Meridian & Horizon: I vs. Thou, or what....?
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 10:04 am
I want to renew an inquiry and ask all of you to look in your natal chart collections and offer your views. I will state the question and my views in this first post, then do a planet-by-planet breakdown in the next ten posts, and invite your response to any of them.
Moon viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45323
Sun viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45324
Mercury viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45325
Venus viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45326
Mars viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45327
Jupiter viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45328
Saturn viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45329
Uranus viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45330
Neptune viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45331
Pluto viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45332
The original reason for this thread (when I thought of it waking up this morning) is that I'm still chasing the question of why the prime vertical seems to behave differently than the horizon and meridian. I wrote at considerable length on that here: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5508#p40512
But the other reason for this thread is to dig into something more of you may find interesting and sink your teeth into: Is there an interpretive difference between the varying angles? I'd be quite satisfied to come away with a clear sense of whether really there's an interpretive difference between the Meridian (M) and Horizon (H). - I've long acted as though there is a big difference but, really, is that malarky?
Some opening thoughts:
Finally, in looking at the German distinctions of these axes in terms of introversion and extroversion specifically as used in Jung's typologies (more or less as they've been extended in Myers-Briggs). This I vs. E distinction will be confusing to most people who haven't looked and thought deeply through Jung's original work (or the M-B later discussions). This has nothing (very little) to do with whether one "is an extrovert" or "is an introvert" in the casual, popular sense. The introversion or extraversion is of the examined psychological function, which doesn't per se "make a person an introvert" etc. Introversion of a function means that it is applied to the perception or judgment of the subject, which is more or less oneself, while the extraversion of a function means that it is applied to the perception or judgement of the object, meaning more or less what one experiences (on which one places attention) outside of oneself.
For example, if the Thinking function is introverted, one is more focused on one's own thoughts and their organization, while an extraverted Thinking function is reasoning and organizing facts, i.e., the information about one in the world. An extraverted Sensation function is perceiving through the physical senses that are especially focused on what they can sense, observe, handle, etc. outside of oneself - "real world" oriented - while an introverted Sensation function is equally concerned with physical sensory data but mostly finds it within oneself in, say, the form of memory.
These exact details aren't important to the current conversation but, if you're interested, are reasonably summarized from Jung's writings here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungian_c ... _functions
For the current thread, I'm more interested in communicating what it means for a psychological function to be extraverted or introverted in Jung's thinking, because - if the German descriptions of the angles are correct - Meridian would seem to be connected to what Jung called the subject and Horizon to what he called the object. That is (if the above theories of the angles have merit), a planet on the Meridian would be expected to express strongly especially in terms of an introverted expression of the planet's function, while a planet on the horizon would be expected to show as an extraverted expression of the planet's function. (Remember: These are NOT the casual meanings of the I & E words.) This would lead to thinking through what introverted vs. extraverted expression of the different planetary functions means.
Here, then, is what I will do in the next 10 posts. I will give the Meridian (M) vs. Horizon (H) root interpretations from Ebertin; may make observations about whether this fits an introverted or extraverted expression of the planet's root psychological function; and then will tap my recent observations (caveat: on small amounts of data) from the planet angularity project threads, where there did seem to be angle distinctions. BTW, the most obvious differences (going from memory) was a greater strength or ownership at the positive end of each axis, and lesser at the negative end, which could be either a strength matter or from each end having an interpretation difference. After lining up this raw information, perhaps we'll be in a place to knock it around a bit? - Please join in.
Moon viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45323
Sun viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45324
Mercury viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45325
Venus viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45326
Mars viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45327
Jupiter viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45328
Saturn viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45329
Uranus viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45330
Neptune viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45331
Pluto viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6115#p45332
The original reason for this thread (when I thought of it waking up this morning) is that I'm still chasing the question of why the prime vertical seems to behave differently than the horizon and meridian. I wrote at considerable length on that here: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5508#p40512
But the other reason for this thread is to dig into something more of you may find interesting and sink your teeth into: Is there an interpretive difference between the varying angles? I'd be quite satisfied to come away with a clear sense of whether really there's an interpretive difference between the Meridian (M) and Horizon (H). - I've long acted as though there is a big difference but, really, is that malarky?
Some opening thoughts:
- The simplest interpretation of the angles' behavior is that there is no interpretive distinction between them, that they all (more or less equally) simply amplify the strength or expressiveness (I won't haggle that word at the moment) of a planet.
- I am completely persuaded that this is the primary behavior, but it may not be the exclusive behavior. For example, I've historically thought and said things like, "The main thing is that the planet is angular, period. Within that, you often can find other distinctions depending on which angle is involved, but don't get overly hung up on that." (For example, don't assume that planets on a lunar return Dsc is always going to be about a relationship, but don't be surprised if it is.)
