ASTROLOGY, DIPLOMACY & THE 5TH HOUSE

Diplomacy! What a cool job. 

You get to have fancy balls at their Excellency’s residence, drink nice champagne while dealing with Important Problems with Important People, and travel the world for your job… Or something along those lines, no?

Sorry to burst your bubble, but diplomacy is actually a tad more complex than that (and probably less glamorous)… But that doesn’t make it any less fascinating! I am currently getting a Master in International relations, and the connections between diplomacy & astrology fascinate me. There is such a rich tradition there for us to explore! In fact, astrologers have been interested in the role of diplomats since the very beginning of the discipline. This isn’t surprising: since the most talented astrologers often worked at the service of kings and their courts, the king’s emissaries — those who negotiated war and peace! — were central actors too. But how did these ancient astrologers interpret the role of diplomats, and the charts of such eminent people? And most importantly, how does that translate into our modern world? 

That’s precisely what we’re gonna talk about today! But first, let me ask you a question: do you know what house is associated with diplomats? The 9th house, maybe, because it represents foreign places? Okay, I know you saw it in the title, it’s the 5th house. But why?

When we look at a chart, it represents the sky at the very moment and place we’ve decided to cast it: the position of the planets, of course (and the aspects that they make), the signs they’re in, and the houses. The houses represent a division of the sky into 12 parts, which each represent a topic. The meaning of each one is derived from its location relative to the Ascendant (the first house). The 5th house, for instance, makes a nice, flowing trine aspect to the 1st house. This is also where Venus, the planet of union & harmony, rejoices. In short, a nice place! The 5th house therefore derives its meanings from both these conditions: it is associated with pleasure, fertility, children and leisure, among other things.

Okay, that’s all nice and well but what is the connection with diplomats and ambassadors there?

We’re gonna get technical for a second here, because this is where the triplicity lords come into play. Triplicity lords are the planets associated with each element that form the twelve signs: fire, earth, air and water. There are three planets (three triplicity lords) for each element, and their order changes depending on the sect (if it is a day or a night chart). Each house in the chart has three triplicity lords which will mean various things (look at the table below to determine yours). So, to sum it up: to determine what the triplicity lords of a given house are: look at the sign of that house, determine if it is a day or night chart, and look at the triplicity rulers. For example: someone with Capricorn rising will have a Taurus 5th house. Say it is a night chart: the triplicity lords of the 5th house will respectively be the Moon, Venus, and the participating lord will be Mars. Got it?

Now, let’s have a look at what Dorotheus of Sidon, one of the OG hellenistic astrologers that has transmitted us a lot of the original significations of astrology has to say about the triplicity lords of the 5th house:

1st triplicity lord: children & offsprings

2nd triplicity lord: pleasures, love affairs, drinking.

3rd triplicity lord: emissaries, messengers, giving or exchanging of presents.

Ah-ah! Here it is! The connection between the 5th house and diplomats is apparent through the  signification of its 3rd triplicity lords: emissaries. The exchange of presents also points to the type of work which aims to both create allies and appease tensions. We can see here the mark of Venus, who rejoices in the 5th house — Venus is associated with union and harmony, which are obvious in the work of ambassadors, but also with cleanliness and the tending of temples and sacred rites. Diplomats are messengers, emissaries of their own countries who are invested with an official mission of good relations and pacification. This mission is so important that they have dedicated buildings in foreign countries (consulates & embassies) that citizens of their own countries can come to for assistance. Did someone say sacred buildings?

Another interesting connection is through derivative houses: the 5th house is actually the 9th house from the 9th, which is interesting if you think of diplomats as foreign officials in a foreign country. I also like to think of the relationship of both these houses (the 5th and the 9th) to the 1st house: they all make a trine aspect (they are 120° apart) to each other. Since the trine is a supporting aspect, we see an interesting relationship here between the 9th house (where the Sun rejoices), the house of foreign lands, of the Gods and important religious ceremonies making a superior trine to the 1st — in the case of a state, foreign affairs playing a superior role in the place of the state — which in turns makes a trine to the 5th (chooses ambassadors and sending them abroad), which itself makes a superior trine to the 9th house (diplomats and ambassadors play a key role and influence foreign affairs). Full circle!

