Voids and accentuations
“I have empty Houses, empty quarters, or even my God : an empty hemisphere!!!”
First of all don’t panic, we’re not playing monopoly ! 😉
The “void” in astrology, in a birth chart, in a sky chart, does not exist.
What is perceived as void or empty is only in contrast to what is “full”.
Painters are familiar with this phenomenon, the notions of contrast, chiaroscuro, the concept of “negative space”; we perceive light thanks to shadow, a white square on a black background (or the opposite) strikes our eyes. Emptiness can be “deduced” from fullness and vice versa.
The same phenomenon occurs, when we look at an astrological chart for the first time, we immediately tend to “focus” on the Planets, and for example we immediately spot a planetary cluster (Stellium)… and we deduce that the rest is “void / empty” !
First of all, let’s remember that when we look at a birth chart, an astrological sky chart, we must always consider it as a fundamentally indivisible whole.
We can certainly analyse parts of the chart by taking them out of their context, but this analysis will only have an “in vitro” value, that is to say as an intellectual abstraction cut off from the global interpretation.
An chart analysis must be done in its entirety (“in vivo”, so to speak), it must take into account absolutely all the parts of the chart and above all not analyse one aspect or dominant to the detriment of or above the others.
The different astrological factors are added to each other and balanced to form the whole which is called “birth chart”.
And when we consider this chart as a whole, there is no longer any “void” or empty part.
The Planets, the major Aspects, are “the white” and the Empty Houses and Signs are “the black” (or the opposite !), both bring us the contrast of light and shadow.
What is called “void / empty” in a sky chart -because Houses seem to be unoccupied- should rather be called “absence of apparent activity”, but this does not mean that there is nothing to analyze !
Astrologer Dane Rudhyar had a nice formula about astrological accentuation and emptiness :
“There are underlying occult factors in the personality which acquire a focal signification in an unusual way by exerting a guiding influence on existence through the very absence of any natural activity of their own.
These factors are valued not by their action but by the emptiness they create in personal consciousness : Accentuation is as much about voidness as it’s about fullness.”
The different “Void” types in Astrology
There are several types of voids / empties in an astrological chart, each with different consequences and different analysis, but we can always interpret this “void” or emptiness.
A void or lack is not a “cataclysm” in a chart, many people have some “gaps” or accentuations in their birth chart that produce an “imbalance”.
Natives with these imbalances often manage to “overcompensate” and spontaneously rebalance their chart and personality in a creative and enriching way, they sublimate this basic destabilization.
However, beware of believing that a forced rebalancing is an imperative for a successful existence.
Void in elemental energies
One of the first analyses to be done on a chart is the analysis of the elements (elemental energies, fire, earth, water, air). An accentuation of one element often means a lack, or even a “void” (deficit), in at least 1 of the other elements.
To deepen the missing elements, I invite you to read the article on Astrological Elements.
The nature of the Planets, and the positions of the planets in Houses can partially compensate for the elements :
- For fire : 1st House (Aries), 5th House (Leo), 9th House (Sagittarius)
The planets : Sun, Mars, Uranus - For earth : 2nd House (Taurus), 6th House (Virgo), 10th House (Capricorn)
The planets : Mercury, Saturn - For air : 3rd House (Gemini), 7th House (Libra), 11th House (Aquarius)
Planets : Venus, Jupiter - For water : 4th House (Cancer), 8th House (Scorpio), 12th House (Pisces)
The planets : Moon, Neptune, Pluto
For example, a native with a lack of the water element can still show a temperament very similar to that described for this element if his houses 4, 8 or 12, are very accentuated by the Planets and the Aspect. He will be able to manifest typical “aquatic” receptivity and sensitivity, even if his dominants furiously pull towards fire. A Neptune in 12th House and a Moon in 4th House will thus be doubly effective !
Void in Mode
Another important analysis to be performed first is the analysis of the operating modes to determine the dominants.
Voids in the modes of operation are more worrying because they are more difficult to live with if they are not compensated.
However, the nature of the Planets, and the positions of the planets in Houses can also counterbalance some of the gaps in the modes :
- The Cardinal mode brings action and activity into the chart.
The cardinal signs : Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn
The cardinal houses : 1st House, 4th House, 7th House, 10th House - The Fixed mode gives it stability and resistance.
The fixed signs : Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius
The fixed houses : 2nd House, 5th House, 8th House, 11th House - The Mutable mode is the adaptability and transformation energy.
The mutable signs : Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces
The mutable houses : 3rd House, 6th House, 9th House, 12th House
For example, a native with a deficiency in the Fixed mode may have difficulty in attaching, fixing, stabilizing, being secure, but he may still show a temperament very similar to that described for this mode if his houses 2, 5, 8 or 11 are very accentuated by the Planets and Aspects, thus bringing him a form of stability, materialism and attachment in these concerned areas of activity. A Venus in 2nd House or a Uranus in 11th House will in this case be solid supports in Fixed mode.
Void / empty Houses
Some astrologers say that an unoccupied house is not an overriding concern in a native’s life.
This is partly true in the sense that this house has no active accentuation through any function of a Planet, so it will not a priori be “in the spotlight” other than through the actualization of Transits (which is already not nothing).
The native will well feel this house but in a passive way in the long run, as Dane Rudhyar explains, unoccupied houses will focus the attention because of their apparent passivity at first sight, their lack of own planetary energy (a bit like a photo negative).
Thus Ascendant, Midheaven, Imum Coeli, Descendant, even “void / emtpy”, will always be extremely dominant in a birth chart, we talk about the “angles of the astrological chart”, they have their own strength and must be considered as apart in the astrological houses.
However, a house is never really “void”.
