Section 29 “Keeping Guard”
There are three ways in which a planet is said to keep guard. The first case is when a certain planet, being in its own sign or exaltation and in an angular house, makes an aspect to another planet, which is also in its own sign or exaltation, by casting a ray to the degree preceding that planet.
One illustration of this configuration would be Saturn in Aquarius opposing the sun in Leo. Another example would be Jupiter in Sagittarius trining the sun in Leo. And there are many more examples; Mars in Capricorn opposing Jupiter in Cancer; Jupiter in Sagittarius trining Mars in Aries or opposed to Mercury in Gemini; Mars in Scorpio trine to the moon in Cancer; Mars in Scorpio trine to Jupiter or Venus in Pisces; moon in Taurus being sextile to Jupiter or Venus in Pisces. The moon in Cancer being sextile to Venus in Taurus or trine to Jupiter or Venus in Pisces.
A chart with such a configuration is considered to be great, and if the sect ruler is keeping guard, then the nativity is not one of a trivial life, but far from it. Unless, of course, malefics happen to influence everything else in the chart, in which case a strong planet such as this, overseeing everything, will at least be helpful. For no planet which is well-placed in its own sign or exaltation is entirely unproductive.
Another form of keeping guard happens when the planets cast rays. For instance, if one of the lights is in the first or tenth houses, but is in a sign other than its own, and a planet of its sect casts a ray onto it, that planet protects the sun or the moon. More specifically, this planet is keeping guard when it casts a ray into the degree preceding the sun or conversely, the degree following the moon, into which the moon is approaching; and when she arrives at that degree, the ray will become an equal-sided line. In general, a trine aspect is better at keeping guard than a square, opposition, or sextile, all of which are weaker aspects.
The third form of keeping guard is as follows. In a diurnal chart, the diurnal planets keep guard by being placed upon the Ascendant or the Midheaven. In a night chart, however, the nocturnal planets can keep guard by being in the degrees either preceding or following one of these places. The sun might be protected by an aspect thrown from the preceding degree, while the moon will be protected by an aspect being thrown from up to seven degrees past the Ascendant or Midheaven. More specifically, planets that are keeping guard and are standing in the 15 degree span rising before the Ascendant or Midheaven cannot harm the sun. And the sun itself also has the power to keep guard over planets that are placed along side of it in an angular house, and the moon has a similar power.