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Horary Astrology : Should I buy this property?

**Original article written for Infinity Magazine Jan/Feb 2017 Issue Infinity Magazine 11

Should I buy this property?

Buying and selling property is an important decision to many people as they usually have only a few transactions in their whole life. Making a correct decision may mean making a fortune while an unwise transaction may bring troubles and nightmares. As the property market is heated up worldwide, property related questions are some of those mostly asked. We will see in this article the aphorisms for property matter and will study a chart example.

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For property questions, we usually would want to know :
•   Whether the transaction can be made properly
•   The conditions of the property
•   The benefit/ profit for the querent

Whether the transaction can be made properly

There are two parties in a transaction : The buyer and the seller. The querent, no matter he is the seller or buyer, he is signified by the ascendant and planets in the first house, and the other party is signified by the 7thhouse. Whether the transaction can be made properly, we will need to see if the significators of the two parties are connected positively, which means a contract is made. They can be brought to perfection by :

1)     A direct application to aspect or conjunction. If it is aspect with reception, the deal is made with the willingness of the parties.

2)     Translation of light or collection of light

3)     Emplacement—one of the significators is placed in the house of the other party.

Also, the connection between the buyer and the property (4th house) gives a stronger indication that the property will be sold. However, if there is connection between the seller and the property only, it would show the property will be retained.


The conditions of the property

If the querent is the buyer, one of the main concerns will be the condition of the property. The querent may want to know whether it is in proper condition, a good place to live in or suits his needs. Nowadays the buyer might not be able to inspect the property thoroughly before he can made a decision. Particularly there are some properties which are sold during the construction period that the buyers make the purchase just by reading the promotional material provided by the developers. Thus if the horary chart can give some insights about the property itself it would be helpful to the buyer.

To assess the quality of the property, the 4th house, including the Lord of the 4th, the planets and their aspects can tell us how the property looks like. Not only the condition of property the 4th house can tell, it also shows the long term potential and success of the house. Lilly writes, “But it either Jupiter, Venus or North Node be in the fourth, or the Lord of the fourth in this own house, viz. in the fourth, the Purchaser may expect good success in the Land or House now in buying, and that it may continue a long time with his Posterity, and it’s an argument he shall have good increase for his money by that bargain[1].”

Besides the 4th house, some people may have concern about the neighbourhood. A troublesome neighbour could be disturbing and affect the living condition. Thus the 3rd house would be a place to investigate for such matters.


The Price

When buying or selling a property, one of the main concerns is the price. The buyer wants a good bargain while the seller wants to make a good profit. Lilly says, “Let the tenth house, a planet or planets placed therein, and the Lord of that house signify the Price, that is, whether it will be sold cheap or dear[2].” If we take the 10thhouse as the price, there will be questions arising: How do we define whether the price is high or low? It is something subjective and different persons may hold different views. If the 10th house is strong, does it mean the price is high while an afflicted 10th house means a low price? This may fit if the querent is the seller but quite illogical if the querent is the buyer. The 10th house naturally signifies success and fruits of the matter, if a strong 10th house means a high price, this will in turn not advantageous to the querent if he is the buyer.

To clear the confusion, we can take a step back and stick to the basic principle of the 10th house. It signifies the success, advantages, benefits of the matter to the querent. Bonatti, in his writing about “if renting the land or the house would be useful”, suggests, “Then look at the 10th. If a benefic were in it or were to aspect from a trine or sextile aspect, the matter will be arranged and perfected. If indeed there were a malefic in it or who aspected the 10th by opposition or a square aspect, the renting will not be perfected…[3]

Thus a strong 10th house would mean benefits to the querent, and an afflicted 10th house is disadvantageous to the querent, no matter he is a seller, buyer, tenant or landlord. In this sense, the focus is not on judging the price is high or low but the “profit” or “benefit” to the querent. If the querent is the buyer, a fortunate 10th house means the deal is advantageous to him, it may mean a low price, a profitable deal, or the purchase itself is a good investment. If the querent is a seller, a fortunate 10th house suggests the transaction is beneficial to him, or he is making a good profit.


