timtoldrum

20 May, 202523 May, 2025

On the Death of a Victorian Prince Part I: Horimæ

Over time keeping a record of the astrological charts I’ve utilised as part of my studies and the delineations made has proven useful. Reviewing these observations is a regular part of my studies and allows me to spot mistakes and accuracies while also refining my understanding of the techniques and principles studied. Some of these are handwritten journals, and others are documents on a thumb drive. Last month¹ I decided to collate these, particularly in terms of chart type (natal, horary, ingresses, etc.) and technique (marriage, revolution, triplicity lords, etc.). Doing so, I came across a chart I had filed as “horimæa” as a part of the study of death, length of life, and the hyleg. I’d entirely forgotten about it.

Birth and death are essential parts of life. If we are born, we will die. Therefore, like birth, death must be present in each nativity. If not, how can the astrologer claim to foresee topics such as marriage, children, career, or prosperity? After all, whereas some may or may not marry or have children, they will die. Death was also the antecedent of several fundamental, predictive techniques still utilised such as primary directions.

There is, therefore, an element of hypocrisy in our refusal to acknowledge that death exists in the horoscope. Of course, the ethics of predicting the length of life and the demise of someone is something else entirely. But it is there.

For this reason, most astrology students will spend some time studying the astrological signatures of death. However, I know several astrologers who prefer not to let it be known they have or continue to study this controversial topic.

The Hyleg and Horimæa

The hyleg, from the Arabic hīlāj, is a common feature in the astrological discussions on the length of life and death. Other names include the apheta, the predominator, the releaser, the control and the prorogator. It is a planet or point, e.g., the ascendant, traditionally seen as the giver of life or the life force itself. Depending on the technique, death was theorized to occur when the hyleg encounters the “killing” planet or point known as the anaereta or absissor.

Horimæa, or horary/hourly times, refers to the one-twelfth of a planet’s diurnal or nocturnal arc. In the context of death in a horoscope, it principally refers to a length of life technique given by Ptolemy in Book III of the Tetrabiblos².

Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein was a maternal grandson of Victoria of England, born on April 14, 1867, at Windsor, England. In her diary, Victoria recorded a birth time of 17:00 GMT. He died of enteric fever (typhoid) on October 29, 1900.

Christian’s birth chart has a Rodden Rating of A³.

Christian Victor’s Hyleg

It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss the methods of identifying the hyleg, which exist in several variations. I reviewed and saved the chart when studying the techniques outlined by Ptolemy (in 2016). For Ptolemy, Christian Victor’s hyleg is the Sun.

After identifying the hyleg, Ptolemy outlines two methods for measuring the length of life via primary directions. The first is when the hyleg is in the eastern quadrant, i.e., between the ascendant and the MC. Here, death occurs through the malefics or their aspects by direction in primary motion (along with a few other directions such as sextiles of long ascension). The benefics can prevent death in some instances.

If, however, the hyleg is found in the western quadrant, that is, between the MC and descendant, we can still use the aforementioned method. However, we are also permitted to direct the hyleg by primary motion to the descendant, i.e. a converse direction. The descendant, here, is the killing point “because it causes the lord of life to vanish”⁴. The aspects of the malefics, here, do not kill but deduct years of life, calculated from their hourly times (horimæa). The two benefics can add years.

Directing the Sun

Christian Victor’s hyleg is in the seventh house (24° Aries) in the western quadrant. We can therefore direct it to the descendant (4° Aries) as instructed by Ptolemy.

Directing the Sun to the descendant is quite simple as it is just the Sun’s semi-arc less the meridian distance. The free, open-source software, Morinus Traditional, gives us all this information: click tables>positions or F1.

We need the right ascension (RA) of both the MC (96° 47′ 43″) and the Sun (22° 28′ 27″) and the Sun’s semi-arc (102° 01′ 12″). I’ve highlighted these in yellow below.

Direction = 102°01’12” – (96°47’43” – 22°28’27”) = 27°41’56” or 27.698 (using a standard scientific calculator).

If you refer to the illustration above, you will see the Sun’s “horizondist” states 27°41’55”.

Using Ptolemy’s key of 1° = 1 year, Morinus (below) tells us that the Sun was directed to the descendant on December 25, 1894.

