Sect

What is sect? Sect is a sort of planetary dignity based on the notions of “diurnal” and “nocturnal”. We have diurnal charts, meaning the birth took place during daytime (the Sun is placed above the horizon, in houses 12^th, 11^th , 10^th ….7^th) and nocturnal charts, meaning the birth took place during nighttime (the Sun is placed below the horizon, in houses 1^st, 2^nd, 3rd ….6^th). In diurnal charts the Sun is called the luminary of sect and in nocturnal charts the luminary of sect is the Moon. In traditional astrology the Sun and the Moon were awarded equal power and whether you were born during the day or at night, your affinity lies with the corresponding Light.

Planets are by nature diurnal or nocturnal as well. The Sun, Jupiter and Saturn are diurnal while Mars, Venus and the Moon are nocturnal. Mercury is neither diurnal nor nocturnal. Some authorities say that Mercury is diurnal when oriental (rising ahead of the Sun) and nocturnal when occidental (setting after the Sun). Notice that Saturn, the planet of darkness is thought to be a diurnal planet, while Mars, a fiery planet, is thought to be nocturnal. This is so, because it was believed that Mars and Saturn (the natural malefics) when found in the opposite sect of their nature, lose some of their malefic qualities.

Planets are also diurnally or nocturnally placed. A planet is diurnally placed when it is situated on the same side of the Sun (where the light is) and nocturnally placed when it is situated on the opposite side of the Sun.

Finally, the signs themselves are either diurnal or nocturnal. The masculine signs are diurnal (Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius) and the feminine signs (Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces) are nocturnal.

If a planet has all of the above (e.g. a diurnal planet in a diurnal chart, diurnally placed in a diurnal sign) is said to be in hayz (completely in sect) and the planet is strengthened a lot. But what sort of strength, what sort of dignity?

As I see it, sect is a sort of accidental dignity. An essentially debilitated planet (Mars in Libra, for example) doesn’t gain in quality (essential dignity) when in sect, but it gains in accidental dignity, that is it has more power to act. A planet in a cadent house, for example, if in hayz, gets back some of the accidental dignity that it lost by being cadent. It becomes more powerful, but not better.

Let’s take Amy Winehouse’s Moon, for example (you can find the chart in the post below). We have a nocturnal chart (Sun below the horizon), the Moon is a nocturnal planet by nature, it is nocturnally placed (on the opposite side of the Sun) in a nocturnal sign. It is, therefore, completely in sect, in hayz and becomes accidentally dignified, even though it’s in the 8^th house, a debilitated placement. Capricorn, however, is the sign of the Moon’s detriment, so what do we end up with? We have a powerful planet prone to bad behaviour. Had it not been in sect, it wouldn’t have had much power and its effects on Amy’s personality would have been less obvious.

Sect can also be used to explain why planets seem to behave quite well despite their severe accidental debility. Roger Federer and Madonna for example have 12^th house Suns in Leo. Their Suns are essentially dignified by being in Leo, the sign the Sun rules, but apparently have no power to act, by being in the 12^th house. These Suns, however, are in hayz and this could decrease their accidental debility.