One observance that the keen witted will have already pondered is that whilst we can identify and lend advocacy to a point that measures highest in a nativity, there may also be one or more points which are especially weak. It is not inevitable that a point of especial debility exists, but usually it is so. A nativity wherein all points are more or less equally fortified by dignity is as rare as it is blessed.
Another consideration is that of superpowers, which I would consider to be an especially high-scoring placement. As an example, Albert Einstein had an especially dignified Jupiter, which gives benefits for his placement in Aquarius, a Cancer Ascendant, for being within his correct mansion, for a speed in excess of 10 minutes daily travel, being in a masculine sign, for being dignified in the 9th house and for his position in the middle segment of the 9th house. Almost all conditions give considerable strength to Jupiter such that the accrued benefit is considerably large.
In the scoring system that I use, Einstein’s Jupiter accrues 34 points.
Any planet that scores 30 or above is in the superpower zone. This can easily become the standout feature of a life because that energy is so very accessible to the soul. This seems to be especially the case where only one power truly dominates. A dominant planet, especially one that scores 30 or more in the birth map will set the tone for the life experience. Of course, it is true to say that the birth map in its entirety sets the tones for the life course, and therefore it is self-evident that a planet so dominant will have an especial imprint upon the journey to come. But it is also important to remember that life is a journey. We might set out on that journey with all the accoutrements of comfort, a retinue of retainers and a rich caravan of goods but be set upon by robbers once we have passed into the foothills. Eventually we arrive at some distant city a ragged beggar. Conversely, we might set out as a humble pilgrim and gather good companions on the way and arrive in the city in rich company. Even so, we set out in a certain manner, with a certain objective and various expectations. A planet scoring in the superpower zone will have a great deal to say about those expectations. In Einstein’s case, his Jupiter (34) set the tone of inquiry and expanding perspectives for the remainder of his days, even though Jupiter, by dint of the influence of progression, did not stay this strong throughout his life.
When I ask people which planet in Einstein’s chart they consider might be strongest, very few answer with Jupiter! They assume – and it is easy to understand why – that the answer ought to be Mercury, or Uranus, sometimes even Saturn, but rarely do people answer Jupiter. The point to apprehend here is that Uranus is important – he is at the apex of a Yod from a strong (19 point) Mercury sextile a strong (15 point) Orcus, implacability, obsessions and fixity of purpose in communicating revolutionary ideas – but underlying this is an enormous drive to expand the mind, to improve the philosophical view of the universe. That is Jupiter! The point here is that Jupiter sets the tone for the soul right at the outset. And Jupiter must still obey the filter of his sign, he is ruled by Uranus after all, so the drive is to see the ‘big picture’ but in a scientific vein.
But what of those planets which score weakly? Naturally enough they can have a profound influence on the life direction also.
In my view, the scores can be most easily understood as a desire or need. If you are born therefore with a Moon scoring 30 points or more, then you have an overwhelming need for lunar energy in your life. Depending on the tenor of the chart and the way that your needs are expressed, that can have various effects. Fundamentally, you desire security. You also have a strong need for belonging, for family, for home, for safety, for things to be as they were in the past. Anything that represents the echo of early life imprinting is the panacea for that inner wanting represented by the planet in question.
Conversely, any planet with a profoundly low score (5 or below) represents an energy that you really don’t much care for. Whilst in some ways this might be good, it can also leave one with a blind spot. People with a low Saturn score aren’t much interested in responsibilities, and in many ways that frees them from many of the onerous duties and cares of life, duties and cares which people with higher scoring Saturn’s seem to just accept without too much of a fight. By the same token though, a low-scoring Saturn seems to also signify a life arc where not too much attention is paid to building for the future. It is not fair to say that the person with low-Saturn is responsibility-avoidant; they appear to have a blind spot where Saturn is concerned. They do not so much avoid the responsibilities of life so much as they seem to simply not notice them.
It is the same with all of the planets. A person with a low-Moon still needs care, nurturing and a home. They just don’t prioritise such matters in the same way that a person with high-Moon does.
If you are interested in using the calculator app which I have made for the purpose of measuring planetary strength then please sign up as a Patron and you can calculate your superpowers and kryptonite to your heart’s content. It’s also useful for scoring returns and progressions, to see how your chart rulers change over time.
In the next article, we will look at some other important factors, such as ‘power-balancing’ and peregrination and how these affect the life direction and experience.