Adding and Subtracting Years

The second part of Ptolemy’s instructions is more complicated with some differences of opinion. Dr. Martin Gansten’s Primary Directions⁵ greatly aided my understanding.

According to Ptolemy, as the Sun is directed to the descendant, the aspects it reaches will either add to (benefic) or subtract from (malefics) the direction. Mercury is considered benefic or malefic depending on its position, e.g., if its closest aspect was with Mars, it is considered malefic; conjunct Jupiter, a benefic.

The years are calculated in hourly times. For example, if a planet spends 13 hours above the horizon, its diurnal hourly time is 13/12 = 1 hour 5 minutes. It will spend 11 hours beneath the horizon, so its nocturnal hourly time is 11/12 = 55 minutes. We convert this to right ascension (4 minutes = 1° of RA) and give the value on the proportion of arc still to traverse (diurnal if above the horizon; nocturnal if below). If Venus has completed 75% of its arc, she adds 25%; however, we would deduct 25% if it were Saturn.

Once directed, Christian Victor’s Sun will not reach either the body or ray of another planet. It is, however, applying to a whole sign square with Mars and sextile to Jupiter. Although the former will perfect by degree, the latter suffers a form of refranation as Jupiter entered Taurus at 21:48. My reading of Ptolemy would discount both aspects, but a knowledgeable friend disagreed.

To calculate how many years Mars would deduct and Jupiter add, we need their diurnal and nocturnal arcs, respectively. For this, the local rise and set times are required. Neither Delphic Oracle nor Morinus gives us these, but Janus does:

Planet	Rise	MC	Set	IC
Mars	10:11:53	18:22:12	02:36:26	06:24:10
Jupiter	03:47:41	08:43:40	13:39:38	20:41:42

Proportionate to their arc, Mars will deduct 10.865, and Jupiter will add 15.741.

Christian Victor’s Length of Life by Horimæa:

Direction = 102°01’12” – (96°47’43” – 22°28’27”) = 27°41’56” or 27.698 + 15.741 – 10.865 = 32.574.

Christian Victor was 33 when he died in 1900. His birth time of 17:00 GMT comes from Queen Victoria’s diaries (according to Astro.com). It is quite common for birth times to be rounded. For this reason, most astrologers would employ methods of rectification to ascertain a true birth time. Without an accurate birth time, a birth chart is useless. It can tell us nothing.

Interestingly, if Christian Victor was born 16:58:

Direction = 102°01’09” -(96°17’38” – 22°28’22”) = 28°11’53” or 28.198 + 15.741 – 10.865 = 33.074.

Conclusion

When I first examined Christian Victor’s birth chart, it was part of reviewing Ptolemey’s length of life system. Examples of horimæa are rare, and the technique does not appear to have been widely disseminated amongst Ptolemy’s successors. Does it work? Sometimes. Whether utilizing the methods of Ptolemy or any other astrologer, the hyleg method alone is not foolproof. It must be considered alongside other testimonies and techniques.

For that reason, we will look at Christian Victor’s chart in more detail in the next post and the critical role of time-lords.

This article was written for my old blog in 2024 ↩︎
Ptolemaeus, C. and Robbins, F.E. (2001) Tetrabiblos. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press. Book III.10. You can read it free here ↩︎
Astro-Databank (2017) ‘prince of schleswig-holstein christian victor, Horoscope for birth date 14 April 1867, born in Windsor, with Astrodatabank Biography’, Astro. Available at: https://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Christian_Victor,_Prince_of_Schleswig-Holstein (Accessed: 20 January 2024). ↩︎
Ptolemaeus, C. and Robbins, F.E. (2001) Tetrabiblos. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press. Page 281 ↩︎
Gansten, M. (2009) Primary directions: Astrology’s Old Master Technique. Bournemouth, Eng.: Wessex Astrologer. ↩︎

27 September, 202327 June, 2026

Review: The Dreaming Way Lenormand

The Dreaming Way Lenormand was a birthday present with the La Santa Muerte Lenormand. Unlike the latter, The Dreaming Way Lenormand was published several years ago. Although I had seen some images, it’s not a deck that caught my attention.

