How to Read a Western Lilly Horary Report: Significators, Perfection, Reception and Timing

Horary astrology answers one sincere question from a chart cast for the moment the question is asked and understood. The Astrometry Western Lilly Horary software follows the traditional rules set out by William Lilly in the seventeenth century: it casts the figure, identifies who stands for you and who stands for the matter, checks whether the chart is fit to judge, and looks for an aspect that brings the two together. Every step is rule-based and calculated locally - no AI writes the verdict. This guide walks through the report in the order you will read it.

Asking the question

Ask one clear, sincere question that matters to you - "Will I get this job?" rather than "What does my career look like?". Enter the question, the date and time you asked it, the place with its coordinates and the UTC offset. Horary is different from a birth chart reading; if you are unsure which suits your situation, read birth chart vs horary prashna.

Choosing the house of the matter

Every question belongs to a house. The form lists all twelve with their topics - money and possessions for the 2nd, siblings, messages and short journeys for the 3rd, home, property and "the end of the matter" for the 4th, children and speculation for the 5th, illness, employees and daily work for the 6th, marriage, partner, opponent or contract for the 7th, debt, inheritance and shared money for the 8th, long journeys, law, faith and study for the 9th, career and status for the 10th, friends and hopes for the 11th, and hidden matters for the 12th.

The Count from house option lets you turn the chart for questions about other people. A question about your partner's career, for example, is the 10th counted from the 7th. You can also apply Lilly's five-degree rule, which treats a planet within five degrees of the next cusp as acting in that next house.

The horary figure and significators

The report draws the chart with the Ascendant, Midheaven, house cusps and planets. The querent - you - is signified by the ruler of the Ascendant, with the Moon as co-significator. The quesited, the matter asked about, is signified by the ruler of the house of the matter. The report names both and states where each sits.

Planets and dignities

A table lists every planet with its position, house, essential dignity score and accidental score, and an overall condition. Essential dignity shows how well a planet is placed by sign; accidental strength reflects house, speed and similar factors. A well-dignified significator shows a person or matter in a good condition to act.

Considerations before judgment

Traditional horary first checks whether the chart can be judged. The report lists each consideration and marks whether it is triggered:

• Ascendant in the first 3 degrees - the question may be premature.
• Ascendant in the last 3 degrees - the matter may already be decided.
• Moon void of course - the Moon makes no further exact aspect before leaving its sign.
• Moon in the Via Combusta - the Moon travels the traditional "burnt way".
• Saturn in the 1st or 7th house - take extra care with the judgment.

Triggered cautions do not cancel the reading, but they should temper how firmly you rely on it.

Perfection, reception and the Moon

The heart of the judgment is perfection: the matter completes when the significators join by an applying conjunction, sextile, square, trine or opposition before either changes sign. The report checks each pair and states whether an aspect perfects and in how many hours or days. It also notes reception - when one planet stands in a dignity of the other, showing favour or willingness. The Moon's next aspect is listed separately, since her course often describes how events unfold.

The verdict and timing

The verdict follows directly from those rules: yes when a significator pair perfects, no when no aspect perfects and the Moon is void of course, and uncertain when the testimony is mixed. When a perfecting aspect exists, its distance in time gives the timing route; when none forms, the report says so plainly rather than inventing a date.

Related horary tools

Western Lilly Horary is one of five question-based tools in the Prashna suite. Compare it with Vedic Prashna, Jamakkol Prasanam, Ramal Jyotish and Qimen Dunjia, or read our overview of the Lilly Horary software.

Online and Desktop

You can cast a horary chart online, or use the Desktop Edition to judge questions and download full PDFs offline. It is part of the Astrometry Desktop Plus package and every package above it - see the pricing page and the Software FAQ.