In terms of position, the 5th house is also a succedent house (meaning it comes after an angular house, where all the action happens). Succedent houses show the outcome of what has happened in angular houses, sort of the consequence of the actions undertaken. Succedent houses also provide a sort of material support & resources for angular houses. In the case of the 5th house, it is succedent to the 4th house of roots, physical estate, and countries as a whole. It’s not surprising that the 5th house succeeds to the 4th which represent domestic (home) affairs and the state. They’re also both below the horizon, with the 4th house being the least visible house (this is where the Sun is around midnight) — it represents secrets, underground affairs, negotiations that take place out of the private eye. Don’t mistake this for a conspiracy theory! In the diplomatic world, a meeting between two head of states is preceded by months of tiring, minute and not very glamorous negotiations between multiple groups of people who make sure that a potential discussion holds enough water to be worth proposing. These are all very much 4th house topics! 

I’ve noticed that diplomats and people who work in foreign affairs usually have prominent 4th house placements. This is usually because in our modern worlds, they have to build a career in domestic affairs (the politics of their own country) before they venture into foreign affairs. These are interesting connections for sure!

Now that we’ve talked about the rich connections between the 5th house and diplomacy, I’d like to give you a practical example so you can see it in action. For that purpose, I’ve chosen the birth chart of António Guterres, the current Secretary-General of the United Nations. Let’s dive in!

The UN Secretary-General holds one of the most important mission in terms of diplomacy: their role is to oversee the general administrative activities of the UN, whose role as an organisation is to promote world peace and create a space for nations to meet and discuss world affairs.

The Secretary-General is chosen by the Security Council of the UN (comprised of 15 member-states) for a renewable term of 5 years. Traditionally, the position goes to a career diplomat who isn’t a citizen of one of these member states. Guterres fits the bill: he is a former Portuguese prime minister, and had been a career politician before retiring from domestic politics prior to his nomination as Secretary-General.

Now, let’s get into the astrology side of things: the part I’m interested in is Guterres’ Taurus stellium in his 5th whole sign house. Remember everything I told you about the 5th? Well, we have a prime example of that here! In astrology, a “stellium” is a concentration of 3-4 or more planets in one sign, meaning that this area of the native’s life will be especially prominent. Guterres has his Sun, Mercury, Moon (his sect light) and Venus (his benefic of the sect, ruling his 10th house of career and public image) in Taurus. This is an exceptionally dignified chart: Venus is the domicile lord of Taurus, and rejoices in the 5th house and in the night sect. Ruling the 10th house, she is exceptionally well positioned to grant the favours of high rank, visibility and prestige to the native through her own realm. A planet in the house of its joy is said to grant special gifts to the native: in this case, Venus grants Guterres Hugh honours through the 5th house of diplomacy and foreign affairs, as he acts as the chief administrator of the diplomatic body that is the UN.

The Moon is the other big player there: she is the exaltation lord of Taurus, also granting her favour to this house. At the exaltation degree of Venus (27° Taurus), co-present with her ruler, she’s especially well-positioned and acts harmoniously to increase the favours given through the 5th house. Mercury, ruling the 9th house of foreigners and distant lands is also part of this 5th house stellium, completing the significations of that house. Having the exaltation AND domicile lords of a sign in exceptionally great shape and co-present there together is a rare phenomenon that emphasises the 5th house in a wonderful way.