The 36 cards—there are no extra cards—come in a small but sturdy lift-off box and include a clear but concise book written by Lynn Araujo.

Kwon Shina’s artwork is deceptively simple, quaint, and almost mischievous. The colour palette is soft pastels. The backgrounds are beautiful, with some lovely embellishments or textures. As the cards are borderless, this also adds a homogeneous touch. There are no playing card inserts, but a suit symbol and rank are shown next to the titles. I’ve never seen much point in such notations.

Most of the traditional symbols are reinterpreted in a whimsical, dream-like fashion. Several cards show people, such as the Snake and the Dog. My favorite cards are the Birds, the Book, and the Fox. The Hound/Dog, the Ring, and the Clouds are my least liked.

Kwon Shina seems to have tried to preserve some of the cards’ traditional directional features but with a surreal twist. Whereas we often see a pall or wreath on the Coffin card, we see a half-open sardine can here. How successful Kwon Shina was will be dependent upon the reader. But I do like the Birds and the Book.

Lynn Araujo’s book is concise and relatively standard and echoes the German literature more than the French. It was helpful to understand some artistic choices, such as why a woman is on the Fox card. There are a couple of short readings, but the full board/die große tafel is absent.

As is my practice, I asked the deck to introduce itself via a cut. The cards’ response was the Stars and the Sun. And there is a clarity and warmth to the cards. Despite my misgivings, it’s an accessible deck to read, and I have used it several times. But I cannot say it is (or ever see it being) a first choice for a reading.

The Dream Way Lenormand, illustrated by Kwon Shina with a guidebook by Lynn Araujo, is published by US Games Systems, Inc.

13 September, 202327 June, 2026

Review: La Santa Muerte Lenormand

When the Lenormand Oracle entered my life over three decades ago, packs were far from scarce. But there was little variety. The cards of Piatnik and Carta Mundi were the two most prevalent patterns. When the AG Müller cards were sold, it was often the version with German or French lyrics.

Things have changed over the last decade. For me, the (often independent) publications of historical decks have been the particular focus. In particular, the Wanderwust Lenormand—a creative remix of the C.L. Wüst pack —has become a firm favourite. The early diet of Carta Mundi or Piatnik seems to cast long shadows, so I haven’t much explored the themed offerings.

La Santa Muerte Lenormand is a themed deck combining the traditional 36 pictures with Our Lady of the Holy Death. It was one of two Lenormand Oracle birthday gifts I found waiting for me. Not being involved in the cult of Santa Muerte or a deck collector, I was unaware of its publication but recognised the artist from the popular Rana George Lenormand.

The cards come in a sturdy, beautiful scull-themed box and number 38. There are two Lord and Lady cards. Inside, the cards sit in a small well. When the book is placed over the cards and the box shut, the two “eye-sockets” offer a glimpse of the book’s cover.

Callie L. French’s artwork is superb, with beautiful, rich, deep colors. My favorite cards are the Key, the Park, the Owls, the Moon, and the Fishes; the Ring, the Rider, and the Letter cards are my least liked. Full playing card inserts are in the lower right corner, with the cards’ titles in Spanish. I would have liked the cards completely borderless, but the Spanish titles seem appropriate. The cardstock is excellent, and the deck shuffles smoothly.

Dan M. Pelletier writes the small companion book, and it is a serviceable introduction from the Lenormand perspective. Mr. Pelletier attributes much to an Eastern European school of thought. There are no references or sources, but you can see the influence of several uncredited authors. The book also demonstrates the care and attention to detail in the art, from candle colors to Mexican culture.

Mr. Pelletier states it is not the object of the guidebook to introduce the reader to the cult of La Santa Muerte. He assumes the reader is or soon will be.

It has become my practice with new decks to seek a small introduction. After a good shuffle, I cut the deck into two piles and the La Santa Muerte Lenormand introduced itself with the Key and Lilies—a promising but pertinent opener.

Since receiving the cards, they have sat beside my journal and Carène fountain pen. I find they lend themselves for late evening and night-time deals. Although not a follower of the cult of Santa Muerte, the cards will open their wisdom if approached with respect as the cut shows.

La Santa Muerte Lenormand by Dan M. Pelletier and illustrated by Callie L. French is published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd.