Spear-bearing (Angles)
The drill-down for this is simple:
- Any star on an angle; and << — this is a requirement not an option
- In its own house or exaltation; and << — this is a requirement not an option
- The spear-bearer candidate is in its own house or exaltation; and << — this is a requirement not an option
- The spear-bearer candidate makes any aspect to the guarded star; and << — this is a requirement not an option
- The spear-bearer(s) rays land in close proximity behind the guarded star.
Norman Schwarzkopf
Sun in the Leo 1st House meets our first two conditions that a star be angular and in its own house or exaltation.
Saturn is domiciled at Aquarius 24° in the 7th House and that Saturn hurls a ray in opposition that lands behind Sun at 24° in the Lion.
The texts say the rays of the spear-bearer must land in close proximity. We suggest the spear-bearer must be within 7° of the guarded star. In this chart, Saturn would need to be posited at 18° in the Water-Pourer at the very least but not more than 27° of the Water-Pourer.
We base that claim on four concepts: containment, enclosure and intervention, and one concept we haven’t addressed yet namely, affliction by degree.
We’re inclined to set the maximum limit at 15° (concurring with concourse — no pun intended) but have not seen any charts to test that theory.
When looking at spear-bearers, make sure another star does not intervene by hurling its rays into the intermediary space between the rays of the spear-bearer and the guarded star.
Due to Mercury’s special relationship with Sun essentially functioning as Sun’s attendant, we don’t consider Mercury to intervene by body with the rays of spear-bearers. Another factor in our analysis is that not only are Mercury and Sun in concourse, they are neighboring since both are in the bounds of Mars. If Mercury and Sun were in different bounds we might have a case of intervention by Mercury but in this chart Mercury and Sun are functioning as one unit.
Many are confused by the requirement that the rays of the spear-bearer(s) land behind the guarded star. Admittedly, it is counter-intuitive but there is a very valid logical and astrological reason why the rays must land behind the guarded star.
Recall that the signs and stars move in zodiacal motion which is counter-clockwise (or anti-clockwise) around the chart. However, the diurnal motion is clockwise. The guarded star here happens to be Sun which is below the horizon but rising nonetheless due to the diurnal motion. If you were standing outside looking up at the night sky at about 3:30 am you would see Mars rise, then an hour later you would see Venus rise, and a little less than 2 hours after that Sun would rise.
The symbolism of spear-bearing comes from times past when people of power, rank or status (VIPs or “very important persons”) were carried around on mobile thrones by their servants or slaves. The spear-bearers walking in front moved the ne’er-do-well and rabble out of the way clearing a path for the VIP while simultaneously guarding the VIP.
That’s the symbolism in the chart with spear-bearer(s) hurling their rays behind the guarded star because where the rays land is where the guarded star is going by diurnal motion.
Schwarzkopf was a 4-star Army general and commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) during the Gulf War. He had fame, power, status and rank which is what spear-bearing indicates.
We’ll look at this chart later to address the issue of Mercury being in opposition to Mars in the same degree.
Even though Saturn is spear-bearing for Sun it does not alter the interpretation of Sun opposition Saturn which is what?
A difficult death. Schwarzkopf died in hospital from complications of pneumonia which is what difficult death means and that is true 100% of the time in 100% of charts because we still haven’t found a mitigating Wow! X-factor.
I would like to ask the authors for help as I am not sure if a protected star and a spear-bearer must be of the same sect? You wrote so in the previous article titled ‘Spear-bearing’ but, in turn, in this text here you don’t mention it as a requirement in your points at the beginning of this post.Such an answer would help me greatly to understand better my own natal chart: my Saturn is in my 10th house Capricorn at 11 degree, my Venus is in Pisces 0 degree. 10 degrees is too much and also we have two different sects here, so I understand it doesn’t count?
That is because there are different types of spear-bearing and all of them have different rules. For you, if Saturn is in the Capricorn 10th Place and Venus in the Pisces 12th Place, that means Venus is in her exaltation aspecting Saturn on an angle in his domicile, That meets the first requirements. Venus is at 0 degrees while Saturn is at 11 degrees. The authors recommend the ray be within 7 degrees. So Venus cannot be a spear-bearer for Saturn in this type of spear-bearing.
Thank you for your reply WaterElement, but the authors write about maximum 15 degrees (as ancient Greeks don’t give precise measure of how many degrees in “near”), so I would like to get to know their opinion if their find time and will to reply as they have valuable experience which we lack.
Alright then
Yes, good call. I covered that for her. Spear-bearing is really confusing for a lot of people. It was even confusing to some of the ancient astrologers so we’re all in good company.
Hey, again, Alexsandra. Spear-bearing occurs in three different ways and each form gets more restrictive.
1. Any star (except Mercury) on any angle in its own sign or exaltation and in aspect to any star in its own sign or exaltation. Sect is not a consideration. The kind of aspect is not a consideration so it can be a sextile, square, trine or opposition and it doesn’t matter if the aspect is from the left or the right. There was a lot of confusion with the term “pre-ascending.” Rhetorius did a botch job on that. The best way to view that is the guarded star must be in a separating aspect. The only other restriction is “spying.” That would mean within 7°.