On the one hand, the Sign in a house indicates the archetype of consciousness from which this house is coloured, it takes its qualities and its element (fire, earth, air, water) into the sector of human activity that it represents.
Another fundamental study is the Rulerships analysis, the ruler planet or planets of the Sign of this House ! Analyze where are these Planets in Signs, in Houses, in Aspects…
A house can have 2 rulers, if for example the house is spread over several Signs, the rulership will be in proportion to the occupation of each one, we speak of secondary ruler. The analysis of this second ruler can give good additional indications (change of Astrological Elements, news Rulerships, change of operating mode, cardinal, fixed, mutable, etc…).
The Rulerships analysis is extraordinarily complex, so much it implies multiple overlaps.
Just one example to support this approach, let’s take for example a fictitious chart with the 11th House cusp at Aquarius 10° and the 12th House at Pisces 10°.
The rulerhip of the 11th will have Uranus as primary ruler and Saturn as secondary ruler.
The rulership of the 12th will have Neptune as its principal ruler and Jupiter as its secondary ruler.
The 11th house is without planet and spreads from total 30°, distributed over 20° in Aquarius and 10° in Pisces.
In seeking to analyze this house, it will thus be necessary to take into account mainly (for 2/3) the 2 Aquarius rulerships, and secondarily (for 1/3) the 2 Pisces rulerships (each time, the Planets in Signs, Houses and Aspects).
You can imagine the relative complexity of this example (no astrology software does this type of analysis “ready-made”).
For the Houses, another clue can be found in the Interceptions (the intercepted Houses or Signs) in the temporal houses systems (Domification), which reveal the axes to be studied.
Finally, I will add that, in the House analysis, it’s always necessary to analyze “the axis” of which it’s a part; very often a planet in a house will find its “obstacles” in the houses in Square and its “culmination” (or its “refuge”) in the opposite house, this gives a “function” to these houses, and whether these houses are empty or aspected with a planet will not take anything away from this fundamental function.
Asteroids, Lunar Nodes, Black Moon, Parts, Midpoints, Fixed Stars…
It’s not just planets in our birth chart…
Potentially we can add asteroids that have a “physical reality”, a bit like if they were “small planets” (astrologically speaking) : Chiron, Ceres, Vesta, Pallas, Juno…
We can add more Fixed Stars which also have a “physical reality”.
We can also add fictitious points, such as the Lunar Nodes, the Black moon, the parts (part of Fortune, part of Spirit…), the Vernal Point (Aries 0°), the Midpoints, which do not have a “physical reality” but result from calculations.
In the hands of desperate astrologers, this is what it takes to “fill the void”…
I’m not saying that certain asteroids, certain fixed stars, certain fictitious points, or certain parts can’t provide relevant information in certain charts, and when you know how to decode them, such as Chiron, or the Part of Fortune…
But, on the one hand, everything depends on the complexity of the cases, and on the other hand, if it’s simply a question of trying to “fill the emptiness”, what is the point ?
Isn’t there already any other information to be exploited in the chart in the “classical version” ? I doubt it…
Often in the chart analysis, simplicity is the best advisor : one must always start from the simplest to dig and go deeper into detail – only if there is a real need – towards the most complicated…
When you go to see your doctor because you sneeze, the simplest thing for the doctor to do is to first determine if you have a cold before going to the medical encyclopedia to find a new, almost unknown illness…
Sky geometry, focal point and void
Finally, another element to consider when dealing with the “void” is the geometry of the sky, beacause planetary “drawings” and configurations often have a focal point.
This focal point makes it possible to see remarkable planetary patterns during Transits.
When for example there is in the chart a T-Square, that is to say 2 planets in Opposition, with a third planet in Apex which makes Square with the 2 others, the focal point of this pattern is located in Opposition of the latter, as to reconstitute a Grand Cross.
This apparent “void” is in fact the focal point of resolution of the pattern, it gives the direction of the axis in question, in this case this void is anything but a “useless void”.
Even more common, if you have a Sextile in a chart, the focal point with 2 Quincunx reconstitutes a YOD (the “finger of God”), a very powerful pattern, this focal point is really a neuralgic degree of the chart (be careful not to confuse YOD and double Quincunx, see the speed of the concerned planets).
Same if you have a Trine, a focal point can reconstitute a Grand Trine…
Etc.
In the different planetary configurations, these very sensitive “voids” take all their meaning either during Transits actualisations (especially with slow planets), or if one of the points mentioned above corresponds by “chance” : Angular houses, asteroids, Lunar Nodes, Black moon, Parts, Midpoints, fixed stars…
We will prefer a more or less wide orb to make the geometrical pattern “come to life” according to the case and while remaining reasonable…
Also in Synastry, a void with an important focal point is often “filled” in a surprising and unexpected way by such and such a person, for better or for worse…
Accentuation of the void
After reading this article, I hope that you will never say again “There’s a gap in my Birth Chart”… 😉
Remember that there is no perfect chart and no bad chart.
Human nature allows us to overcompensate for any imbalance, and no birth chart is “unrecoverable”.
Most of the time, imbalances lead to a form of creativity and sublimation, certainly at the cost of efforts and tensions, but the experience is all the more enriching, it’s towards this goal that the native must strive but it’s useless to “force a rebalancing”…
Above all remember that when a birth chart is looked at as a whole, there is only one unit, full and empty like Yin and Yang.
Thirty spokes unite around one hub to make a wheel.
It’s the presence of the empty space that gives the function of a vehicle.
Clay is molded into a vessel. It’s the empty space that gives the function of a vessel.
Doors and windows are chisel out to make a room.
It’s the empty space in the room that gives its function.
Therefore, something substantial can be beneficial.
While the emptiness of void is what can be utilized.
Tao Te Ching, Chapter 11