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What is Triplicity Rulership in Astrology

The Triplicities in Hellenistic Astrology are a division of the 12 Zodiac Signs into the four elements (Fire, Earth, Air, Water). Triplicity rulership is the assignment of the Planets to one or two of these elements. Each element has a main Triplicity ruler for the day and one for the night as well as a cooperating ruler.

Read on for a more detailed breakdown:

Triplicity Rulership

The twelve Zodiac Signs are divided into the four classical elements with three Signs in each. They are as follows:

The Triplicities

Fire Signs = Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Earth Signs = Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Air Signs = Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Water Signs = Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Triplicity rulership is the assignment of one the Planets as governing over the four triplicities for Day Charts, another for Night Charts, and another acting as participating ruler, for three rulers per each element in total. Often, each element is simply assigned three triplicity ruling Planets, or lords, instead of exclusively based on their sect (whether day or night).

Triplicity rulership is one the main 5 essential dignities of a Planet, the third tier.

The strongest place for a Planet is to be is in its domicile, its place of home. This can be considered like having 5 points or being the owner of a company.

A Planet then does very well in their place of exaltation, where they are like an esteemed and honoured guest. This can be considered like 4 points or being the CEO.

Then comes a Planet’s triplicity, where it has some familiarity and comfort. This is like being in a friends house and can be seen as equivalent to 3 points or being the manager.

The next are the bounds, or terms, which are an unequal subdivision of each of the 30º of the Zodiac Signs into 5. If a Planet has a bound in a Sign, in can give it 2 points of strength or be seen as being the supervisor.

Last are the decans, or faces, which are the division of the Signs into three equal parts, either based on the Chaldean Order (of slowest Planet to fastest) or triplicity. This can be seen as 1 point or like having the assistance of a senior colleague.

When a Planet has triplicity rulership, it can offset some of the debility it may experience in a Sign. For example, Mars is fallen in Cancer (as it is opposite the place where it exalts, Capricorn) but it also has triplicity rulership in Water Signs, thus it is not so bad.

Like with any “debility”, Planets in these Signs are not “bad”, they merely need to get craftier at accessing their usual skills. Mars in Cancer does not go straight after their target like the grenade or sniper (which would be its domiciles of Aries and Scorpio), but rather side-to-side like the crab, guerrilla warfare, McGyvering to get sh*t done.

two-wander-triplicity-rulership-in-astrology-guide

Triplicity Rulerships

Fire Signs = The Sun as main triplicity lord + Jupiter as supporting, these are flipped for Night Charts (so Jupiter first and then the Sun), and Saturn as cooperating ruler.
Earth Signs = Venus + the Moon for Day Charts, flipped for Night, and Mars as participating
Air Signs = Mercury + Saturn by day, Saturn + Mercury by night, Jupiter cooperating
Water Signs = Venus + Mars by Day, the reverse for Night Charts, the Moon participating

So, what this means is that the Sun does particularly well in Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. As the Sun is ruler of Leo and exalted in Aries, it is extra happy here (and would equate to 8 and 7 points respectively). Here the Sun has ease in carrying out its solar activities. Jupiter and Saturn also like to be in Fire Signs, as well as Air Signs (along with Mercury).

The Moon likes to be in Earth and Water Signs, as does Venus and Mars.

For some Traditional Astrology techniques, the first triplicity ruler is assigned to the first portion of life (up to 30 years old say), the second can be seen as the ruler of the middle portion of life, and the third past middle age into our final years.

In Ancient Astrology, chart sect (day or night) was stuck to more strongly for some. So for example, Venus would only be considered to have triplicity in Capricorn, an Earth Sign, if it were a day chart. Personally, I simply equate the elements with their triplicity rulers. Thus, Venus has some strength for me in all Water and Earth Signs in any timed chart, as does Mars and the Moon.

1st century Astrologer Dorotheus of Sidon in Carmen Astrologicum looked at it as an extra sublayer of strength. The triplicity rulers of Fire Signs are the Sun, then Jupiter, and then Saturn for day charts; and at night Jupiter, then the Sun, then Saturn. If we equate triplicity rulership to the points system ascribed by William Lily, we could almost see it as 3.3, 3.2, 3.1, respectively, or something similar. They are all useful in these Signs, but just a smidge extra if it is also their sect of favour.

In considering it this way, the diurnal Planets are: the sun, Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn. The nocturnal Planets are: the Moon, Venus, and Mars.

Again, as an example, I generally take Mercury, Saturn, and Jupiter to have some triplicity strength and essential dignity in all Air Signs regardless of sect. If it is also a Day Chart, well then Mercury is especially happy.

Do you have any Planets in their own triplicity?

So that’s an overview of triplicity rulerships, I hope it’s insightful for you! Let me know in the comments section below if you have anything else to add or any questions.

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