But this isn’t the whole picture: let’s now turn to Guterres’ chart ruler: he is a Capricorn rising, making his retrograde Leo Saturn in the 8th house his chart ruler. Having a night chart, Saturn is extra malefic here, but also unable to assist or provide much resources due to his severe affliction (debilitated in Leo, retrograde, in a dark house). Mmh, that’s odd. What’s going on here, and how come a man with such a prolific career is ruled by such a poorly-placed planet? The chart ruler (the planet ruling the sign on the ascendant) was known in traditional astrology as “the Helm”, or the planet that led the nativity — the planet that represents the native best. Not really fitting for a world leader, is it?

There is an ancient rule that takes into account not only the domicile lord of a sign, but also its exaltation lord. If a planet that is the domicile lord of a sign, and particularly of the nativity is poorly placed or severely afflicted, the exaltation lord (if it is in a better shape and has more resources) will effectively take the lead and become the ruling planet instead. The exaltation lord of Capricorn is Mars. When we look at Guterres’ Mars placement, it is much stronger that his Saturn: Mars is in his own domicile of Aries (at the anoretic degree, extra emphasis!), of the sect in favour (Mars is happier in a night chart), below the horizon and in an angular house (the 4th). This is a much, much better place for Mars, and not only does he take the lead, but he also assists Saturn: he makes an exact trine aspect to it (they’re both at 29° of fire signs), and have mutual reception by term, a form of reception that gives Saturn some strength. The hypotheses is that Mars takes the lead as chart ruler there, and there’s supporting evidence for that indeed: an impressive number of politician and statesman have personal placements (especially chart rulers and/or the ruler of their MC) in the 4th house. Since this house represents roots, the motherland, ancestry, countries and land in general, it isn’t surprising that politicians involved in domestic politics would have 4th house placements. This is confirmed by Guterres’ nativity, who started his career in the socialist party of Portugal, before becoming Prime Minister.

It is also interesting to note that people who are chosen as Secretary-Generals of the UN are chosen by the Security Council via recommendations: we see the workings of the 4th house there. Rather than being a big, bright promotion and choosing the candidate via his public stature, Security Council members tend to choose a candidate with a more “low-key” profile. The 4th house represents networks of influence that tend to be discreet rather than hyper visible (being the least visible of the 12 houses), so a chart ruler that leads to eminence there is fitting.

Speaking of eminence there, did you know there was a technique to calculate the degree of eminence of a nativity, meaning its “rank”? This serves to calculate whether or not someone’s life will have an impact on a great number of people (note that fame and eminence aren’t the same thing, and many eminent people are perfect strangers in the collective mind). The calculation of eminence here is particularly interesting and relevant to the topic of the 5th house — let me show you why.

In order to calculate eminence, Vettius Valens gives the technique of looking at the triplicity lords of the sect light. For Antonio Guterres, his 5th house Taurus Moon is his sect light. The Earth triplicity lords at night are the Moon, Venus and the participating lord is Mars, in that order. According to Valens, planets that are in good condition and in angular houses (this is very important) are conditions of eminence: the first denotes the first part of life, while the second denotes the second part of the life. If succedent houses (such as the 5th) aren’t too bad in terms of ranking, they don’t necessarily denote eminence (meaning the person being elevated to a higher status that they otherwise started with). However, Valens also says that the participating lord can help the second triplicity lord (so later in life). In this case, Guterres has a 4th house (angular) extremely dignified Mars that comes to assist. If Guterres comes from a relatively modest background (succedent first triplicity lord, the Moon), although provided for, he accessed later in life to honours and eminence in the realm of international politics (his 5th Venus as the second triplicity lord, second part of life - diplomacy par excellence !). Not only that, but he did it through personal recommendations thanks to his background in international politics — symbolised by his 4th Mars as chart ruler! His lot of Spirit, in Capricorn in the 1st house is witnessed favourably by his Taurus stellium (which trines it) and its exaltation ruler Mars. Guterres is the perfect example of 5th house support and honours coming from the realm of the 4th house, so don’t sleep on that connection when it comes to the 5th.

I hope your learned more about the 5th house and its connection to diplomacy and ambassadors in this article. Thanks for reading!