DIGNITIES AND DEBILITIES

AS COLLECTED FROM A
VA R I E T Y O F S O U RC E S
C O M P I L E D

B Y

R O B E R T

H A N D

Introductory Comments
The following is an attempt to collect and organize scoring and weighting
systems for both accidental and essential dignities from a variety of sources.
While most authorities seem to agree concerning the essential dignities (namely,
that planets in domicile get 5 points, in exaltation get 4, triplicity 3, bound or
term 2, and face 1), there was a wide variety of systems for scoring the
accidental dignities and debilities. What may surprise some readers is the
complexity of these systems and detail into which they go. Readers familiar with

Jyotish will also discover that in the Western tradition, contrary to widespread
belief, there is a system corresponding to Shad Bala, the system use in Hindu
astrology to measure a planet's strength.
However, I believe a caution is in order. Both Shad Bala and the system described
here suffer from the same basic fault, a tendency to combine apples and oranges.
We do not find any weighting system at all in the oldest surviving Greek texts. So
far in the Arabic Era texts we have found only systems for weighting the
essential dignities but none for the accidental dignities. This is also true in Hindu
astrology. What scholars believe to be the oldest Hindu texts discuss each of the
Balas as being a different kind of strength with a different facet of the planet's
energy being strengthened or weakened. The same appears to be true of the
Greek and Arabic Era texts.

The basic problem is that astrology has never explicitly (in written works at least)
set forth the principles that make up each planetary energy that can be
strengthened or weakened by placement in a sign or because of a planet's
placement with respect to the houses or other planets. The nearest thing to this
is to be found in Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos where he discusses the planetary virtues
with respect to Hot, Cold, Wet, and Dry. Otherwise we do not really know what
it means when we say that a planet is strong or weak. Is the strength that Saturn
gets by being conjunct the Ascendant the same kind of strength that it gets by
being in Capricorn, Aquarius, or Libra? I think that most would agree that these
are not the same kind of strengths, but I also think that few of us could pin down
exactly what the differences are.
Therefore, I offer the following with the strong recommendation that what I
have said be taken into consideration as the reader studies the systems
presented here.
Dignities and Debilities Weighting Systems from Various Sources
Essential Dignities
Type

Weight

Notes

Domicile

Exaltation

Triplicity

Terms

Face

Mutual Reception by
Domicile

Mutual Reception by
Exaltation

Mutual Reception by
Triplicity

3*

*Note: Mutual receptions by these three

dignities are generally
recognized as real, but they are usually not
scored. Schoener scores
them if any two of the are operative with the
same pair of planets.
He does not say what the score would be, be we
operate on the
assumption that the score would be the sum of
the scores that the
planets would have being in their own dignities
of the same type.
Therefore triplicity + bound = 5, triplicity + face =
4, bound + face
= 3. It does seem that any of these lower level
mutual receptions
should cancel peregrine without their having to
be two of them
involving the same pair of planets

Mutual Reception by
Bounds

2*

Mutual Reception by
Face

1*

Essential Debilities
Type

Weight

Detriment or
Opposition to
Domicile, Usual
Value

-5

Detriment or
Opposition to
Domicile,
Montulmo

-2

Fall or Opposition to
Exaltation, Usual
Value

-4

Fall or Opposition to
Exaltation,
Montulmo

-5

Peregrine

-5

Note: All references to Montulmo are as

attributed to him by Schoener. We have
not found any evidence of these scoring
methods actually in Montulmo.

I. Dignities and Debilities Arising from House Placement

House

Lilly

Montulmo

Schoener

Ibn Ezra

Wilson

1st

11

12

2nd

-2

3rd

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4th

5th

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7

6th

-2

-3

-4

7th

10

10

8th

-2

-4

-4

9th

10th

12

11

11th

12th

-5

-5

-5

Schoener and Ibn Ezra use similar systems which have no debility, only less
dignity. Lilly, Wilson, and Montulmo have both positive and negative scores.
Given this fact their ranges of values are quite similar but there is much
disagreement on the relative ranking of the houses. Schoener is unique in
granting the tenth house more than the first. The other all make the first house
either greater to or equal to the tenth. There is also disagreement about whether
the sixth or the twelfth is the worst house, and Montulmo ranks the second as
being one of the worse houses.
Schoener and Ibn Ezra recognize these as dignities and debilities but do not
assign explicit scores to them. It should probably be assumed that they all have
weights of +1 or -1, if weighting is appropriate at all.
II. Dignities and Debilities Arising from Planetary Motion
Lilly

Montulmo

Wilson

Direct

Ascending in Auge

Ascending in North Lat.

