On May 3rd I realized that a gift card I thought was in my husband’s wallet was not there, and no where to be found. There was some question as to whether I’d ever actually given it to my husband, whether I may have taken it back, and whether it may already have been spent. After turning the house upside down, then sitting down with a glass of wine (because hunting is thirsty work!) it occurred to me to draw a Horary to ask, ‘Where is my gift card?’ The chart had an early Ascendant, technically suggesting it is not safe to judge–that is, won’t deliver a reliable answer–though the meaning of a Horary Ascendant in the first three degrees of a sign should be read as, ‘It’s too soon to tell’, implying the matter is in some way not yet developed enough to provide an answer. I read the chart anyway, as an early Ascendant in a lost item case may simply mean that even with the info provided in the chart, it may be some time before conditions are ripe for finding the item. I’m posting the chart, and anyone who’d like to take a crack at reading it may–you can leave your interpretation in the comments if you like–then next week I’ll post my reading of it, and the outcome of the matter, which happened today, the 12th.

Hints for successful interpretation: Keep it simple–lost items are signified by the ruler of the 2nd and potentially by any bodies located therein, with placement and dispositor of the ruler often being helpful in obtaining a correct answer; the Moon is important in how things will progress; ignore anything not directly related to the question–that helps give a ‘clean’ answer and keeps you from being distracted by irrelevancies. After quite a bit of experimenting, with obtaining a clear and informative answer to a question the goal, I’ve used the methods outlined in March and McEvers ‘The Only Way To . . . Learn About Horary and Electional Astrology Volume VI’ with the best and most consistent results, and that’s what I used here. Happy Interpreting, and have a great weekend!

Hello! I’m back to fill you in on how the chart worked for me. As mentioned, the Ascendant is considered too early for a clear answer (in this case, 2 Scorpio 04, within the first three degrees of the sign). Though this is considered ‘unreadable’, it doesn’t prevent gleaning info, it only says that things have not developed to a definitive point yet–and as it turned out, this was right, as it took me until the 12th to find the lost card, even having the chart info.

For those curious, there are four main proscriptions against reading a Horary chart: an Ascendant that is either in the first three degrees (too early to know) or in the last three degrees of a sign (the matter is already settled, so you can find out the particulars, but you must be aware you can’t at this point change the outcome); Saturn in the 7th–this suggests that the astrologer who’ll read the chart doesn’t understand it, or may miss something; if the Moon is Void–that is, won’t make anymore major aspects before leaving the sign; and if the Moon is in the Via Combusta, the real estate between 15 Libra and 15 Scorpio. This latter is an ancient rule which was based on this section of the sky containing a number of malefic fixed stars, but I don’t use this, as experience has shown me it doesn’t seem to apply anymore.

For a Horary, we state (and write down!) the question as clearly as possible, in this case, ‘Where is my gift card?’ I am the querent as well as the astrologer; my significator is Mars (and in a pinch, Pluto) since it rules the House that represents me, the 1st. Mars is in Gemini in the 8th, hinting at involvement of my husband, especially since I had asked him to carry the card in his wallet, which from my POV is definitely the 8th! The Moon is always co-ruler of the question, and as such can be considered as also repping the querent (unless another entity in the chart is ruled by the Moon). Luna always shows how the rest of the matter will progress by what it will aspect while still in the sign–applying aspects (or ones not yet formed) show the future, while aspects already formed by the Moon to other bodies while in this same sign show the past (unless the Moon is making a separating aspect to a relevant significator and it is one degree or less past exact). In this case the Moon’s at 25 Leo 53, late in the sign but not Void, suggesting that we’re close to the end of the matter, just not quite there yet.

Lost objects are generally represented by the 2nd House; here the ruler is Jupiter, located in Libra in the 12th, and the 2nd House holds Black Moon Lilith and Saturn. That Libra, the sign of partnership, is involved, added to the placement of my sig in the 8th, at first made me think my husband might still have possession of the card, or at least knew where it had been hidden or disposed of (12th)–but, we’ll soon see why these ‘hints’ that echoed my own thinking turned out to be red herrings.

