Weather Astrology

1. Introduction

Astrometeorology—often called weather astrology—studies atmospheric conditions through ingress and lunation charts cast for specific locations and timeframes. In practice, astrologers analyze the Aries ingress of the Sun, quarterly cardinal ingresses, and monthly lunations to infer tendencies toward heat, cold, dryness, moisture, wind, and storms, integrating angular strength, planetary aspects, and sign qualities. This article surveys the foundations, traditional methods, and modern perspectives of weather forecasting using astrology, emphasizing ingress and lunation charts as core techniques and situating them within the broader domain of Mundane Astrology (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940; Houlding, n.d.).

Historically, the approach is anchored in Hellenistic and medieval sources. Claudius Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos outlines weather indications from seasons, signs, planetary configurations, and stellar phenomena, providing rules that influenced later Arabic and European manuals (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940). The medieval synthesis, especially in Abu Ma’shar and Guido Bonatti, formalized ingress-based techniques for annual and seasonal climatological trends. Renaissance authors such as William Lilly transmitted and refined these methods for English-language practitioners, often integrating them with horary and electional principles in almanacs and practical guides (Abu Ma’shar, trans. Burnett, Yamamoto & Yano 1994; Bonatti, trans. Dykes 2007; Lilly, 1647/1659).

This topic also interfaces with fixed stars and celestial cycles: some traditions consider parans and star contacts for storm indicators and winds, while eclipses and great conjunctions are treated as markers of longer-term anomalies or climatic emphasis (Robson, 1923; Abu Ma’shar, trans. Burnett, Yamamoto & Yano 1994). In contemporary practice, astrometeorology coexists alongside physics-based numerical weather prediction rather than replacing it; modern meteorology models the atmosphere using fluid dynamics and data assimilation, setting a scientific baseline against which astrological methods are compared (AMS, n.d.).

Graph connections and topic mapping: Weather astrology belongs to a cluster of techniques alongside Ingress, Lunation, Houses & Systems, Aspects & Configurations, and Fixed Stars & Stellar Astrology. Within an AI topic model, it coheres with “Traditional Techniques > Mundane Astrology > Ingress & Lunation,” with related subtopics spanning eclipses, mundane timing, and stellar influences (Houlding, n.d.; Robson, 1923; Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940).

Key terms used throughout include lunation, ingress, astrometeorology, weather charts, and mundane astrology; examples illustrate method and are not universal rules (Lilly, 1647/1659; Houlding, n.d.).

2. Foundation

Astrometeorology begins with the rationale that celestial configurations symbolically correlate with atmospheric states, especially when charts are cast for a location and anchored to collective phenomena such as seasons and lunar phases. The foundational move is to compute ingress charts—when the Sun enters Aries (the traditional “year chart”), and often Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn for seasonal reinforcement—and lunation charts for New Moons and Full Moons over the same locality. The angles, rulers, and dominant configurations in these charts provide a framework for judging the prevailing weather character in the weeks or months that follow (Lilly, 1647/1659; Houlding, n.d.).

The elemental rationale is inherited from natural philosophy: hot, cold, dry, and moist are the primary qualities assigned to planets, signs, and seasons. Traditional delineations associate Saturn with cold and dryness, Jupiter with moderate warmth and moisture, Mars with heat and dryness, Venus with moisture, Mercury as adaptive, and the luminaries as seasonal modulations; these attributions are then weighed by position and rulership in ingress and lunation charts (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940; Al-Biruni, 11th c., trans. Wright 1934). The zodiac’s triplicities and modalities are likewise used, with cardinal signs signaling changeability, fixed signs suggesting persistence, and mutable signs indicating variability, while elemental triplicities echo seasonal qualities (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940).

House emphasis matters: angular houses (1, 4, 7, 10) magnify planetary indications, and the 1st and 10th houses are especially scrutinized for public, environmental conditions. The ruler of the Ascendant (or of the weather-relevant houses) and its condition by dignity, aspect, and speed inform the strength and duration of indicated patterns. Benefic testimony can point to mild, clement periods; malefic or sharply challenged significators can correspond with severe swings, storms, or extremes, moderated by reception and sect (Bonatti, trans. Dykes 2007; Lilly, 1647/1659).

