Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Intercepted or Blank Signs
Intercepted or Blank Signs
An intercepted sign is a zodiac sign that does not fall on any house cusp. In other words,
this is the sign when two houses sandwich it between them. When one sign is intercepted,
the opposite sign is also intercepted. Intercepted signs always occur in opposing pairs,
and elsewhere in the chart there will be two pairs of cusps with only two signs on them.
For example, in the attached MP Jain’s chart, Gemini is intercepted, and its polar
opposite, Sagittarius is also intercepted. Gemini is sandwiched by 8th and 9th houses, and
Sagittarius by 2nd and 3rd houses. A pair of two cusps (1st and 12th) falls in Libra sign,
and another pair of two cusps (6th and 7th) falls in Aries.
Interceptions are pairs of signs which do not show up on any house cusp. A sign
(Gemini) is intercepted when the sign is not upon any of the cusps of houses, but
included between one house (8th cusp in Taurus) and another (9th cusp in Cancer).
(Christian Astrology, Books 1 & 2, William Lilly, edt. David R. Roell, Astrology Center
of America, 2005, p 37)
When the same sign appears on two cusps (Libra on the 1st and 12th ), with opposite sign
Aries on the opposite cusps 6th and 12th ), another pair of signs (Gemini and Sagittarius)
is missing. The Gemini sign between them is squeezed to the 8th house and Sagittarius
sign into 2nd house.
Whether or not there are intercepted signs in a chart depends on various factors:
1) the latitude of the birth place: the closer to the poles, the more likely it becomes
that there are extremely large houses with intercepted signs; starting with a) ‘two’
cusps falling in a sign even at the lower level of latitude like Indian charts, e.g.
MP Jain’s chart with two cusps (1st and 12th) falling in Libra, two signs Gemini
and Sagittarius are intercepted; b) ‘three’ cusps (2nd , 3rd and 4th ) falling in one
sign Gemini, consequently ‘four' signs (Aries & Libra and Virgo & Pisces)
intercepted in the chart of Greta Garbo, 18 September 1905, 19:30 pm,
Stockholm, Sweden, 59n20, 18e03, h 1 e, Asc. Taurus 12° 52' 41", KP New
Ayanamsa 22° 27' 3", by KPAstro 4.1 SW; similarly three cusps (3rd , 4th , 5th )
falling in Gemini sign of Juha Vainio’s chart, 10 May 1938, 03:35 am, Kotka,
Finland, 60n28, 26e55, h2e, using KPNA 22° 54' 23"; then c) ‘four ‘ cusps (4th ,
5th 6th and 7th ) falling in Taurus sign, and ‘six’ signs ( Gemini & Sagittarius,
Cancer & Capricorn and Virgo and Pisces) intercepted in a Russian chart, 16
February 2009, 05:48 am, Tarko-Sale, ‘64’n55, 77e49, h 5 e, Yekaterinburg time,
Asc. Scorpio 26° 58' 45", KPNA 23° 53' 39"; finally d) up to the chart of Polar
region born Marie Peary, daughter of Polar explorer Robert Peary, 12 September
1893, 18:45 p.m. LMT, h 4:34:12 w, Anniversary Lodge, South shore of Bowdoin
Bay (McCommick Bay), Inglefield Gulf, Greenland , 77n40, 68w30, Asc. Pi 3°
56' 2", KPNA 22° 16' 59", for which "a symposium of astrologers" had been then
invited by Alan Leo to settle the matter of the reversed order of the houses
compared to the usual order as per Regiomontanous and Campanus house
systems). (see A Case Study of Polar Region Chart, KP-Ezine Oct. 2010 issue)
2) choice of the house system: almost all house systems calculate houses in relation
to the latitude, and have therefore different house sizes, except the equal house
system with all houses 30 degrees each, making intercepted signs impossible.