In lost objects we look not just at aspects, but at the directions signified by the Houses, and locations related to signs, even at associated colors, in some instances, to help find the object. We start with Jupiter, ruler of the 2nd, which is in Libra in the 12th. In lost object Horaries, or in any Horary where we are asking about the return of something or where a change of mind may come in, we note retrogrades, and in this instance, we have retro Jupiter as significator of the item, suggesting it will turn up, one way or another. We also look at dispositors of the object ruler, in this case Venus (ruler of Libra) which is in Aries, ruled by Mars, which is in Gemini, ruled by Mercury, which is in Aries, with final dispositor Mars, as the line turns back on itself (and just happens to be my significator, pointing toward me being responsible for where the object is).

With lost items, there is a general assertion that if the ruler of the object is in Virgo or Pisces, or the 6th or 12th, it is not readily visible and will be found in a ‘closed’ place, like a drawer, pocket, chest, or other enclosed area. The 12th placement of lost item sig suggests something thoroughly hidden, possibly undetectable, virtually invisible! And its final dispositor reinforces that, as sitting in the 8th it suggests totally hidden, as well. Now here’s where I need to mention that there are specific places listed as potential spots where the item will be found that correlate to sig placements, but as the reader of the chart, we must use logic and our own discretion in following leads. With 8th and 12th there is an uncanny correspondence in both Houses to laboratories, hospitals, and plumbing, wet areas, etc., which just don’t add up in this case, but which must be peripherally kept in mind, in case the more logical locations don’t pan out.

We also look at signs, with Libra suggesting attics or bedrooms–and the bedroom being exactly where I’d been looking for the card. Gemini, as sign of the dispositor, names a number of potential spots, but the ones that stood out are, per March and McEvers, “Near a wall, wainscoting, in a chest or trunk”. Air signs denote a spot ‘high up’. This indeed led my original search when I first did the chart, sending me to a pair of purses leaning against the wall on the top shelf of the closet in our bedroom, in the south by west corner of the room, corresponding to the dispositor. The southeast was suggested by the significator placed in the 12th, which seemed to point to the bedroom, which is in that corner of the house (and there is no furniture in the southeast corner of the room). I did not find it at that time, in spite of a thorough (or so I thought) search.

I couldn’t let it go; I was sure the chart was telling me where the card was, and I just wasn’t (yet!) seeing it, which from the early Ascendant was to be expected. I looked at some more obscure references, such as Venus, ruler of Jupiter, in the 6th in Aries, which offered several suggestions along the same vein: in a place of work or office, in a box, pocket, drawer, or cabinet (and I had searched all the coat and jacket and sweater pockets I could find), with Aries offering one helpful suggestion: in places not often accessed. I looked too at suggested colors, which I usually don’t use, though I will sometimes read through them in case something jumps out. This time Libra, location of the lost card significator, listed ‘pastel colors’. Nothing immediately came to mind.

This dresser was the culprit. Notice how innocently it hides things.

Though I thought I’d already searched it completely, I decided to go through a dresser that sits right next to the closet, in the same direction/ part of the room. I was sure I wouldn’t find anything–until I’m looking in one of the drawers, and something clicks. It was the ‘thoroughly hidden’ facet, plus the ‘not accessed frequently’ facet, plus the Libran pastels–which lead me to lift up a pile of neatly folded, pale-colored scarves in a section of the drawer I hardly use–and lo and behold, there was the card!

So, it was found (retro status of the ruler), was essentially where it had been described as being, but it took some time going by to ‘let things develop’ (the early Ascendant). In looking at the chart after the fact, hoping to see where the timing for finding the item might’ve been indicated, I found the only correspondence between the Moon (which shows issue progress) and Saturn, found in the House indicating the lost object. It showed roughly and just under 1.5 degrees to perfection of a trine in Fire. Time to act! and corresponding to approximately 9 days later (1.5 weeks) when the object was found, just as the transiting Moon was within orb of conjoining the object’s significator. And, not to be forgotten, we saw a developing trine between me (Mars) and lost object sig (Jupiter), promising that Yes, I would find the card.

I know that’s a long explanation–thanks for your patience, and your interest–and have a great weekend!