Traditional practice also considers the Moon’s condition at lunations: void-of-course states, besiegement, combustion, or connections to moist or dry planets nuance expectations for precipitation, fog, or aridity. Eclipses are given weight for departures from seasonal norms, especially when visible over a region and striking angles in ingress or lunation charts (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940; Houlding, n.d.). Fixed stars—notably those associated with storminess or winds—are used by some practitioners when tightly conjunct angles or key significators, drawing on medieval and early modern catalogues (Robson, 1923).

While these principles establish a symbolic framework, contemporary meteorology offers a different foundation—physics-based numerical weather prediction—which remains the standard for operational forecasting; astrometeorology is pursued as a complementary or exploratory perspective (AMS, n.d.). This article treats examples as illustrative, contingent on full-chart context, and not as universal rules (Lilly, 1647/1659).

3. Core Concepts

Primary meanings. The Aries ingress of the Sun, cast for a capital or target location, provides a baseline for the year’s weather tendencies; in some traditions, if a cardinal sign rises at the Aries ingress, the chart is read for the quarter, whereas fixed or mutable signs may extend its influence across longer spans, prompting additional seasonal ingresses at Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn (Lilly, 1647/1659; Bonatti, trans. Dykes 2007). Lunation charts (New and Full Moons) refine the picture month by month, with special attention to eclipses and to lunations that fall on chart angles or sensitive degrees for the region (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940; Houlding, n.d.).

Key associations. Planets carry elemental signatures: Saturn (cold/dry), Jupiter (warm/moist), Mars (hot/dry), Venus (moist), Mercury (variable), Moon (moist/cold), Sun (hot/dry). Their condition—essential and accidental dignity, sect, speed, latitude, and declination—modifies how strongly those signatures may manifest. Benefic emphasis suggests mild, temperate conditions; malefic angularity or sharp hard aspects with the Moon or angle rulers can correlate with extremes, high winds, or storm signatures when corroborated by other testimony (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940; Al-Biruni, 11th c., trans. Wright 1934; Bonatti, trans. Dykes 2007).

Essential characteristics. Traditional practice weighs:

• Angles: Planets on the Ascendant/MC dominate the period’s weather tone.
• Rulers: Lord of the Ascendant and Midheaven condition broad environment and public impact.
• Aspects: Cardinal squares or oppositions can indicate volatility; trines/hexagons suggest continuity.
• Elements/modality: Fixed fire with Mars/Jupiter can suggest heat; mutable water with Moon/Venus can suggest humidity or precipitation, subject to full-chart context and counter-testimony (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940; Lilly, 1647/1659).

The Moon’s phase and application are crucial in lunation charts. Applications to moist benefics can align with precipitation windows; separations from dry malefics can align with clearing, though each judgment must be situated within the comprehensive chart conditions and local climate norms (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940; Houlding, n.d.).

Cross-references. Because astrometeorology is embedded in the wider astrological network, practitioners integrate:

• Rulerships: Mars rules Aries and Scorpio and is exalted in Capricorn, shaping how martial heat/dryness is weighed when these signs or dignities are angular in ingress/lunation charts (Lilly, 1647/1659). See Aries, Scorpio, Essential Dignities & Debilities.
• Aspects: “Mars square Saturn creates tension and discipline,” a common interpretive theme that, in mundane weather work, can symbolize atmospheric stress or extremes if both are angular and command the Moon or angles, always judged within the whole chart (Lilly, 1647/1659). See Aspects & Configurations.
• Houses: “Mars in the 10th house affects career and public image” in natal work; analogously in mundane weather charts, angular Mars can coincide with highly noticeable heat or wind signals when other testimonies concur (Lilly, 1647/1659). See Houses & Systems.
• Elemental links: Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) share expressive, heat-signifying qualities that may be emphasized when their rulers dominate angles (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940). See Zodiac Signs.
• Fixed stars: Mars conjunct Regulus has been associated in traditional sources with leadership and prominence; in weather practice, star contacts are treated cautiously and only when extremely tight (Robson, 1923). See Fixed Stars & Stellar Astrology.

These concepts are applied through repeatable procedures—chart selection, angular emphasis, weighting of rulers, and synthesis—rather than by isolated sign or planet keywords (Bonatti, trans. Dykes 2007; Lilly, 1647/1659).

