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Dorotheus of Sidon, writing in the first century, gave triplicity more weight than any other dignity in the system. Tonight the Moon is in Aquarius, peregrine, and triplicity is one reason why. It divides the twelve signs by element into four groups of three, each group assigned a team of planetary rulers rather than a single one. The air signs, Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius, belong to Saturn by day, Mercury by night, and Jupiter as a third participant, and the Moon holds none of these positions.
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In the medieval scoring that Bonatti, writing in thirteenth century Italy, and later Lilly in seventeenth century London used, domicile, meaning the sign a planet rules, was worth five points; exaltation, the sign where it is honored, four; triplicity three. A planet that held none of these, and neither of the two lesser dignities below them, scored zero: peregrine, from the Latin peregrinus, meaning foreign, a traveler beyond her own land. In Aquarius the Moon’s domicile is elsewhere (Cancer), her exaltation is elsewhere (Taurus), and the air triplicity belongs to other planets entirely. Bonatti described a peregrine significator as one without established title, acting by its own wits.
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Ptolemy, writing in second century Alexandria, explained the air assignments by domicile: Saturn received the triplicity because he rules Aquarius, Mercury because he rules Gemini. The Moon’s own domicile is Cancer, a water sign; her exaltation is Taurus, earth. She has no natural connection to air at all. She entered Aquarius Monday at 01:40 UTC and crosses into Pisces Wednesday, where the condition follows her: peregrine, a traveler in another planet’s domicile.
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