For example, in William Lilly’s “Where is my fish?” horary chart, 20 February
1638, Hersham, UK, 0w23, 51n22, 9:00 a.m. LMT, h 0:01:32 w, three cusps (3rd
@ 0°58'33" , 4th @ 14° 4'41" and 5th @ 29°46'34") falls in Cancer sign by
Regiomontanus house system; two cusps (2nd @ 5°54' 9" and 3rd @ 27°20' 1")
fall in Gemini sign by Koch house system; no intercepted signs at all by Placidus
house system, according to tropical charts calculated by Astrodienst,
www.astro.com . (Chart details: courtesy of The Real Astrology, John Frawley,
‘Chapter 3: Horary Astrology’)
3) tropical or sidereal chart, for instance, John Macauley Brown, 17 October 2003, t
09:28 am GDT, h1e (daylight saving time), Edinburgh (same birth place of Tony
Blair with ‘four’ intercepted signs), Scotland, ‘55n57’, 3w13 has no intercepted
signs at all in tropical (sayana) chart but contains two intercepted signs of Cancer
and Capricorn, two cusps (5th and 6th) falling in Pisces and two cusps ( 11th and
12th ) in Virgo in the sidereal (nirayana) chart using KP New Ayanamsa 23° 49'
11"; similarly the tropical chart of Carl XV, King of Sweden, 3 May 1826, 14:15
pm LMT, Stockholm (birth place of Greta Garbo), Sweden, 59n20, 18e03, does
not contain any intercepted signs, but in the sidereal chart using KPNA Gemini
and Virgo signs are intercepted with 1st and 12th cusps falling in Leo sign; in the
case of Greta Garbo, in tropical chart 1st and 2nd cusps fall in Gemini, and 3rd and
4th cusps in Cancer; but in sidereal chart 2nd , 3rd and 4th cusps fall in Gemini by
using PKNA 22° 27' 3";
4) adjustment of birth time, for instance when the charts are rectified; in the above
Russian chart, 16 February 2009, 06:18 am, Tarko-Sale, ‘64’n55, 77e49, h 5 e,
Yekaterinburg time, KPNA 23° 53' 39", if the birth time is adjusted to 06:06 am,
only ‘three’ cusps (10th, 11th and 12th ) fall in Taurus with only ‘four’
intercepted signs (Cancer & Capricorn and Leo & Aquarius).
Analysis as Usual
2. The example charts with two or four intercepted signs, two or three cusps falling in one
sign, can be found analyzed in ‘usual’ manner, without any special additional rule in the
books below:
KP analysis is as usual for the charts, both natal and horary, which contained a pair of
two intercepted signs or two cusps falling in one sign, except "Intercepted?" is explained
in Handbook on Astrology, Part II, K. Hariharan,1998, p 8: If a sign lies between two
cusps without touching either is called intercepted.
There are very few people born at such very high latitudes, virtually no significant events
which happen at such latitudes.
Anthony Louis, Plain & Simple Horary Astrology, Llewellyn Publications, 1998
Planets in intercepted signs ‘have trouble expressing themselves.’ He lists it as a
hindrance for functioning of the significators in a horary chart. ( pp 19, 69, 110)
Alice Miller, Intercepted Planets: Possibilities for a New Age, American Federation of
Astrologers , 2010
Those with intercepted areas in their natal horoscopes are those beings who were born
outside the general consciousness. The inclusion of planets within interceptions increases
the distance beyond the recognized norm or average. In essence, it may be said that such
individuals are born with a consciousness level characteristic of the approaching age - or
sometimes the previous one - rather than the current one. (p 3) Example: this interception
(first-seventh) will represent an image problem & include a partner problem. Because the
self-image is not well-established, or not accurate - because it excludes the intercepted
area from consciousness - it is impossible to know who our equals are. Consequently, we
may marry those not our equals and the marriage (or other partnership) will not work
well, largely because only one partner tries to make it work. (p 7) As Jupiter rules
mathematics (so says the Reverend), those with intercepted Jupiters, like myself, are
believed to lack mathematical skills. An intercepted Jupiter means that I learned, long
ago, that there are places I could not go, things I could not become, things I cannot do p
59). This is because an intercepted Jupiter withholds money, travel & education, so we
end up stupid & broke, right where we started. Intercepted Jupiter "withholds our future".
Eventually transits force the intercepted Jupiter to explode outwards, like Uranus, or
perhaps Pluto, which resembles a religious conversion. (p 61).
But there are no delineations with support of example charts in the book.
