Here is an challenge for both u and David, one I haven't quite worked out in my head.
There is perhaps 3 houses with a reputation for the occult, 8th, 12th, and surprisingly the 9th. There is one individual on this board I respect, with, I daresay astrological power coming from 9th placements. I don't know the rest of his chart.
Based on what we started above (some of difference between 8th and 12th talents).
What do you guys think are the core differentiators in astrological talent, between talent from 8th placements, 12th placements and 9th placements? What does each contribute and how are they different?
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Probably should've tackled this on the night you asked about it since I'm not really in the head space to express my thoughts in a way that I'd find satisfying.
Whether or not these houses give astrological talent is one thing, but if they contribute to the skill I'd say it's because in the case of the 8th house you are dealing with the crises brought about by psychological pain and torment.
Traditionally speaking, the 8th house was simply a house of fear and mental anguish, alongside death. What modern theory has added to the table is much more elaboration on the "mental anguish" theme, since most modern day astrology is influenced by psychology. If something was successfully updated in the astrology sphere, it might be the understanding of the 8th house.
It's not much of a secret that many persons who come to astrology come in a time of crises, trying to find some meaning or bearing on what is going on in their life. A lot of people end up staying after the crises has subsided as they found that astrology has successfully explained and contextualized the challenges in their lives, and provides deeper reasons for the seemingly tragic things happening in their life. The talent that an 8th house individual could provide is along the lines of a "midwife of the soul" or to be less dramatic, good counselling skills. The ability to get into the psychological nitty-gritty, and to "bond" might be invaluable skills - especially if they focus on the evolutionary, modern day stuff.
The 9th house is traditionally the house of divination, "God", higher learning and the law. If this house gives astrological talent, it might be as a result of increased interest and ability to plunge into the philosophical underpinnings of the art, as well as a higher than average ability to grasped the laws governing theory and practice. An interest in the history and development of astrological ideas over the subject's lifespan might be present, as this is a house that gears one toward study. Divination is also naturally signified in this house and an attraction to anything oracular is possible - of which astrology is one such example.
The 12th house is also a house of great mental anguish - it shares that with the 8th house. Though this house also goes one step further and states that it is a house of the mental afflicted and disordered. It's also a house of great trials and tribulations, and governs such things as isolation and being "outcast" from society. It's traditionally a house of magic and that may partly have to do with the fact that magic was always seen as a fringe undertaking; even those societies that exalted the shaman had a healthy distance (reverence) for the figure - but he was an outcast all the same. Many spiritual leaders were noted to have left behind society and to go into deep isolation prior to some great enlightenment and downloading of spiritual knowledge - Mohammad and Gautama are popular examples. (there's a discussion of it in Aleister Crowley's book 4 under "preliminary remarks"
Book 4). The 12th house is also a house of sleeping and dreaming and I've encountered from a veteran magician that those who practice magic (real magic) need more sleep than the average since a lot of work is done when the conscious mind is shut off and the deeper parts of your being are allowed to work unfettered. If the 12th house gives astrological ability it will probably do so because the practitioner is able to connect to the "beyond" and to have a direct relationship with the archetypal/planetary energy in such a way that you can do more justice to communicating what they are trying to convey. The 12th houser will also be more likely to isolate themselves where they can get into a space where the "divine energies" are better able to contact and to meld into the consciousness of the astrologer.
The Chaldean order of the planets attributed to the houses also gives some insight to the different ways that these house can manifest - 8th and Saturn (Pain, school of hard knocks, well earned wisdom, traditionally occult and hidden things), 9th and Jupiter (Learning, law, higher knowledge, faith, spirituality), 12th and Venus (weird right? But I see Venus as "love" and a lot of spiritual knowledge is communicated through direct contact and "divine attraction" - Gnosticism)
That's what I got so at the moment.
Uh-oh.