Principal significator
principalThe ruler of the house that governs the subject. For the querent: ruler of the first house. For money: ruler of the second house, etc.
The ruler of the subject’s house.
Chargement…
Chargement…
Astrology course — Method
Before any interpretation, you must know which planet represents which person, which object, which question. It is the founding gesture of traditional astrology.
Definition
A significator is the planet that represents an actor or a thing in a chart: it is identified from the house that governs the subject, before any interpretation.
Before interpreting anything, the traditional astrologer asks a simple question: who represents whom? The querent, the partner, money, a journey… each has its significator. This course teaches you to assign them correctly, to distinguish principal significator, co-significator and natural significator, then to judge their strength.
Summary
What it is not
Several planets can signify the same subject, in different capacities. We distinguish four broad categories.
The ruler of the house that governs the subject. For the querent: ruler of the first house. For money: ruler of the second house, etc.
The ruler of the subject’s house.
The Moon almost always accompanies the querent and describes the unfolding of the matter. It is the second significator of the querent.
The Moon, witness of the course.
A planet naturally symbolises a domain, independently of the houses: Venus for love, Mercury for writings, Mars for conflicts.
The planet’s own symbolism.
The planet that holds the most essential dignities over a given degree (Ascendant, Moon…). It can reinforce or arbitrate between significators.
The “weighted ruler” of a point.
Assigning a significator always follows the same sequence, from the subject to the planet.
Steps
A planet can hold several roles at once: if Venus is both the natural significator of love AND ruler of the seventh house, the testimony is doubly strong.
In horary astrology, two poles are always set against each other: the one who asks the question and what they are asking about.
The querent (the one who asks)
The first house and its ruler, plus the Moon. It is “me” in the question.
The quesited (what is asked)
The house of the subject and its ruler. It is “the other” or “the thing”.
The relationship between them
An applying aspect between the two significators (or via the Moon) shows how the matter comes together.
Here are the most commonly used natural significators. They support the ruler of the house.
Love, affection, pleasure
VenusDesire, conflict, surgery, action
MarsWritings, contracts, messages, commerce
MercuryMoney, luck, expansion, justice
JupiterTime, limits, bereavements, real estate, the old
SaturnAuthority, father, vitality, honours
SunMother, crowds, fluids, short journeys, daily life
MoonRuptures, the unexpected, technology, freedom
UranusIllusion, the sea, secrets, spirituality, the blurred
NeptunePower, transformation, debts, the depths
PlutoOnce the significators are identified, you judge their capacity to act. A good but weak significator promises without being able to deliver.
Essential dignity
Accidental dignity
For the detail of the dignities, see the course dedicated to planetary rulerships. See the planetary rulerships →
Beyond the ruler of the house, other planets bring their testimony on a subject.
Planet occupying the house
A planet placed in the subject’s house strongly “colours” it, sometimes as much as its ruler.
Planet aspecting the significator
The aspects received describe the external influences on the actor represented.
Natural ruler present
If the natural significator of the domain is also involved, the testimony is reinforced.
For third parties (my friend’s sister, my partner’s money…), you “turn” the chart: the third party’s house becomes the new first house, and you take the significators from there.
Examples
See the course on derived houses for the complete method. See the derived houses →
Querent = ruler of I + Moon. The beloved = ruler of VII. Natural significator: Venus. If Venus is also ruler of the VII, the testimony of love is doubled; you then read the aspect between the two significators.
My money = ruler of the second house + Jupiter (natural significator). You look at whether the ruler of the II is returning toward the ruler of I (money coming back) or moving away from it (loss).
Me = ruler of I. The job/employer = ruler of the X + Sun. A career significator that is dignified and angular, in an applying aspect with the ruler of I, argues for a yes.
Common mistakes to avoid
What is a significator in astrology?
It is the planet or point that represents an actor or a thing in a chart: the querent, a partner, money, a journey. It is identified before any interpretation.
How do you find the significator of a subject?
You identify the house that governs the subject, then take the ruler of that house. You add the Moon and the natural significator of the domain.
What is the difference between a principal and a natural significator?
The principal is the ruler of the subject’s house, specific to each chart. The natural is the fixed symbolism of a planet (Venus = love) valid everywhere.
Why is the Moon a co-significator?
Because it accompanies the querent and describes the unfolding of the matter. In horary, it is almost always the second significator of the querent.
What is the almuten?
The planet that holds the most essential dignities over a given degree (often the Ascendant). It can reinforce or arbitrate between the principal significators.
Can a planet be several significators at once?
Yes. If a planet holds several roles (ruler of a house + natural significator), its testimony is all the more reinforced.
Yes, this is the basic rule: you take the ruler of the house that governs the subject. You then complete it with the Moon and the natural significator of the domain to refine the reading.
You use the house that describes them (VII for the partner or adversary, X for the employer, III for siblings…) and take the ruler of that house as the significator of that person.
Identifying the significators is enough to know “who is who”. But to judge whether they can act, you must assess their strength through the essential and accidental dignities: that is the next step of the analysis.
No. The principle also applies in the natal chart and in electional astrology. But it is in horary that the attribution of significators is the most codified and the most decisive for the judgement.