Moon......Cancer........sextiles.....Taurus
Mercury...Gemini........trines.......Aquarius
Venus.....Taurus........sextiles.....Pisces
Mars......Scorpio.......sextiles.....Capricorn (or Virgo)
Jupiter...Pisces........trines.......Cancer (or sextiles
Capricorn)
Saturn....Aquarius......trines.......Libra
As explained by Ptolemy in the Tetrabiblos, the Moon and the Sun were assigned to the
Rulership of Cancer and Leo because "these are the most Northerly of all the Signs, and
approach nearer than any others to the Zenith of this part of the Earth: the Moon to Cancer
because both are feminine, and the Sun to Leo, because both are masculine." This resulted in
the division of the zodiac into a Solar semi-circle from Leo forward to Capricorn, and a Lunar
Semi-circle from Cancer backward to Aquarius. In order that each planet might rule a Sign in
each semi-circle, whereby it could be configurated with both Sun and Moon, Mercury, which
is never more than one Sign distant from the Sun, was assigned to the rulership of Gemini and
Virgo; Venus, which is never more than two Signs distant, to Taurus and Libra; Mars,
because it is dry in nature, was assigned to two Signs of a similar nature, Aries and Scorpio,
whose square relation to the respective Signs of the luminaries was appropriately discordant;
Jupiter, whose fruitful nature deserved a harmonious relationship in which to operate for
good, was assigned to the two trine Signs Pisces and Sagittarius; leaving Saturn, a cold planet
in an orbit remote from the harmonious, to be assigned to Cancer and Aquarius, and for the
added reason that their "configuration by opposition does not cooperate towards the
production of good." As the basis on which the Exaltations were assigned is equally arbitrary
it is no wonder that Wilson scoffs at and refuses to accept the entire doctrine of Essential
Dignities.
To render matters worse confounded some of the moderns have endeavored to upset the
scheme by assigning to Uranus the rulership of Aquarius, and to Neptune the rulership of
Pisces, and are now in a battle royal as to whether Pluto shall be assigned to Aries or Scorpio.
Looked at from a scientist's viewpoint the entire Doctrine of Dignities appears to be a fortune-
teller's device whereby to find at least some answer to a question concerning a House which
contains no planets, and is thus unable to give positive testimony regarding a question asked.
Wilson seemed to think that Placidus side-stepped the doctrine as one with which he could
not agree, but regarding which he dared not disagree. Marc Edmund Jones says that few
modern practitioners pay much attention to the Essential Dignities and Debilities. v.
Ptolemaic Astrology.