Temperament by Lilly and by elements
See which testimonies make the chart choleric, sanguine, melancholic or phlegmatic.
What it is and why it matters
Temperament reduces the chart to four qualities: hot, cold, moist and dry. The pair that prevails gives one of the four temperaments.
When to use it
- For a traditional description of constitution and manner.
- To see exactly which testimonies make up the result.
Terms explained
- Asc and MC
- The Ascendant (Asc) is associated with the intersection of the ecliptic and the eastern horizon. The Midheaven (MC) is associated with the upper part of the local meridian. Both depend on time and location.
- Orb
- The permitted deviation from an exact aspect angle. A wider orb includes more contacts and extends the periods during which they are considered active.
Where to find it
Analysis → “•••” → “Temperament”.
How to use it
- Choose “Temperament” in the “•••” menu of the Analysis panel.
- Pick the method with the switch. “Lilly” counts the testimonies of the Ascendant, the Moon with the planets aspecting her, the Sun and the lord of the geniture; “Simple: by elements” counts the elements of the planets and angles with weights.
- Read the table. Each row gives points to two qualities: H hot, C cold, M moist, D dry. Each group ends with its subtotal, and the total is at the bottom.
- Above the table are the result and which quality leads on each axis. When the lead is small, the type is mixed, for example “Melancholic-choleric”; an exact tie is marked “(even)”.
- Below, compare the other method’s result on the same chart. “Adjust” changes the aspect orb, the lord of the geniture, the Moon’s dispositor and the limit for a mixed type.
Settings and options
Select an option to learn how it works and when to use it. The label beside its name shows whether it affects calculations, chart appearance or data.
Lilly / Simple: by elementsCalculation
How the qualities are counted.
- What changes
- “Lilly” counts testimonies at 1 point each; “Simple” adds up the elements of the points with weights 3, 2 and 1.
- When to use it
- Start with Lilly’s method; the simple one helps check whether the result rests on one or two testimonies.
Orb of aspects to Asc and MoonCalculation
The widest deviation of a planet’s aspect to the Ascendant or the Moon for it to count as a testimony.
- What changes
- A wider orb adds planets in aspect to the Ascendant and the Moon. A planet in the 1st house counts at any orb. Applies to Lilly’s method only; 0° to 15°.
- When to use it
- Keep 5° unless you are reproducing another method.
Lord of the genitureCalculation
The planet that gives the last testimony of Lilly’s method.
- What changes
- “Almuten (4 places)” picks the planet with the most dignity points in the Ascendant, Sun, Moon and Fortune; “Almuten (5 places, with the syzygy)” adds the prenatal syzygy. You can also choose the planet yourself or leave the testimony out.
- When to use it
- Choose the planet yourself if you find the lord of the geniture by another method.
Moon’s dispositor as a testimonyCalculation
Adds the nature of the ruler of the Moon’s sign as a testimony of its own.
- What changes
- Off by default: Lilly’s list does not include it. Applies to Lilly’s method only.
- When to use it
- Turn it on if your method counts the Moon’s dispositor, as some reconstructions do.
Mixed typeCalculation
The limit below which a lead on an axis counts as small.
- What changes
- When the leading quality holds no more than the chosen share of its axis, a second temperament is added to the name, for example “Melancholic-choleric”. When both axes are open, the result is called nearly balanced.
- When to use it
- A higher limit gives mixed types more often; the default is 60 %.
The result
You see the chart’s temperament, every testimony with its points and the other method’s result.
Worked example
This is a teaching example; results for your chart may differ.
- Situation
- Lilly’s method gives choleric, the elements give sanguine.
- What to do
- Go through the rows of both methods and find the testimonies that split the results.
- How to read the result
- You see what each conclusion rests on and weigh the testimonies yourself.
For professional practice
The table shows every testimony with its points, so the result can be recounted by hand and compared with another program.
What to check for a precise comparison
The Ascendant’s testimonies depend on an exact birth time. The method is a reconstruction, and Lilly himself took the person into account, so check the result against the native.
Keep in mind
Lilly’s method is a reconstruction: Zorya does not have the text of Christian Astrology (book III), so the testimonies are taken as they are usually listed (the sign ascending and its lord, the planets in the Ascendant or aspecting it, the Moon, her sign and the planets aspecting her, the quarter of the year, the lord of the geniture), and the points follow D. Greenbaum’s “Temperament: Astrology’s Forgotten Key” (2005): each testimony gives 1 point.
The elements’ qualities follow Aristotle, the planets’ natures Lilly, the Moon’s quarters and the seasons Ptolemy. The 5° orb and the 60 % limit are Zorya’s choices. The Moon’s dispositor is off by default: it is not in Lilly’s list; Ptolemy names the rulers of the Ascendant and the Moon for the body’s form.
The lord of the geniture is simplified here: it is the almuten of the Ascendant, Sun, Moon and Fortune. Lilly also weighed accidental dignities, and the classical almuten of the chart adds the prenatal syzygy, which you can switch on in the settings. The syzygy is taken at the Moon’s degree; Ptolemy’s rule of the luminary above the horizon is not applied.
In a sidereal chart the sign testimonies are read in the sidereal zodiac, while the season follows the tropical Sun.
The simple method’s weights are Zorya’s own, because Solar Fire’s are not published. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are left out: they mark a generation.
The methods often differ, and the panel shows it. The result is a hint to check against the native.