of course -2 |
| +3 Joy by reason of sign | Feral -3 |
| +2 Joy by reason of house | Empty or smoky degrees -3 |
| +1 Bright degrees | Dark degrees, pits (putei), azemena -3 |
| +1 Degrees increasing fortune | Occidentality of the three superior planets -2 |
| +1 Degrees conforming in sex | Orientality of the inferior planets -2 |
| +2 Orientality of the three superior planets | Contrary to hayz -2 |
| +2 Occidentality of the inferior planets | Retrogradation -5 |
| +3 Hayz | Slowness of motion -1 |
| +2 Conformity of the quadrant | Decrease in number -1 |
| +5 Securitas | Decrease in light -1 |
| +4 Direct motion | Descent in the circle of the apogee -2 |
| +1 Swiftness of motion | Descent toward the south -2 |
| +1 Increase in light | Conjunction with the North Node -3 |
| +1 Increase in number | Conjunction with the South Node -2 |
| +2 Ascent toward the north | Via Combusta -2 |
| +5 Bodily conjunction with a benefic star | Eclipse of the luminaries -5 |
| +5 Position between two benefics | Moon at the end of the signs, or in the terms of the malefics -2 |
| Luminary within the limits of an eclipse -4 | |
| Moon proceeding toward combustion, within twelve degrees -4 |
Bibliography
The digitized edition consulted was:
Schöner, Johann (1477–1547). Ioannis Schoneri Carolostadii Opusculum astrologicum: ex diuersorum libris, summa cura pro studiosorum utilitate collectum, subnotata continens … Norimbergae: Apud Iohan. Petreium, anno salutis MDXXXIX [1539].
Digital copy:
https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/rbc/rbc0001/2012/2012gen75583/2012gen75583.pdf
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