- In solar and lunar ingresses, there seems no distinction at all. Mars is most often on angles of ingresses and quotidians for fires and Saturn for earthquakes, but the distribution across the different angles is pretty equal. There seems no difference.
- In natal charts, I've often thought that the distinctions are more obvious when more than one planet is foreground and they interact. For example, I only have one planet foreground - Moon on Descendant - so Moon has to serve "all my foreground needs," i.e., show a strong lunar expression in all the areas of my life. I can't treat it just as expressing Descendant themes. However, in people with oppositions across the horizon, after acknowledging that all the foreground planets are ultimately descriptive of them and their character, there does seem to be a "self vs. others" distinction of the different planets. Or a planet on IC aspecting a planet on Asc often will have (more than usual) a clear description of how parent relationships or conditions in the formative environment (IC) impact and shape one's character and self-view (Asc). - Possibly I've been fooling myself, but it does seem that effects are more common in these cases when I can get sufficient details.
- In summary, some phenomena and examples suggest that there is no interpretive distinction between the angles at all, while other phenomena and examples suggest that there is an interpretive distinction. Thus, for this thread, I re-enter agnosticism on the question.
- Alfred Witte described Midheaven (Meridian) as: "The soul of the native per se, the so-called 'Ego,' therefore the most important point in the horoscope. The 'I,' the Spiritual. Intellectual and social impressions."
- Witte described Ascendant (Horizon) as: "Acquaintances. Connections with surroundings. The place."
- Reinhold Ebertin updated and simplified Midheaven (Meridian) to: "Ego-consciousness and spiritual awareness." In support notes, he wrote, "The individualized man. The aim of life... Ego-consciousness, the function of the brain proper... The individual."
- Ebertin updated and simplified Asc (Horizon) as: "The Personality. (Environment.)" However, in practice this often explicitly included relationship. Under Sociological Correspondence, he wrote, "The Ego in relationship with other people, particularly with persons of the environment."
- I notice that there is a strong similarity (not exact match) to how I consider Sun (cf. Meridian) and Moon (cf. Horizon). This is even more intriguing given centuries-old symbolism that a vertical line is masculine and a horizontal line feminine. (That's ultimately sexist, since it ultimately says that in sex a man's job is to "stand upright," and a woman's job is to "get horizontal;" but it's still noteworthy as a long-standing metaphor.) I have tried, on and off for decades, to interpret planets on Meridian as more solar and those on Horizon as more lunar, but it usually hasn't been persuasive to me.
Finally, in looking at the German distinctions of these axes in terms of introversion and extroversion specifically as used in Jung's typologies (more or less as they've been extended in Myers-Briggs). This I vs. E distinction will be confusing to most people who haven't looked and thought deeply through Jung's original work (or the M-B later discussions). This has nothing (very little) to do with whether one "is an extrovert" or "is an introvert" in the casual, popular sense. The introversion or extraversion is of the examined psychological function, which doesn't per se "make a person an introvert" etc. Introversion of a function means that it is applied to the perception or judgment of the subject, which is more or less oneself, while the extraversion of a function means that it is applied to the perception or judgement of the object, meaning more or less what one experiences (on which one places attention) outside of oneself.
For example, if the Thinking function is introverted, one is more focused on one's own thoughts and their organization, while an extraverted Thinking function is reasoning and organizing facts, i.e., the information about one in the world. An extraverted Sensation function is perceiving through the physical senses that are especially focused on what they can sense, observe, handle, etc. outside of oneself - "real world" oriented - while an introverted Sensation function is equally concerned with physical sensory data but mostly finds it within oneself in, say, the form of memory.
These exact details aren't important to the current conversation but, if you're interested, are reasonably summarized from Jung's writings here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungian_c ... _functions
For the current thread, I'm more interested in communicating what it means for a psychological function to be extraverted or introverted in Jung's thinking, because - if the German descriptions of the angles are correct - Meridian would seem to be connected to what Jung called the subject and Horizon to what he called the object. That is (if the above theories of the angles have merit), a planet on the Meridian would be expected to express strongly especially in terms of an introverted expression of the planet's function, while a planet on the horizon would be expected to show as an extraverted expression of the planet's function. (Remember: These are NOT the casual meanings of the I & E words.) This would lead to thinking through what introverted vs. extraverted expression of the different planetary functions means.
Here, then, is what I will do in the next 10 posts. I will give the Meridian (M) vs. Horizon (H) root interpretations from Ebertin; may make observations about whether this fits an introverted or extraverted expression of the planet's root psychological function; and then will tap my recent observations (caveat: on small amounts of data) from the planet angularity project threads, where there did seem to be angle distinctions. BTW, the most obvious differences (going from memory) was a greater strength or ownership at the positive end of each axis, and lesser at the negative end, which could be either a strength matter or from each end having an interpretation difference. After lining up this raw information, perhaps we'll be in a place to knock it around a bit? - Please join in.