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Reception in Horary Astrology
Reception is when a planet sits in a sign, term, or other essential dignity ruled by a different planet -- as if it's a guest being hosted there. Mutual reception, where two significators each sit somewhere ruled by the other, is traditionally read as real goodwill between what they represent, sometimes strong enough to rescue an otherwise difficult aspect.
Horary astrology is a traditional, rule-based symbolic practice with no empirical scientific basis -- treat this page, and Querens itself, as entertainment and a genuinely interesting historical system, not fact.
What Lilly says
Christian Astrology, p.112 (1647 ed.)
Lilly's own definition: "Reception is when two Planets... are in each others dignity; as Sun in Aries, and Mars in Leo... It may be by Triplicity, term or face, or any essentiall dignity." He singles out rulership ("by Houses") as the strongest form, with triplicity, term, and face as a lesser group beneath it.
How Querens reads this
For any planet's placement, Querens computes every planet that receives it across all five essential dignities -- rulership, exaltation, triplicity, term, and face -- and flags it as mutual when both significators receive each other. Reception shows up throughout a reading: in the rule trace when it softens or reinforces an aspect between significators, and directly in the Detailed Calculations appendix of the PDF export.
See it in a real chart
See it in Lilly's Library: “A lady, if marry the gentleman desired” →
Frequently asked questions
- What is reception in horary astrology?
- When one planet sits somewhere ruled by another -- by sign, exaltation, triplicity, term, or face -- as if received into that planet's dignity.
- What is mutual reception?
- When two significators each sit somewhere ruled by the other. Traditionally read as real cooperation between what they represent.
- Can reception save a bad aspect?
- Mutual reception is traditionally read as strong enough to help an otherwise difficult aspect complete favorably, though it doesn't override every other factor in the chart.