The third book I translated, “Horary Astrology Step by Step,” by Petros Eleftheriadis, my horary mentor, is published in April 2024. This is the afterword I wrote for the Japanese version.
“Takeshi, I hope the question is important to you.”
As usual, when I contacted Petros sensei about the subject matter of the final exam, he replied immediately.
To complete the Traditional Horary course (QHP), I had to complete a final assignment, predicting the future using a Horary chart. I chose one of the FIFA World Cup qualifying matches as my last assignment. Looking back, I did not understand as much the importance of that reply as I do now.
What does it mean by “the question is important to me”?
The final assignment had a condition: it had to be a divination of future events, the result of which would be officially recorded and verified by a third party. I was interested in the game, but unfortunately, I made a mistake in the outcome of the winners and losers. I attributed the miss to the time lag in creating the chart, but I now believe it was the importance of the questions. I have since learned from experience that the quality of the questions I ask determines the results of horary astrology. This is also why it is stated at the beginning of this book that the chart should be as personal as possible. When learning horary astrology, except during the very early stages of practice, I do not recommend that you ask curious questions. It can cause you to lower your accuracy. I do not ask questions about sports wins or losses except when asked to do so. Because now, I am aware that sports wins and losses are not significant to me.
As a student of horary astrology, I would like to say three things. First, I wrote about the importance of questions. The second is about simple rules.
This book conveys the horary technique most simply and imaginable. In particular, I learned the following three guidelines directly from Petros sensei.
“The main significators in ANY horary chart are the ruler(s) of the ascendant and the Moon. In most charts, you will get your answer if you know what is happening to them next.”
“If the Moon applies with a fortunate aspect with a reception to the significator of the querent, it is very positive.”
“If the applies with a hard aspect to an Infortune without a strong mutual reception and they are both essentially debilitated, the answer is almost always NO, and you don’t have to check anything else.”
These are discussed in the explanation of Example Chart 3 (Step 2). It is very simple and very powerful. Please put it into practice and see for yourself.
Lastly, I will write about the difficulties of horary astrology.
The opinions I have heard so far that horary is complex can be divided into two prominent cases. One is the various rules. Especially from the perspective of modern astrology, it doesn’t seem very easy, and there are new things to learn. However, the “difficulty” is only in comparison with modern astrology and other forms of divination. Remember, it is much simpler than most certification studies, language learning, or the disciplines you struggled with in middle and high school when you were young. Be aware of pedantic critiques of astrology, which include detailed theories that seem arcane. Once you have learned the basics of planets, signs, houses, and aspects, you can try horary astrology with this book. This is because, like the performing arts and martial arts, horary astrology is a craft experienced through practice.
Another case is confusion about the differences between modern astrology and traditional astrology. Stop for a moment if you think astrology must be rich in narrative and description, even though modern astrology requires such descriptive skills. If you feel uncomfortable with the “differences from modern astrology,” change your stance as if you were playing a different game. For Example, there are various games of cards, such as Millionaires, Old Maid, poker, and so on. If you start playing one game, you will never care about the difference between one another. You will enjoy the game because it has a different framework. The same is true of traditional horary astrology, as explained in this book.
If you can get through to horary astrology, you can expand your astrological world even more. And you will experience a different surprise.
I wish readers a more enjoyable and more prosperous journey through the stars.