The signification of a cuspal sub lord or dasa period lord is to be considered up to the sub
level in KP, which is the sub lord theory.
In the chart of Finnish singer, songwriter, Juha Vainio, born on 10 May 1938, 03:35 am,
Kotka, Finland, 60n28, 26e55, h2e, OVN Murthy says that 1st CSL Sa(12) in Me star
(12,3,4 n5) has given long life. 9,10,5,6,12 CSL Venus is in Taurus, 2nd has given music
& vocal and good name as singer. The native was born in Finland at higher latitude
‘60N28’ which has given a Cuspal Interception of 3 cusps each in Gemini/Sagittarius.
Hence 4 signs do not get any cusp. This chart is a very peculiar for this theory, except
cusp 4 n 10 all other cusps are favourable. Saturn could get only 12th cusp and is not a
Bhadhaka. Bhadhaka lord Jupiter also got 10 n 9, does not create any problem. Jupiter
lord of 9,10,11 in 12 in Mars star who is lord of 1n 8 in 2 has given name and fame thru
music. (Astrovision E-magazine, January 2010 issue)
Based on Joanne Wickenburg’s idea, whenever there are intercepted signs in a chart,
there is also a set of two houses, side by side, having the same sign on their cusps. The
house containing the lesser degree than 30 degrees is called the intercepted house, for
example in the MP Jain's chart the 6th and 12th are the intercepted houses. One is
challenged to incorporate what is comfortable and well formed (intercepted house) into a
new framework for expression (following house). According to Elan Bacher, an
intercepted house represents the unfulfilled past seeking fulfillment or expression through
the experiences defined by the house containing the larger degree. It is important to apply
the experiences acquiredthrough the intercepted house into the operation of the following
house. In the MP Jain's chart, the 6th house is intercepted and the same sign is found on
both the 6th and 7th house cusps of the chart, suggesting power of daily management. He
needs to work (6th house) with people (7th house). He came into life with an intimate
ability to integrate his skills with those of others in the process of social integration. The
planet ruling this sign, Mars in house 5 lord of house 2, 6, 7 describes the energy required
to merge these two areas of life. The 12th house is intercepted and the same sign on the
12th and 1st housecusps may describe an individual who was unable to complete an
important missionin a past life and is here to wrap things up. He was projecting , through
the ascendant, a great deal of unconscious energy. The intercepted 12th house indicates
that the inner self is powerfully developed. The sign Libra sharing these consecutive
house cusps describes his inner life and how others see him projecting it. The planet
ruling this sign, Venus + in house 3 lord of 1, 8, 12 but mainly 11 by being its cuspal sub
lord without having any planet in its star, describes the energy he must use to merge his
inner and outer life.
In fact this is not cuspal displacement but the normal outcome of the Placidus unequal
house system. The signification of a planet, whether cuspal sub lord or dasa period
lord, at the star and sub level is to be considered in KP analysis.
David R. Roell, Skeet Shooting for Astrologers, Astrology Classic, 2011, ‘How to Read
Intercepted Signs’, ‘Itercepted Signs and Recarnation’,
The idea of interceptions making the individual somehow special, unique and gifted is
found silly by because the further north one goes, the more signs get intercepted. (p 121)
Intercepted signs are signs of the zodiac which do not appear on any house cusp. Just so
we are all on the same page. (p 123)
Noel Tyl, Synthesis & Counseling in Astrology, The Professional Manual, Llewellyn
Publications, 2009
With his considerable experience with clientele born quite far North in Sweden and
Norway, Noel Tyl says that sometimes the House distortion are extreme but he has not
found one case in which House and rulership networks as presented through his work
specifically in this Manual have failed to apply helpfully. Extremely large Houses like
Gisela’s 6th (from Libra 13° 49’ to Sagittarius 18° 16’ - due to intercepted signs Scorpio
and Taurus, and 2nd and 3rd cusps falling in Cancer sign) and 12th, for example, simply
focus transit, progression and arc development- time with the meanings of these Houses
for a longer period of time than average. (p 491)
When a very wide house (usually two since it has a counterpart opposite it on the chart)
contains a whole sign with neither its beginning or end touching it, we have an
interception. That means that the energies of that sign don't have a house to act out of. No
area of life is directly represented by the sign. You then have to look to its ruler and use
the house that contains it to express this energy. In short, your environment does not
support direct expression of the trait or the needs of any planet placed inside of sign.
