CARTER'S PREDICTION OF MARRIAGE

"Our general view is that marriage will occur when Venus, by one-degree measure, forms an aspect to the lord, occupant, or cusp of the seventh house; or receives an aspect from one of them"
(Symbolic Directions in Modern Astrology page 57)

The above was written in the 1920s, but it is clear that these directions will show a time when the opportunity for marriage is in force, whether or not it is taken up. Another rider - and this again is Carter's own - first look at the overall condition of the natal chart as regards "marriageability" before rushing to conclusions.

For an early marriage "between 19 and 25," Carter says: "the 7th house will be configured favourably... (with)... good aspects to the ruler, occupant, or cusp from the Sun, Venus, Mars, or Jupiter."
Marriages "between 25 and 30," — "we usually find some Saturnian action affecting the 7th. Saturn, even well configured, delays marriage".
Late marriages "from 30 onwards," — "we shall find severe afflictions to the 7th house".

Perhaps his most controversial rule, which admittedly does not always hold water in these days of easier marriages and divorces, is that there will be no marriage at all for a woman who has the Sun "closely configured with Saturn", nor for a man with the Moon and Saturn closely configured.

"Venus afflicted by Saturn may delay marriage but by no means necessarily forbids it. Violent afflictions to the 7th denote varied and possibly tragic experiences, but do not indicate celibacy".

CARTER'S HOUSE SYSTEM

Charles Carter's views on the various different astrological house systems can be found in Chapter 8 of Essays on the Foundations of Astrology. In this passage, titled "Problems of the Houses" he also introduced a new house system of his own. For those who may be interested in tinkering with technical details The Poli Equatorial House System is derived as follows:

"...the houses are demarcated by circles passing through the celestial poles and dividing the equator into twelve equal arcs, the cusp of the 1st house passing through the ascendant.
This system, therefore, agrees with the natural rotation of the heavens and also produces, as the Ptolemaic does not, distinctive cusps for each house, capable of receiving individually their own aspects.
Since the relation between equator and ecliptic is constant at any one time over the whole earth, one set of tables can be used for the whole world.
...Such a set of tables can easily be constructed. The ascendant must be found in the usual way and with the usual tables; it is then stated in terms of right ascension by means of the tables given in all books that treat of primary directions, and to it is added thirty degrees of right ascension for each successive cusp. These data must then be restated in terms of celestial longitude."

Download a copy of the tables. [384K PDF file]

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