Swift in Motion

Slow in Motion

-2

-1

-2

Descending in South Lat.

-2

Descending in Auge

-2

Retrograde

-5

-5

III. Relation of Planet to Sun

Lilly

Montulmo

Wilson

Cazimi

Free of Combustion and Beams

Inferior Planets Occidental

Superior Planets Oriental

Moon Increasing in Light

Moon Decreasing in Light

-2

-1

-2

Inferior Planets Oriental

-2

Superior Planets Occidental

-2

--2

-2

Under the Sun's Beams

-4

-4

-4

Combust

-5

-5

-5

Moon within 12 of Sun

-4

`
Schoener and Ibn Ezra also recognize the dignities and debilities that are scored
here as 0, but do not assign explicit scores to them. It should probably be
assumed that they all have weights of +1 or -1, if weighting is appropriate at all.
IV. Aspects and Other Relations to Other Planets and Fixed Stars
Lilly

Montulmo

Wilson

Besieged by
Benefics

Partile
Conjunction with
Benefics

Partile
Conjunction with
Caput Draconis
Partile Trine or
Sextile with
Benefics*
Applying Trine of
Benefic*
Applying Sextile
of Benefic*
Conjunction with
Regulus
Conjunction with
Spica

* Multulmo asks for

applying aspects while

the English ask for

partile aspects.

-3

Otherwise the dignities

are the same.

The English specify

0

certain stars while

Montulmo designates
the class of the star only.

-0

Conjunction with
Benefic Star
Partile Square of
Malefic
Partile
Opposition of
Malefic
Conjunction with
Cauda Draconis
Besieged by
Malefics
Conjunction with
Algol
Conjunction with
Malefic Fixed
Star
Void of Course
Feral

-4

-3

-5

-4

-4

-4

-5

-4

-5

-5

-5

-5

-5

-5

-2

-3

Schoener and Ibn Ezra also recognize the dignities and debilities that are scored
here as 0, but do not assign explicit scores to them. It should probably be
assumed that they all have weights of +1 or -1, if weighting is appropriate at all.
V. Dignities and Debilities Due to Sect, Masculine &
Feminine (Except Degrees).
Lilly

Montulmo

Wilson

Conformity of Quadrant

Security

Hayz

Contrariety of Hayz

-2

VI. Miscellaneous
Lilly

Montulmo

Wilson

Sign of Planet's Joy, Throne

House of Planet's Joy

Lucid Degree

Degree of Increasing Fortune

Degree of Conforming in Sex

Bounds of a Benefic

Increasing in Number

Bounds of a Malefic

-1

Decreasing in Number

-1

Void or SmokeyDegree

-3

-3

Via Combusta

-2

Eclipse of Luminaries

-5

Moon in Gemini, or End of

Signs

-2

Moon in Bounds of a Malefic

-2

-2

Luminary in the Bounds of

Eclipse

-4

Dark, Deep, or Azimene

Degree

Dignities and Debilities of the Part of Fortune.

I. Dignities and Debilities from House Placement.

In the 1st or 10th House

In the 7th, 4th or 11th House

In the 2nd or 5th House

In the 9th House

In the 3rd House

In the 6th or 8th House

-4

In the 12th House

-5

II. Dignities and Debilities from Sign Placement.

In Taurus or Pisces

In Cancer, Leo, Libra, or Sagittarius

In Gemini

In Virgo

In Aries 0 (Wilson -3)

In Scorpio, Capricorn, or Aquarius

-5

III. Relation to the Sun

Not Combust

Combust

-5

IV. Aspect and Relationships to Planets and Fixed Stars

Conjunction with Regulus (Alpha Leonis)

Besieged by Jupiter and Venus

On Partile Conjunction with Jupiter or Venus

Conjunction with Spica (Alpha Virginis)

In Partile Trine with Jupiter or Venus

In Partile Conjunction with the North Node 3 (Wilson 4)

In Partile Sextilewith Jupiter or Venus

In Partile Square with Saturn or Mars

-3

In Opposition of Saturn or Mars

-4

In Partile Conjunction of the South Node -3 (Wilson -4)

In Partile Conjunction of Saturn or Mars

-5

Conjunction with Caput Algol

-6

Besieged by Saturn and Mars

-6

V. Miscellaneous

!
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In the Bounds of Jupiter or Venus

In the Bounds of Saturn or Mars

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