Directing by triplicity gives a quick and easy thumbnail sketch of one’s entire life.

Look at the main luminary (if you were born at night, this is the moon and if you were born during the day, it’s the sun) and its 3 triplicity rulers and their condition in your chart. The first triplicity ruler covers roughly the first 3^rd of your life – the 2^nd triplicity ruler the second third and of course the 3^rd triplicity ruler governs the last part of life.

Note that there are no hard and fast rules as to when you’re moving from one life phase to another – but usually by about aged 30 years of age you should be transitioning to the 2^nd triplicity ruler and about aged 60 years you move into the last phase.

Note also that this method gives a sketch regarding the ‘self’ (i.e. how the native looks at the way his/her life progresses). If we wanted to look at his/her impact on the wider world instead of how he/she perceives herself then we would use the Lord of the Ascendant instead of the main luminary.

How this might work using Madonna’s chart:

• Diurnal chart = Sun as main luminary.
• Sun in Leo = fire = triplicity rulers as follows: Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn
• First 1/3 of Madonna’s life is ruled by her Sun which is in Leo, it’s sign of rulership – EXCELLENT.
• However this Sun is in the 12^th house and so cadent – hence it loses power to make a significant impact on her environment.
• Not only that but the Sun at 23 Leo does NOT plug into (i.e. make an aspect to) any of the angles in her chart (ASC/DSC or MC/IC) and hence has even more trouble producing real effect in Madonna’s life.
• The Sun makes aspects to both Saturn and Jupiter but there is no reception so neither gives help to the Sun.
• Further, the Sun is at the ‘bendings’ of the chart (i.e. in square aspect to the nodal axis – 24 AR/24 LI) and this puts the Sun under a good deal of stress in not a very helpful way. NOT SO GOOD.
• Overall, this suggests that the 1^st third of Madonna’s life is characterized by a good deal of show-man’s ship (Sun in Leo is the consummate actress) but not as much success as she might want. However according to the Liber Hermetis, the Sun in Leo (in sect and free from affliction) does suggest ‘the native is noble and rich, ‘generous and honoured by all’. PRETTY OK.
• The 2^nd 1/3 of Madonna’s life is ruled by Jupiter at 26 LI in the 2^nd
• Although not in exaltation or rulership by sign, Jupiter is strong by Face and Term – it does PRETTY GOOD even if out of Sect – which according to the Liber Hermetis – ‘makes fortunate men, or those who have been decorated, those who lead constant lives or those who are high priests, or overseeing women, or protecting them’. Updating this to 21^st century understanding – ‘those who benefit women or women issues or those who are connected to high profile positions that have a bit of glamour’. OK = THIS MAKES SENSE!.
• The 3^rd 1/3 of Madonna’s life is ruled by Saturn, which is retrograde in Sagittarius in the 4^th house (home and family). Although Saturn neither rules, nor is exalted – nor in detriment nor fall in Sagittarius, we have a sense that it is not happy. Saturn likes to achieve things in a concrete sense and in Sagittarius, the focus is more philosophical than practical.
• Also Saturn placed at 19 degrees 9 minutes of arc in Sagittarus just misses out being in its own face and terms – although this is not bad in and of itself, it is likely to reflect a sense that in later life Madonna narrowly fails to achieve all she wants to achieve. Being in Retrograde (moving backwards across the sky) does not help. This suggests a sense of wanting to return to former glories but being unable to do so and because this Saturn is not plugged into the angles, there is the added sense that she can no longer make the impact in the outer world that she might once have done. NOT SO GOOD.
• Not only that but Saturn is out of Sect (not in the same hemisphere as the Sun) – The Liber Hermetis says this suggests errors of judgement, fear of failure, frustration, and the need to be overcontrolling. That focus on philosophy at the expense of practicality may well lead in Madonna’s view, to poor results. NOT SO GOOD.

IN SUMMARY – Madonna’s early life is likely to be the most successful in terms of her feeling like she is really expressing herself and achieving what she wishes to achieve. Later she will feel somewhat successful in having been of benefit to women and women’s issues – as she will have a achieved a high profile position that comes with a ‘bit of glamour’. In later life, she is likely to turn to more philosophical than practical concerns but this is not likely to give her the sense of contentment or achievement she seeks. Instead it is likely to breed a sense of frustration that in turn is likely to tempt her to be overcontrolling.