Question from a beginner: "I have a horary chart with Zero degree and 36 minutes ascending. They say that it is too early to answer the question. Should I discard the chart as unreadable? What to do?"
This is one of the several instances in traditional astrology authors, teachers, and scholars fail to apply analytical thinking and common sense to the information contained in old books.
Discarding early or late-degree rising charts was necessary as a safety measure when they tracked time using sundials 300 years ago.
A partly cloudy day would be enough to create an error and would be enough to render a horary chart wrong. Or even later in history while using mechanical timepieces. That is not a limitation we have nowadays in the age of atomic clocks and electricity.
Timekeeping in the 21st century is accurate.
Is there a risk that our charts will be wrong nowadays?
Of course, there is. If you think of casting a chart but decide to go to the bathroom first or go to Facebook first, and then cast the chart, it may well be wrong. But that may be the case with any degree rising because any relevant cusp can change, not only the ascendant.
That is something the astrologer has to be cautious about and develop good habits around casting charts. Other than that, I recommend reading early or late ascending degree charts like any other chart.
But if it feels scary to you, or you chose to refrain from the risk of variation of early or late degree rising feel free to do so. Some people tolerate risk more than others.
“Some say that early degree ascending means that the situation is just beginning and late degree ascending means the situation is at the end.”
You are welcome to use that idea for you yourself if you like. Just don’t let it stop you from reading the chart and finding the answer to the question you were asked.
In my experience, if the situation is just beginning or ending it is given by the context as well as by the planetary testimonies in the chart in the form of aspects and/or planets on the verge of changing signs or having just changed signs. Or by a conjunction with Aldebaran for beginnings, or Antares or Uranus, for endings.
Early or late degree rising can be safely disregarded in horary, unless you have the bad habit of delaying casting your charts.
Read the chart. That is what horary astrologers do.
