Significance of Critical Degrees in a Chart

I have read a couple posts speaking about critical degrees. I have noticed that my chart has many critical degrees. What I am having a hard time finding is what the significance of such degrees in the chart means. Also, some people say with in an orb of 1 degree and others say with in an orb of 3 degrees, does that mean 3 degrees before or 3 degrees after?

Critical Degrees
Cardinal 0,13,26
Fixed 9,21
Mutable 4,17

My critical degrees are as follows:
00 ASC
00 DSC
13
13
13
04

Questionable critical degrees (within 3 degrees)?:
00
01
19
10
15
24
24
14 cusp of 4th house
07 cusp of 6th house
14 MC
07 cusp of 12th house

Any help with understanding this more clearly would be much appreciated!

Again we need a visual chart. Reading lines of data is tedious.

I dont agree with the theory of critical degrees....The aspects made by each planet to each other stand on their own merits. Okay it is very close to the next sign and in the third decan but that is all...

I did post the chart. I am just trying to understand the significance, if any. Thanks

The 3 degrees mentioned is both before and after the degree; however, I myself consider this too wide, and consider about 2 degrees maximum; if you are going to consider critical degrees in delineation, then you should also consider other degree qualities such as the pitted/elevated degree and the Bright and dark degree qualities as well (these other considerations are found in older Traditionalist and Hellenistic astrology sources*)
Regarding the critical degrees, I follow Manly P. Hall in regarding them as conferring constructive ("benefic") influences as the general rule. Planets in them (in my opinion moreso than cuspal degrees) are generally enhanced and whatever the planet's constructive influences might be, are elevated, by such placement.


(*Many of our Modernist friends discount the degree qualities-including the critical degrees-either mostly or entirely, and generally consider them of minor consequence; many have similar attitudes toward the Lunar Nodes, toward the Arabic Parts, and many even toward the Part of Fortune; although as an eclectic I follow many Modernist concepts and methods, I follow the Traditionalists and Hellenists in attributing much significance to conepts like the critical degrees and other degree qualities, the Lots, and other oldtime practices and procedures)

May I suggest you explore the lunar calendar and Lunar Mansions.
The Hypsomata you may find interesting too.

J.R.R.

I have saturn at 29.1 degrees in scorpio in 2nd house from ascendant(libra)....
What does it signify...i read about saturn 29 degrees in capricon makes one workaholic ...what about 29.1 degrees saturn in scorpio???

I also have jupiter 26 degrees in pieces
ASCENDANT(libra) :- 13 degrees
SUN in SCORPIO :- 23 degrees
(ALL CRITCAL DEGREES IN ONE HOROSCOPE )

PLEASE TELL ME THE SIGNIFICANCE.

For Reference :-
DOB :- 10-12-1987
Time :- 04.05 am
Place :- mumbai (india)
Lat :- 18 N 58
long :- 72 E 49

Sorry it took me so long to respond. I have been away for a couple of weeks and I am just now catching up.
So a 2 degree orb to either side would be relevant? I have a book called "fixed stars and Degrees of the Zodiac analyzed" By E.C. Matthews that gives a brief description for each degree but does not really give the history or significance of it. As a student of astrology I find it difficult sometimes trying to filter out what matters and what does not, throw out the garbage so to speak. So I try to move slowly through different areas and aspects of astrology. Trying, testing, and questioning the value and importance of the different facets.
You stated that the planets more-so than the cusps will feel the effect, so does that include the nodes? I love Manly P. Hall, I have one book in particular of his that I have been working on for years ( I know the sounds ridiculous, but I am really digesting the information that way.)

student4life said:

I have read a couple posts speaking about critical degrees. I have noticed that my chart has many critical degrees. What I am having a hard time finding is what the significance of such degrees in the chart means. Also, some people say with in an orb of 1 degree and others say with in an orb of 3 degrees, does that mean 3 degrees before or 3 degrees after?

Critical Degrees
Cardinal 0,13,26
Fixed 9,21
Mutable 4,17

My critical degrees are as follows:
00 ASC
00 DSC
13
13
13
04

Questionable critical degrees (within 3 degrees)?:
00
01
19
10
15
24
24
14 cusp of 4th house
07 cusp of 6th house
14 MC
07 cusp of 12th house

Any help with understanding this more clearly would be much appreciated!

Click to expand...

Usually 29 and 0 degrees will have influence of the previous sign with 29 and the next sign with 0. Your ASC is 0 degrees, a couple minutes difference and you could potentially be Sag rising.

here is some stuff on critical degrees

if your natal planet is in critical degree, it means that the influence and energy from that planet will be both possitive and negative. it is very brightly expressed. critical degree is like having a sharper knife.

Your mars is interesting because it is in Libra and it is via combusta and it is in critical degree and it is squaring your north node, i think.. check what else is mars being aspected or aspecting. It has more martian energy than venetian even though it is in libra. Depending on what other planets are connecting with your mars it is hard to tell what it is doing. you do not want saturn, jupiter or pluto or uranus hard aspecting any of critically placed planets because the aggruvation from them to the planet maybe a bit too much esp when something is placed or being aspected in or from angular house especially 10th!

