Horary astrology is the art of using astrology to answer specific questions. It’s an old form of astrology; the earliest known texts dedicated to the subject date from around 800 CE. In principle horary astrology is very simple: we cast a horoscope for the moment someone asks a question, and then analyse the chart to get an answer.
“A Dogge missing, where?” An example horary chart from William Lilly’s Christian Astrology (1647)
“Shall the Querent obtain his Wages due from his Master?” An example horary chart from John Middleton’s Practical Astrology (1679)
A question is put to an astrologer, for example, “Where is my lost dog?”
The astrologer then casts a horoscope or “chart” for the time and location when they received and understood the question. By analysing the chart, the astrologer can determine the answer to the question.
Following our example, the astrologer could use the chart to determine the direction the dog has run off to, the distance from the client, and a description of its location - “Fido is north east from your location, not far, near a place that is fiery such as a kitchen, kiln, or foundry.”
Here are some examples of questions you can ask:
You can ask about whether something will happen in the future - “Will X happen?” For example:
“Will I get the job?”
“Will I ever get married?”
“Will I get my money?”
“Will I find my lost necklace?”
You can ask about a relationship - “Will I have a relationship with X?” For example:
“Will X and I form a long-term relationship?”
“Will I meet someone suitable for a long-term relationship in the next 12 months?”
“Will this person go on a date with me?”
“Will X ever propose to me?”
You can ask about location, where something or someone is - “Where is X?” For example:
“Where is my lost necklace?”
“Where is my missing cat?”
You can ask about something or someone’s condition - “What is X like?” For example:
“Can I trust this person?”
“Is the house I want to buy in a good condition?”
You can ask about a contest or struggle, such as a legal battle - “Will we win?” For example:
“Will I win my court case against my former employer?”
“Will I receive jail time for the crime I have been accused of?”
“Will I win the election?”
You can ask about a sale or purchase, either as the buyer or the seller - “Will I buy X?” or “Will I sell X?” For example:
“Will I be able to sell my house next year?”
“Will I buy the house?”
“Is the house a good deal?”
You can ask about travel or a journey - “Will I travel to X?” or “What will happen on my journey?” For example:
“Will I travel overseas next year?”
“Will anything bad happen on my trip to South America?”
You can ask about which option is best, but only if it is a “Stay or Go” choice, where one of the options is to leave things as they are - “Will it be better for me to do X, or stick with Y?” For example:
“Will it be better for me to take the job offer, or stick with my current job?”
“Will it be better for me to move to Arizona, or stay here?”
Please read these guidelines carefully before asking a horary question:
The best format for a horary question is a Yes or No question about a future event – “Will X happen, yes or no?”
If you want, you can also ask for timing as part of your question. For example, you can ask “Will X happen, and if so when?”
You can also specify a timeframe for the question. For example, you can ask “Will X happen in the next 6-12 months?” The answer will be limited to the timeframe you specify.
Do not ask me the same horary question twice, and do not ask me a horary question that you have already asked to another astrologer, unless you specified a timeframe in the first question and that timeframe has now passed, or if the circumstances of the question have changed so much that it is effectively a whole new question.
Only ask important questions, where the topic is something that is concerning or worrying for you.
Only ask about one topic at a time. If you have several questions that are important to you, ask the most important one first and then wait until you get my response before asking another.
Keep the question short and focused. Put all the details and context in the Background section.
I will only accept a question about choosing between options if it is a “Stay or Go” choice.
A Stay or Go choice is a choice between two options: (1) staying where you are, or (2) going somewhere else.
A common Stay or Go choice is choosing between staying where you are, or moving to a new location.
Another common Stay or Go choice is choosing between staying with your current employer, or taking a new job offer.
For example, the following questions are acceptable because they are Stay or Go choices:
“Will it be better for me to stay with my current job, or take the new job offer?”
“Will it be better for me to stay where I am in California, or move to Arizona?”
The following questions are not acceptable because they are not Stay or Go choices:
“Will it be better for me to move to New York, or move to Los Angeles?”
“Which college will be better for me: college A, college B, or college C?”
“Will it be better for me to study A or B?”
If you want help with making a decision, please read the following guidelines carefully.
Horary astrology is a powerful tool for prediction and for finding out information, but it is not suited for giving advice.
For this reason, do not use the word “Should…” in your question. For example, do not ask “Should I do X?”
However, we can use horary astrology to predict future events and gather new information that can help us to make decisions.
Consider how foreknowledge could be useful in this decision. Can you think of a future event that would change your decision if you knew about it in advance? If so, ask whether that event will happen or not.
For example, instead of asking "Should I cancel my health insurance?" ask "Will I have serious health issues in the next 5 years?"
Consider if there is any missing information about the situation that, if you knew about it, would impact your decision. If so, ask about that.
For example, instead of asking “Should I buy the house?” ask “Are there any hidden issues with the house that I am not aware of?”
An astrologer casts a horoscope for a client - from Robert Fludd’s Utriusque Cosmi Historia (1617)
A servant asks a horary question on behalf of his master - from Robert Fludd’s Opera (1635).
Step 1. Decide the question that you want to ask.
Step 2. Sleep on it!
Unless your question is urgent, don’t ask right away - hold the question in your heart for a day first. This gives you time to reflect on the question and make sure you really want to know the answer.
Step 3. Purchase a horary reading.
Click the Ask A Horary Question button below, and then fill out the form with your contact details, the question you want to ask, and any background information you can provide. After that, you can make payment by credit card or PayPal.Once you’ve paid I’ll contact you by email to discuss next steps.
If your question makes sense I can cast the chart and get started right away! If I need to clarify what you’re asking we’ll have to sort that out first before I cast the chart.
I may need your help to get to the answer; for example, the chart might indicate a few possibilities and I will need you to narrow it down. If that’s the case I will contact you and ask for the extra background detail I need to figure it out. It can occasionally take several emails back and forth before we get to the bottom of what the chart is showing me.
Note: I cast the chart for the time when I understand your question, and for the location I happen to be at that time.
In response to your question I will send you a short 2-4 page PDF file containing the following:
The chart of the question
A list of the relevant astrological factors
My analysis of those factors and the answer to your question
Here’s an example response to a real horary question »
Once you receive my response, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss the answer with me via email, or alternatively we can arrange a time for a 30 minute discussion via Zoom video conferencing.
I aim to answer all horary questions within 5 days.
Please understand: It is quite possible that the answer to your question will be a No, or otherwise be disappointing, or not your preferred answer. So don’t ask unless you’re fully prepared for this. If the chart shows a negative answer, I will break the bad news to you gently.
“Where are my car keys?” - a real horary question from one of my casebooks.