4. Traditional Approaches

Hellenistic groundwork. Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos consolidates methods for weather prognostication, integrating seasonal qualities, sign risings, lunar phases, and planetary configurations with winds and storms. He details how the ecliptic’s relation to the seasons, the luminaries’ placements, and the nature of planets and fixed stars can be used to infer atmospheric tendencies, emphasizing the primacy of astronomical cycles and geographic latitude in shaping local climates. He also treats eclipses as significant for anomalies when they strike angles in relevant charts and are visible in a locale (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940). Earlier and contemporaneous sources contributed sign-based and star-based weather traditions that filtered into later compendia, though Ptolemy’s rationalizing framework became especially influential (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940).

Medieval Arabic development. Abu Ma’shar transmitted and elaborated techniques for “revolutions of the years of the world,” in which ingresses and conjunctions (especially Jupiter-Saturn) are read for long-term social and environmental conditions. His corpus and its Latin epitomes laid a procedural foundation for assessing the lord of the year, angles, and the Moon’s condition as primary weather signifiers. The Arabic tradition integrated observational astronomy with astrology, including attention to stellar omens, eclipses, and planetary cycles affecting agricultural timing and seasonal variability (Abu Ma’shar, trans. Burnett, Yamamoto & Yano 1994). Al-Biruni’s encyclopedic treatise preserves elemental assignments and interpretive rationales that undergird weather judgments, such as planetary temperaments and their mixtures through aspect and dignity (Al-Biruni, 11th c., trans. Wright 1934).

Renaissance refinements. Guido Bonatti’s Liber Astronomiae systematizes mundane methodology, designating the Aries ingress as a central weather chart and directing practitioners to consider whether the rising sign implies annual or quarterly judgment, to weigh the Ascendant lord and the Moon, and to note angular malefics for extremes or storms when corroborated. He also instructs on synthesizing testimonies across multiple ingress charts and significant lunations to track seasonal change (Bonatti, trans. Dykes 2007). William Lilly transmitted this tradition into English, providing stepwise ingress interpretations for public conditions that include weather. He emphasized angularity, rulership networks, and lunar motion, and he distinguished between general seasonal tone and shorter-lived fluctuations shown by lunations and transits to ingress angles (Lilly, 1647/1659).

Traditional techniques in outline:

• Chart selection hierarchy: Aries ingress for the year; seasonal ingresses if indicated; lunations for monthly refinement; eclipses for departures from baseline (Bonatti, trans. Dykes 2007; Lilly, 1647/1659).
• Angular testimony: Planets tightly conjunct angles govern weather character; benefics often mitigate, malefics can radicalize, modified by sect and reception (Lilly, 1647/1659).
• Elemental weighting: Fire emphasis with Mars/Jupiter angular can align with heat; water emphasis with Moon/Venus angular can align with humidity or precipitation when reinforced (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940).
• Lunar applications: Moisture signatures are often judged from the Moon’s applying aspects and condition in lunations; dry signatures from separations and contacts with dry planets, always within whole-chart synthesis (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940).
• Fixed stars and winds: Some medieval and early modern authors connect certain stars and constellations with winds and storms, using parans or conjunctions with angles/significators, a practice requiring very tight orbs (Robson, 1923).
• Long-term cycles: Great conjunctions (Jupiter-Saturn) and notable eclipses are sometimes treated as indices of multi-year anomalies or climatic emphases, to be traced through subsequent ingresses (Abu Ma’shar, trans. Burnett, Yamamoto & Yano 1994).

Throughout, traditional authorities counsel caution: single testimonies are insufficient; repeated, angular, and dignified indications across charts and cycles carry more weight. The ethos is procedural and probabilistic, not deterministic, aligning judgments with the symbolic language of astrology rather than with mechanistic causation (Bonatti, trans. Dykes 2007; Lilly, 1647/1659). See Traditional Astrology: "Essential dignities show the natural strength or weakness of a planet in a given situation.": "Essential dignities show the natural strength or weakness of a planet in a given situation.", Timing Techniques.

5. Modern Perspectives

Contemporary astrologers continue to practice astrometeorology, often integrating traditional ingress and lunation methods with modern chart calculation software, higher-precision ephemerides, and a comparative mindset that pays attention to local climatology and official forecasts. A common workflow is to cast the Aries ingress and seasonal ingresses for a national capital, then refine monthly expectations with lunations and eclipses, tracking transits to ingress angles for short-term fluctuations—an approach rooted in classical manuals yet adapted to contemporary data availability (Houlding, n.d.; Lilly, 1647/1659).