00 and 29 deg behave a bit different i wish astrologers would cover this in more details

at 00 the planet is the strongest or the weakest check with table of dignities. Modern planets have table of dignities but it is not really tested and i would not even touch that subject, traditional planets up to saturn.
Let say .. venus in libra 0 deg - the strongest .. why because she just entered from her fall in virgo it is like breath of fresh air.
Mars in 0 libra is disaster - it is the weakest .. not only mars was peregrine (no dignities of its own in virgo) but now it is all the way on the bottom it is like dragging a kid to school 1st day the one that doesnt wanna go there but has to.

i do get 9 deg critical degree in fixed signs i havent really thought about why the others are placed so oddly.. but here is the explanation.
from 0 to 9.59 deg of decanate of any sign is considered to be the strongest of them all. then it is followed clockwise to the next sign in its element. So when a planet reaches 9 deg it reaches its ripe point then the decline starts.

29 deg is very different

lets take venus again as example

Venus in 29 deg libra - she was all happy upto 15 libra then eehhh entered via combusta got cheery for a coupel of days when aspected Spica royal star 24 libra then went down the hill and reached 29 libra . that si when she enters Scorpio, her opposite. it is like walking on hot coals. she doesnt perform well at all.
quite the opposite is told about other planets like Jupiter
Jupiter in scorpio is peregrine - no power .. it goes through from 0 to 15 thinking do i have do this? *that is when via combusta ends at 15 scorpio* then it goes in preperation mode to enter its own rulership/domain. it reaches to 29 deg scorpio and gets all lit up .. I AM COMING HOME!

I have been looking for someone who has 29 deg taurus Venus placement because there is a vicious fixed star called Pleades is sitting there at that deg. i would loveto hear how venus is expressed at that particular degree.

so you really need to look and see what is a planet leaving and entering. Does it leave power or gain power as it enters ... there is a royal star at 0 deg i forgot which one look it up if you have a minute.. it is a good luck of a planet is in that spot to be ill placed .. royal star conjunction only helps with the softer landing.

Does this help at all?
T

Tikana makes several very important points in the above highly informative posting. In addition to the considerations she has mentioned, I would also look at whether the degree is pitted or elevated, and also the Light quality of the degree (Bright/luminous, mixed/void, dark) These additional considerations should be blended into the mix to make a final determination of the degree's net influence upon the planet (or Lot) posited therein.

Tikana,

First off I would like to thank you for all of your help with this question.
Upon research of critical degrees I found that they are spaced apart by 12 degrees 51 seconds, thus giving the odd spacing you were wondering about.
I am going through all of the information you have provided here and I am seeing in what ways I would apply it to my chart. Thank you once again.

S4L

Dr. Farr,

I am looking into the (Pitted/Elevated) and (Bright/Luminous, Mixed/Void, Dark) influences right now. As always thanks for your help. It is comforting to know that there are people willing to facilitate others learning.

S4L

JerryRR,

Thank you for the suggestions. I did look them up and found some interesting reads.

S4L

an 'orb' is either side . . . . so an orb of 1 degree means 1 degree both 'applying' and 'separating' .
The best way (opinion) for you to 'see' how these 'critical degrees' are operating in your chart is for you to observe 'transits' related to the critical degrees . . . . (that's the 'science part' of astrology) . . . .after a while it will become clear what these 'sensitive places' in your chart are revealing .
Best Regards ,
Ion

I didn't see this linked up above so here is an interesting article.

I have never really looked at critical degrees until I saw this thread. Now, of course I am interested since my already heavily beset sun is sitting smack dab on the critical degree of 13 degrees Capricorn.

The square from Saturn/Jupiter and to the asc just isn't enough of a PIA, nor is the square to the Saturn/Pluto midpoint. Bah!

I forgot the link. Sorry!

http://www.dearbrutus.com/critical_degrees.html

HI

you are quite welcome

I did some digging

if a planet is NOT in critical degree even by 1 second, it is NOT in in critical degree. It has to be in the same degre 00 second to 59 second.
Moderns manage to misquote the ancients.

12 deg 51 is not 13 deg therefore it is NOT critical degree.
We have the same in horary. There was 1 chart long long time 2 planets were involved i cant remeber on top of my head but lets throw some fake degrees. 15 deg 45 faster planet approaching 15 deg 55.. at the degree of GET THIS ... 15 degrees 54 seconds it goes stationary and retrogrades. It never reached 15 deg 55 second. We were going back and forth. everything was there. Answer was NO. I know it is horary but horary is traditional branch of astrology. It uses everything ancients have been using for hundreds of years.

does this help at all?
T

Tikana, that makes a lot of sense to me given that a critical DEGREE isn't going to be comprised of several degrees.

Who made these up and what relevance do they have.. Planetary aspects to each other are what counts...

Claire19,

The aspects are of course very important, but the degree in which the planets reside is also important. It describes the strength of that influence, it is like measuring magnitude. The critical degrees are supposed to have added significance for a specific influence.
It is similar to looking at the exhalation/fall/detriment/ruler. These are all ingredients to the same cake.

Here are a few links:

This a link to an article that will give a brief synopsis of history Critical Degrees
http://www.astrologyhome.com/advanced-astrology-articles/degree-meanings/[/URL]

This article was actually put up today on AW
http://www.astrologyweekly.com/astrology-articles/spiritual-astrology.php

This has some general interpretations of planets in a critical degree
http://www.dearbrutus.com/critical_degrees.html

Tikana,

Very helpful thank you