William-Lilly-and-his-Method-of-Primary-Directions-Rumen-Kolev.pdf

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WILLIAM LILLY AND HIS METHOD OF PRIMARY DIRECTIONS by Rumen Kolev, winter of 1998 A detailed research into the primary directions of William Lilly as given in his 'Christian Astrology', 1647, 'Regulus Publishing Co.', 1985. Pages 487-831. Published in March 1998 in the journal 'The Primary Directions' and in the Feb. 99 issue of the USA journal 'Considerations'.

The title page of Andreas Argolus' 'TABULAE PRIMI MOBILIS' published in Rome in 1610. William Lilly most probably used the tables from this book for his calculations of primaries.

WILLIAM LILLY AND HIS METHOD OF PRIMARY DIRECTIONS by Rumen Kolev The predictive methods of William Lilly can be found in his book, 'Christian Astrology', published in 1647. For the research made here, I used the edition of 'Regulus Publishing Co.' from 1985. Pages 487-831 deal exclusively with predictive techniques. All calculations and recalculations of primary directions and variables in this article are made with the computer program 'Placidus'. Lilly opens chapter 98 in his 'Christian Astrology' with an example chart (p.500). Pointing at the importance of a rectification for the 'judgement', he describes three ways to rectify a horoscope (p.502-519): Trutina Hermetis, Animodar and Accidentia Nati. Up to page 506 Lilly explains the first two methods. His conclusion ( p.506, bottom lines) is clear cut, '...neither the Trutine of Hermes, or this (Animodar), are of so sure foundation, as that Correction which is performed by Accidents (Accidentia Nati or rectification by past events with primary directions).'

6z 3z 37x

William Lilly's Example Chart 19 September, 1616 ( Julian ), 2:24:30 PM, Geo. Lat. 53z N

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5z 1z 00x 44x

0z 21z

55x

44x R

1z

RAMC = 222z 10x, MC = 14z 39x I, ASC= 6z 37x P RAMC = Right Ascension of MC.

02x 9z FIGURE 1

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M WILLIAM

LILLY M

Recalculated with computer 29 September, 1616 ( Gregorian) UT = 2:14:05 PM, Geo. Lat. 53z N

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1z 35x

RAMC = 222z 10x, MC = 14z 39x I, ASC= 6z 41x P

FIGURE 2

William Lilly's Example Chart Long. Lat. RA Dec

TABLE 1

Recalculated with computer Long. Lat. RA

A06z 37xu0z 0x 186z 04x 02z 38xS A 06z 43xu0z 0x S 01z 44xE5z 0xN 058z 30x 25z 38xN S 01z 37xE 5z 11xN D 03z 34xu1z 32xS 182z 40x 02z 49xS D 05z 06xu1z 21xN F 06z 54xu1z 0xS 186z 43x 01z 50xS F 07z 58xu1z 16xN G 00z 54xT0z 28xN 123z 14x 20z 32xN G 00z 44xT 1z 05xN H 21z 55xO0z 37xS 261z 11x 23z 52xS H 21z 51xO 0z 05xN J 09z 02xW2z 58xS 037z 36x 11z 42xNJ 09z 00xW2z 40xS

186z 10x 058z 20x 185z 12x 187z 49x 123z 13x 261z 08x 037z 29x

Dec 02z 40xS 25z 36xN 00z 47xS 01z 59xS 21z 05xN 23z 09xS 12z 00xN

I reconstructed the horoscope by adjusting the right ascension of the MC. From the data above , it becomes clear that D and F are the planets seriously deviating from their positions in the computer recalculation. To a lesser extent, this is the case also with G and H. The positions of J, the S and the A are fairly exact. The S in the charts on pages 500 and 742 is in 1z 14x E. However, this must be a typographical error since on pages 512 and 774 the correct position of the S is given as 1z 44x E.

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In the beginning of page 507 (chapter 100), Lilly mentions that some astrologers use transits or profections for rectification purposes and gently sweeps these aside as ineffective and dubious, '...as I could never find any verity or probability in either of those two wayes in my practice, so do I leave them to any who are desirous to practice them...' His kindness goes even further and he directs the 'desirous' to treatises by Origanus, John Schonar and Pezelius where these ways of rectification are explained. Done with that, Lilly swiftly and industriously turns himself to elucidate the method of rectification, which he holds for best, namely- through eminent past events and their correlation with primary directions (Accidentia Nati). On page 508 he writes: '...by (primary) direction (of the Asc., MC, the A, S and