Morin on Dispositors in Astrology

A recent discussion with some colleagues online prompted me to look up what Morinus wrote about dispositors. The question arose regarding Christopher Reeve’s natal chart. Mr. Reeve has Leo rising with the Sun in Libra, ruled by Venus in domicile in Libra. The issue is that Venus in high dignity in Libra is the dispositor of the Sun, ruler of the Ascendant, which signifies his body and general health. How is it that he had a serious equestrian accident that left him paralyzed for much of his life? Should the dignified status of Venus, dispositor of the Asc-ruler Sun, have protected him from such a serious health condition? Here is the natal chart with Regiomontanus houses, as used by Morinus.

From Wikipedia: “On May 27, 1995, Reeve was paralyzed from the neck down after being thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia.” 

Let’s see what Morinus had to say. Here is the relevant passage from Book 21:

From Book 21, Part 2, Chapter 12

I translated the first few lines, which give the gist of the whole paragraph:

“Whether a planet in a foreign domicile is connected to its lord, and how [they are connected], and what is the state of each. For when a planet is connected to its lord, it is more dependent on it, in its action, and is more subject to it, and both work more effectively, especially if the connection is strong and appropriate. Furthermore, if a planet is badly affected by its Celestial or Terrestrial state, or both, but its lord [dispositor] is well [disposed], evil and misfortune will be signified at the start, to which benefit and good fortune will follow, especially if that planet applies to its lord [dispositor] with a fortunate ray [aspect]. … “

To summarize the main points:
1) A planet works in partnership with the sign it occupies and the ruler of that sign, which is its dispositor.
2) The planet and its dispositor work together most effectively when connected by a conjunction, a strong and appropriate aspect, or an antiscion.
3) The outcome of a planet’s actions depends on the nature and strength of its connection to its dispositor and the celestial and terrestrial states of both the planet and its dispositor.

In the case of Christopher Reeve, the outcome of the Asc-ruler Sun, his physical health and well-being, will be more in the hands of Venus if the Sun and Venus are connected by a favorable aspect or antiscion and Venus is in a good Celestial and Terrestrial state. However, in this chart the Sun is not connected to Venus by aspect or antiscion. Thus, the Sun and Venus act more independently in bringing about the outcome of the Sun’s action. Venus, even though in domicile, occupies a cadent house and a moveable (cardinal) sign, indicating weak and inconstant action. Morin regarded the 3rd as the weakest of all the houses. Furthermore, the 1st-ruler Sun, afflicted in the sign of its fall and not connected by aspect or antiscion to its dispositor Venus, is applying to conjoin Saturn, which is in a tight square with Uranus, signaling the possibility of a serious injury or accident affecting his body and its health during his lifetime.