1st House Sun at Aries 12° and Saturn at Libra 20°. Saturn is too distant to be a spear-bearer and Sun is in an applying aspect to Saturn so that’s another “no.”
1st House Sun at Aries 20° and Saturn at Libra 12° Sun has separated from the opposition from Saturn but Saturn is too distant.
1st House Sun at Aries 20° and Saturn at Libra 12° Sun has separated from the opposition from Saturn but Saturn is too distant.
1st House Sun at Aries 14° and Saturn at Libra 12° Sun has separated from the opposition to Saturn and Saturn is within 7° so Saturn is spear-bearing.
Sun at Leo 9° in the 4th House and Mars at Aries 6° then Sun has separated from Mars and Mars is spear-bearing for Sun but watch out because Sun at Leo 9° and Mars at Aries 3° there’s no way that aspect perfected.
2. The Lights. This is more restrictive. Moon or Sun in the 1st or 10th House in any sign and spear-bearers in their own signs or exaltation. Sect does matter because only Jupiter and Saturn can spear-bear for Sun and only Venus and Mars can spear-bear for Moon.
3. Any star in the 1st or 10th with other stars in close proximity. Sect matters here. Sun, Jupiter and Mars can spear-bear for nocturnal stars but only if they’re following in zodiac order. Moon, Venus and Mars can spear-bear for diurnal stars but only when leading in zodiac order.
Mars in the 10th at Gemini 5° means Sun, Jupiter or Saturn would have to be between Gemini 4° and Taurus 10°. Venus would have to be between Gemini 20° and Gemini 6°. Moon would have to be between Gemini 12° and Gemini 6°
In your case, Venus would have to be separated from Saturn which means Venus would need to be between Capricorn 12° and Capricorn 18°.
Note that if Venus were at Pisces 11° then Venus would strike Saturn precisely with a ray and that would elevate or bonify Saturn. Saturn is already elevated or glorified by being in the 10th and in Capricorn.
We’ll get house delineations up shortly, but when a ruler is domiciled in its house or exaltation those are usually things that come naturally without a lot of effort. The 10th House is very public. A person’s reputation is tied to their career and their career is tied to their reputation. In your case Saturn is also domicile ruler of the Aquarius 11th House so you should expect support from the alliances you form in the work-place with peers and superiors and from your associations and you should have help from your alliances, associations, organizations and other entities in your career and they’ll likely bestow honors or awards. If your chart is nocturnal that would mean Saturn is the non-sect malefic and he’ll make things difficult but you should still have success.
Jupiter in the 1st at Scorpio 9° means Sun or Saturn would have to be between Scorpio 8° and Libra 24°. Venus or Mars would have to be between Scorpio 24° and Scorpio 10° and Moon would have to be between Scorpio 16° and Scorpio 10°. Moon always has to be trailing within 7° to be a spear-bearer in this scheme.
Dear Hunter, please accept my sincere gratitude for kindly sharing you knowledge.
I wonder if one day I could do something for you guys to pay you back for your time and effort.
The reason I asked about a potential spear-berarer in my chart isn’t that much about fame (though a bit of appreciation is always a nice thing but not to the point of invading one’s private life) but about fulfilling my dream about my career path. I am in my mid 30s and still struggling with it, so I would like to decipher how much of what I hope for will become reality for me.
My chart is diurnal and Saturn, being elevated in the 10th Capricorn house, is also the lord of my Aries 1st house since all other candidates are in aversion to the 1st house. And yet…I do struggle with work and with life (usually I have, what you call “bad luck”), so I would like to understand why: is it because of other stars in my chart or does it have to do with which star rules which period (zodiac releasing).
Always eager to learn more :)- please keep the very good work on.
I appreciate you asking important questions because I didn’t even think of these things.
Thank you WaterElement :).
Hello, again, Aleksandra. Yes, Saturn is the problem. Capricorn is a malevolent sign. Saturn in Capricorn is going to create a lot of ups and downs in people’s lives. How bad will it get? You have two things going for you. One is Saturn in Capricorn in the 10th is elevated or bonified. The chart is diurnal. That alone will, shall we say, reduce your suffering a lot. The other thing is Saturn made its first orbit a few years ago. Silly people will cast a “Saturn return chart” which tells you absolutely nothing.
We did put up an “Intro to Predictive Methods” which I hope everyone can see. You can get PlanetDance and find out who the Level 1 ruler is for this time period in your life and the Level 1 ruler (the house ruler of that sign not the domicile master or lord) and its condition in your natal chart tells you how this period of your life goes. That will change when the time-ruler changes. Or not, if the next time-ruler is badly situated.
Hmmm, what changes when Saturn (or Jupiter as it is also slowly moving star) completes its orbit?
“We did put up an “Intro to Predictive Methods” which I hope everyone can see.”
Oh yes! I read it twice already but don’t comment since most of it is new to me and I need to wrap my head around it.
“You can get PlanetDance and find out who the Level 1 ruler is for this time period in your life and the Level 1 ruler (the house ruler of that sign not the domicile master or lord) and its condition in your natal chart tells you how this period of your life goes.”
House ruler for Lot of Fortune or Lot of Spirit?