Some modern practitioners explore additional celestial inputs. Fixed star techniques have been revisited through translations and studies that reassess orbs and parans, with a general trend toward conservative, very tight conjunction criteria if stars are used at all (Robson, 1923). Others experiment with declination aspects and parallels/contra-parallels as supplementary signals for wind or temperature variance, always subordinated to the primary ingress/lunation framework (Al-Biruni, 11th c., trans. Wright 1934; Houlding, n.d.). Modern psychological frameworks around lunations—e.g., the phase-based approach to cycles—are occasionally referenced for symbolic nuance, though the primary focus in weather work remains on physical-analogue qualities like heat, moisture, and windiness rather than psyche (George, 1992).

In the broader public sphere, meteorology remains a physics-based science that uses numerical weather prediction (NWP) to simulate atmospheric dynamics; data assimilation, ensemble modeling, and statistical post-processing are core tools for short- to medium-range forecasts. This methodological baseline provides an external check on any astrometeorological schedule, highlighting where the two viewpoints diverge or align in timing or trend emphasis (AMS, n.d.). Accordingly, many astrologers present weather astrology as complementary, exploratory, or long-range “tendency mapping” rather than as a replacement for scientific forecasting.

Research on astrometeorology in peer-reviewed scientific venues is sparse; claims of efficacy are debated, and robust statistical validations are limited. Historically, long-range forecasters have occasionally attempted planetary-cycle correlations with weather anomalies, with mixed and contested outcomes in both scientific and astrological communities (AMS, n.d.). Within astrology, the methodological response emphasizes rigor: define scope (e.g., monthly tendency vs day-by-day specifics), use multi-chart corroboration, document results, and remain explicit about uncertainty and example limitations (Lilly, 1647/1659; Houlding, n.d.).

Integrative approaches are pragmatic: practitioners watch official short-range forecasts for operational detail while using ingress/lunation signatures to set expectations about broader periods—e.g., “unseasonably wet,” “volatile with wind events,” or “sustained heat dome risk”—always contingent on local baselines and evolving meteorological analyses. This integrative stance keeps the technique grounded, respects the demonstrated strengths of NWP, and frames astrological signals as symbolic guidance rather than deterministic predictions (AMS, n.d.). See Modern Astrology, Lunar Phases & Cycles, Timing Techniques.

6. Practical Applications

Real-world uses. Weather astrology has historically supported agriculture planning, festival timing, maritime scheduling, and public advisories in almanacs. Today, it is sometimes applied to medium- and long-range tendency mapping for regions, always with the caveat that operational decisions should prioritize official meteorological guidance (AMS, n.d.). Use cases include anticipating wetter-than-average months, heat waves, cold snaps, or windy intervals, and assessing whether eclipses or angular malefics in seasonal charts might correlate with departures from typical patterns (Lilly, 1647/1659; Houlding, n.d.).

Implementation methods. A repeatable workflow:

1) Cast the Aries ingress for the target location; note rising sign to determine annual vs quarterly judgment; identify angle rulers and angular planets. 2) Add seasonal ingresses (Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) if indicated by the rising sign or by traditional rules; compare angular testimony. 3) Track lunations, especially those that fall on ingress angles or oppose/conjoin ingress rulers; note the Moon’s applications and the condition of moist/dry significators. 4) Watch eclipses visible over the region and judge their angularity and rulers for anomaly potential. 5) Monitor transits to ingress angles and rulers for short-term activations that can coincide with pronounced events, within the bounds of local climatology and official forecasts (Bonatti, trans. Dykes 2007; Lilly, 1647/1659; Houlding, n.d.).

Case studies (illustrative only). For example, an Aries ingress with fixed fire rising, Mars angular in a fire sign and in aspect to Jupiter, and a sequence of lunations applying to Mars might be read as heat-prone periods punctuated by convective storms when moisture signatures briefly dominate. Conversely, a Cancer ingress with Moon angular, dignified in a water sign, and repeatedly applying to Venus could suggest a wetter-than-average interval. These sketches are not universal rules; outcomes depend on full-chart synthesis, orbs, receptions, sect, and local climate norms (Lilly, 1647/1659; Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940).