Bringing out the positive characteristics of intercepted signs can mean harder work, but
developing them is required before we can attain wholeness. Her projected idea is that
one’s environment does not provide opportunity for development in those areas where
interceptions occur in the birth chart and that those qualities are suppressed in early life
making it difficult to express them consciously in outer life activity.
Joanna Martine Woolfolk, The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need, Taylor Trade
Publishing, 2008
Regarding Oprah Winfrey’s chart, that Oprah’s 1st house contains a intercepted sign. The
first house begins with 25 degrees Sagittarius, then Capricorn is completely contained
within the house and the house ends with Aquarius. Because houses that lie opposite each
other mirror each other, Oprah’s 7th house also contains an intercepted sign, Cancer
(opposite to Capricorn). Houses with an intercepted sign speak of complexity. These
signs are said to have difficulty getting out. The native must work hard to express these
signs. Capricorn in Oprah’s 1st house shows a drive to control, to ascend to authority, and
certainly executive ability. Capricorn ruler is Saturn, planet of discipline and hard work,
and in certain respects subruler of Oprah’s chart. Certainly her capacity for hard work,
her driving passion, and the obstacles she has had to overcome (personally and
professionally) demonstrate the force of Saturn in her 1st house. In her 7th house Oprah’s
intercepted Cancer shows that her nurturing instinct has revealed itself more in her work
than in marriage or motherhood. Having Uranus (planet of uniqueness) here also in
Cancer points to her unusualness in this respect. (p 341)
The Jataka Parijata originated Badhaka and well known 2,7 Maraka concepts are
originally Rasi/sign based. But in the Placidus house applied KP, the Badhaka, Maraka
are Placidus-bhava- based, and it is just to follow what the Placidus cusps shown by
the KP SWs, nothing else. The problem appears when two or four zodiac signs are
intercepted (signs with any cusp falling there) and the practical application can be found
in the following example charts:
Regarding very weak KP grade E significators, 'only' the planets, which are conjoined
with or aspected by significators (planets) of KP Grade A, B, C and D significators are to
be considered. (KP Reader IV, pp 118, 128, 201; KP Reader VI, 157,197,247) Hindu
aspects from sign to sign are consistently applied in the six KP Readers.
The effect of ‘intercepted signs’ on Hindu aspect with orb can be seen in the chart below
with two intercepted signs (Leo & Aquarius). Jupiter, from Scorpio, aspects: i) Pisces
rasi (also Mars and 2nd cusp located there) by 5th Hindu aspect; ii) Taurus rasi (also Sun,
4th cusp and Mercury placed there) by 7th Hindu aspect, and iii) Cancer rasi (also Moon,
7th cusp and Saturn positioned there) by 9th Hindu aspect. Thus Jupiter has Hindu aspect
on Mercury, Saturn and 7th cusp with 3° 20' orb.
In the following chart, the difference between Hindu aspect and Western aspect is worthy
to note. Mars, from Cancer rasi, throws: i) 4th Hindu aspect on Libra rasi (also 4th cusp
placed there), ii) 7th aspect on Capricorn rasi (also 7th cusp located there), and 8th aspect
on Aquarius rasi (also 7th cusp situated there). As Jupiter is in the Virgo rasi, which is not
aspected by Mars, Jupiter is not aspected by Mars, and so there is no Hindu aspect of
Mars on Jupiter at all, according to the KPAstro 4.1 using the Hindu aspects with the orb
3°20’. This basic Hindu aspect will be the same regardless of Mars being in 12th or 1st
house, as long as Mars is in the Cancer rasi.
Mars throws the Western square (90°) aspect, from degree to degree, on Jupiter with orb.
That is the difference from the above Hindu aspect, where Mars does not have any Hindu
aspect on Jupiter with orb or without orb.
Conclusion
Whether or not, or how one interprets intercepted signs is a matter of taste and of the
choice of the individual astrologer.
The beliefs of intercepted signs creating limitations and delays and having karmic
implications and other ideas have not yet been supported by convincing evidence.