Fagan was a strong advocate of precise data and accurate calculation, and he
criticized use of speculative charts and unjustified rectification of birth times. These
contributions were eclipsed, however, by his advocacy of siderealism. Following
Fagan’s and his principal supporters’ death in the 1970s, the sidereal zodiac faded from
the scene. The fixed zodiac has only recently returned to prominence, in the works of
Hindu astrologers.Sources:
Fagan, Cyril. Fixed Zodiac Ephemeris for 1948.Washington, DC: National Astrology Library, 1948.
———. Zodiacs Old and New.2d ed. Los Angeles: Llewellyn Publications, 1951.
Fagan, Cyril, and R. C. Firebrace. A Primer of the Sidereal Zodiac.London: R. C. Firebrace, 1961.
Holden, James H., and Robert A. Hughes. Astrological Pioneers of America.Tempe, AZ: Ameri-
can Federation of Astrologers, 1988.FALL
The term fall is part of a traditional way of classifying certain sign placements of plan-
ets. A planet is said to be in its dignity when it is in the sign it rules (e.g., Mars in Aries,
the Sun in Leo). There are also certain placements said to be especially favorable for a
planet that are traditionally termed exaltations (to continue with the same examples,
Mars in Capricorn, the Sun in Aries). When a planet is placed in the sign opposite its
dignity, it is said to be in its detriment (Mars in Libra, the Sun in Aquarius). A planet is
in its fall when it is placed in the sign opposite the sign of its exaltation (Mars in Can-
cer, the Sun in Libra). For example, because the Moon is exalted in Taurus, it is in its
fall when placed in the sign Scorpio; as the name implies, this is regarded as an unfortu-
nate placement. A planet in its fall is traditionally regarded as being out of harmony
with the sign and consequently weakened (in a position of debility).
For the most part, contemporary astrological research has tended to disconfirm
that a planet in its traditional fall is weakened. However, it is sometimes the case that
planets in fall have unfortunate effects. In the example cited, the Moon, as the planet
of receptivity and sensitivity, is not well placed (especially in a natal chart) in Scor-
pio, a sign noted for possessiveness, obsessiveness, and intense emotions. There are,
nevertheless, certain obvious problems with this tradition. The Sun, for example, is
exalted in Aries, the sign opposite Libra. This means that the one person out of 12 in
the world born with a Libra sun sign has her or his sun in its fall. This particular place-
ment of the Sun, however, is not normally regarded as being unfortunate, making the
traditional ascription appear inapplicable, at least in this case. Generally, all the tradi-
tional falls should be taken with a grain of salt when found in a natal chart.
The situation is different in horary astrology, where the classical dignities and
falls have a definite bearing on the question being asked. In Vedic astrology, a planet
that is placed in the sign of its fall is regarded as being unfavorably placed and weak by
virtue of this placement. In fact, in contrast to Western astrology, Vedic astrology has
elaborate systems for determining the strength of a planet, even assigning numerical
values and ranking the strengths of the traditional planets. Sign placement is only one
factor in this system, so that, in the final analysis, even a “fallen” planet may end up
being a strong planet in the chart.Fall
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