Best practices. Clarify scope (trend vs specific day), document methods, use tight orbs for fixed stars (if used), and compare multiple charts for corroboration. Communicate uncertainty and defer to official forecasts for safety-critical decisions; consider astrological signals as qualitative guidance on tendencies rather than categorical predictions. Emphasize that every chart is unique and must be interpreted within its context, avoiding single-factor judgments (AMS, n.d.; Lilly, 1647/1659; Robson, 1923). See Electional Astrology for timing nuance and Mundane Astrology for broader context.

7. Advanced Techniques

Specialized methods. Some practitioners incorporate parans—moments when stars and planets simultaneously contact angles by latitude—arguing that certain stellar contacts can coincide with wind or storm signals. If used, orbs are kept exceedingly tight, and testimonies must corroborate primary ingress and lunation signatures (Robson, 1923). Declination-based aspects (parallels and contra-parallels) are sometimes monitored for supplementary indications of atmospheric tension or persistence, again subordinate to angular strength and rulership networks shown in the principal charts (Al-Biruni, 11th c., trans. Wright 1934).

Advanced concepts. Essential dignities and debilities inform the weight accorded to planetary indications: a dignified ruler of the Ascendant on an angle carries greater authority than a peregrine planet cadent from angles. Reception can mitigate harsh aspect signatures; lack of reception can exacerbate dryness/heat or cold/extremes signified by malefics. Sect conditions (day/night alignments) are used to nuance malefic/benefic expression in mundane contexts (Bonatti, trans. Dykes 2007; Lilly, 1647/1659).

Expert applications. Analysts compare ingress charts in a chain: Aries ingress sets the annual tone; seasonal ingresses fine-tune; lunations activate; transits time ripples. If an eclipse falls tightly on an ingress angle or ruler for a region, it is treated as a potential marker for departures from baseline within its effective period, especially if supported by subsequent lunations (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940; Houlding, n.d.).

Complex scenarios. Consider configurations where malefics are angular but mutually received, or where benefics are angular yet overcome by hard aspects without reception; expert synthesis weighs these trade-offs. Required network cross-references also inform interpretation: e.g., awareness that Mars rules Aries and Scorpio and is exalted in Capricorn frames how martial indications are assessed when those signs or dignities are pivotal; “Mars square Saturn” may symbolize environmental strain if both command angles, but reception can moderate; fixed star contacts like “Mars conjunct Regulus” are treated as symbolic only if exact (Lilly, 1647/1659; Robson, 1923). See Parallels & Contra-Parallels and Fixed Stars & Stellar Astrology.

8. Conclusion

Astrometeorology—rooted in ingress and lunation charts—offers a structured, symbolically coherent tradition for framing seasonal and monthly weather tendencies. Its classical backbone, from Ptolemy through Abu Ma’shar, Bonatti, and Lilly, supplies a repeatable workflow: prioritize angular strength and rulers, corroborate across charts, and weight elemental signatures with nuance from sect, reception, and dignities (Ptolemy, 2nd c., trans. Robbins 1940; Bonatti, trans. Dykes 2007; Lilly, 1647/1659).

Modern practice benefits from precise calculations and awareness of official meteorological outlooks; many astrologers position weather astrology as complementary trend-mapping rather than as operational forecasting, recognizing the demonstrated strengths of numerical weather prediction for short-range specificity (AMS, n.d.; Houlding, n.d.). Best practices emphasize transparency about scope and uncertainty, very tight criteria for fixed stars if used, and careful documentation of methods and results.

For further study, related topics include Mundane Astrology, Ingress, Lunation, Fixed Stars & Stellar Astrology, Lunar Phases & Cycles, and Timing Techniques. Practitioners seeking depth may examine translations of classical sources and modern commentaries to understand variations in traditional rules and their rationales (Robson, 1923; Al-Biruni, 11th c., trans. Wright 1934).

Future directions likely involve data-driven reviews of historical ingress/lunation signatures against recorded climate and weather archives, collaborations with climate science for context, and machine-assisted pattern discovery that remains faithful to traditional interpretive logic. Integrating graph-based knowledge of rulerships, aspects, houses, and stellar links can further clarify relationships across techniques while maintaining a careful distinction between symbolic astrological language and physics-based meteorology (AMS, n.d.; Houlding, n.d.).

Notes: Examples herein are illustrative only and never universal rules; all judgments depend on full-chart context.