A Horary Case

I would like to show a horary case here that the querent asked, “Should I buy this property?”

Background : The querent asked whether she should buy a property for investment. She was interested in that property not only for investment sake, but also out of her teenage memory. She was studying in the school near the site, and her mother’s friend was living in one of the apartments next to her school. Her mother brought her to the aunt’s home for a few times which became a memorable experience for her. She loved the greenery hill view from the window, the honey water served by the aunt and she told herself that one day she should have a flat there. The old buildings was demolished and new apartments are now built on the site. The querent thus wanted to buy a flat there to fulfil her dream. However, her rational side also reminded her to check whether it is now a good time to buy and whether it will be a good investment.

The rising sign is Cancer and the querent is signified by the Moon in Virgo in the 3rd house of neighbourhood. This illustrates the querent is moved by her nostalgic feeling and the fact that she was studying in the school near the apartment.   Also, the querent has her natal Sun in Cancer and Moon in Virgo which clearly resonate with this horary chart. The Moon separates from Venus in the 5th house, which signifies the contact with the property agent. The 5th house represents ambassador, and thus the agent in business matter. Venus also rules the 4th, which represents the past as well as the property. The Moon is making a square with Saturn in the 6th, Saturn rules the 7th and 8th. In a property question, the 7th house signifies the seller, or the developer in this case while the 8th house is about mortgage and financing. Thus it seems difficult for the querent to make a transaction, and as she said, rationally she did not see this as a good investment as she thought the property market might not be doing good in the near future. She also felt stressful financially if she was going to buy this property. 

Is she right? Is the property price too high and this might not be a profitable investment? The 10th house signifies the potential benefit. It is ruled by Jupiter in the 4th house Libra. Jupiter is peregrine and combust, suggesting this is not a good deal for the querent. Jupiter is sextile with Saturn and they receive each other by sign and by exaltation. This would say the benefit is on the seller’s side. The chart confirms the querent’s  opinion that such investment might not be a good one.

How is the property? The property is signified by the 4th house ruler Mercury, in his own sign Virgo in the 3rd house. The dignified Mercury suggests the property itself is of good value and condition. Being in the 3rd house again reflects the querent’s love of that property as it is in the neighbourhood of her school and the aunt’s home. Jupiter and the Sun are in the 4th house Libra. Libra represents “sides of Hills, tops of Mountains[4]”. Actually, the property is on the hill and querent was impressed by the greenery hill when she was sitting by the window at her aunt’s home. This is one of the reasons why she fell in love with this place. More interestingly, the querent emphasized that she loved the honey water served by the aunt, and Jupiter rules the bees and sweet[5]. The chart clearly illustrates the beauty of the environment which enchanted the querent most. She said it was like a scene in her favourite novel. 

Despite of her love towards the place, the querent remained rational when she considered from an investment perspective. Another planet in the 4th house is the Sun in Libra. It is in detriment, rules the 2nd house of finance, suggesting it is a burden to the querent and it might be too risky if she buys the flat at the moment. Finally she decided not to buy it but may consider it again three years later when the construction is finished. The 10th house cusp is at a late degree of 26.37 Pisces. By three and a half degree, it will change to Aries, and Mars is in Capricorn. The exalted Mars suggests the property will become more beneficial to the querent, probably after three and a half years (one degree corresponds to one year), and this matches the querent’s plan.

When the querent asked this question, the property market was very hot and many different properties sold well, but the sales of the quesited apartments were relative low due to the high price. This fits what the chart suggests that the property is not beneficial to the querent from an investment point of view.

(Caption) The was how the site looked like in the past and the querent fell in love with this view. They were on the hill and the old buildings were demolished while the quesited apartments are under construction.
[1] CA p.206 
[2] CA p.205
[3] Bonatti, Book of Astronomy, Treaties 6 : On Questions p.405-406
[4] CA p.96
[5] CA p.63-64