I find the information on the fixed stars and outer planets in John Frawley's The Horary Textbook to be an invaluable starting point as "catch all" concepts for horary interpretation.
Yet, over time, I have found conceptual subtleties that have proven accurate and useful when assessing situations and in conveying the message to the querent.
Stars and outer planets emphasize themes in a situation and they can also function as signposts by bringing attention to a certain house (by being on its cusp) — much like the way the Moon does by being in a particular house, in order to allow the astrologer to form a fuller picture of the context or confirm the context already given by the querent.
Here are the most common ones that come to my mind now. This is kind of “Lilly style”, that is: no context. So, it’s useful to carry a jar of salt in the toolbox.
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ALGOL
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Malfunction, distortion or imbalance of the thinking faculty (often seasoned by emotion).
Make a fuss about something
Fearful thoughts
Exaggerate a situation or feeling
Lose one’s temper
Mental confusion
Indecision
Make incorrect assessment of a situation
Error in judgement
Naivet?: you think you can but you can’t
Inappropriateness: you think you should but you shouldn’t
Supposition: you think you know but you don’t
You think you want it, but it’s really not a good idea
The Moon on Algol is rather peculiar. Because it is dignified by exaltation it often shows a genuine but inflated feeling or desire for something and a degree of discrimination, but the approach or timing can be wrong making whatever it is considering doing inappropriate. The Moon on Algol can also show faulty thinking due to a heightened emotional state.
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ANTARES
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Ending
Separation
Giving up on the subject
Stops action at the onset
Prevents a beginning
Death
Thinking of ending, death, separation or giving up
Difficult or bad for most things, can be a positive for L12 or L6
Affliction by intense heat
Antares on the 8th cusp or with L8 emphasizes imminent or the danger of death
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UNULKAHAI
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Similar to Antares in most contexts. But it also contains the concept of rebirth or renewal.
Example: a horary chart about the ship that blocked the Suez canal had Unulkahai on the 3rd cusp. It “died” and was “reborn” a few days later.
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ALDEBARAN
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Beginning
New direction
Fresh start
New phase/cycle
Good for most things, undesirable for L12 or L6.
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VINDEMIATRIX
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Pushing too far
Excess
Over-doing
Over-expecting
Too risky
Out of reach
Over-valuation (of self if on ascendant or with L1 or Moon. Of the quesited if with the quesited or on its cusp)
Example of conflicting testimonies: a client asked if a treatment would be helpful. L1 and L10 were in mutual reception: yes, helpful. But L10 was on Vindemiatrix. The treatment did not do all the he expected it would.
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SPICA
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Not to worry, you/things will be fine
It is better this way
Happy
Successful
Example of conflicting testimonies: Will the relationship work? The planets say: no, but the querent’s significator is on Spica or Spica is on the ascendant. It will be good that you will not be in this relationship; or get this job, etc. The corollary is that something better may show up, or just something bad will be avoided.
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ALCYONE
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This is a particular star because the theme is: “no”. In my experience this star is always a clear straightforward testimony on its own. I have not seen a chart with a prominent Alcyone where the answer was positive. Whatever you’re considering just won’t turn out the way you expect or want. Or simply nothing will come out of whatever you’re considering.
Undesirable outcome for or from a relevant significator/house.
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URANUS
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Ending
Separation
Death
Giving up on the subject
Thinking of such
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NEPTUNE
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Deceit of others
Self-deceit
Inability to see/blindness
Inability to see clearly
Inability to see the full picture
Faulty perception
Obscurity
Hiding information/evidence
Cover-ups
Mis-diagnosis
Ignorance (not knowing/not possible to know)
Inaccessibility/out of reach
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PLUTO
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Distortion
Negative emotions
Tainted
Imperfect
Contaminated
Afflicted/Interfered with
Upset
Dragging down
