Alcoholism (Part 3)
C.E.O. Carter Rules

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Commentaries on this study

Part 1:  Control Group
Part 2:  Jungian Rules
Part 4:  Testing Reader Suggestions

Introduction

When I was taught research design in school I was told that the first step was always to do literary research. It is always a good idea to find out what others have done before going off to design your own experiments. Many of the grand master astrologers from this century have published encyclopedias of behavioral traits and their astrological correspondences. Over the next several weeks we will be perusing these resources, looking for alcoholism formulas to test with AstroSignatures.

This week we look into C.E.O. Carter's formula for alcoholism. He has a very complex formula, but out of it we were able to pick up six more criteria for our alcoholism AstroSignature. One of them showed a 46% differential between the alcoholic group and the control group. This is an outrageously successful rule. By comparison, the Gauquelins found only a 4% differential between their sport champions and the control group in the placement of Mars in Gauquelin zones. Carter has other successful rules that I would never in a million years have tried on my own. That is the value of literary research.

C.E.O. Carter's Formula for Alcoholism

In 1926, C.E.O Carter published An Encyclopedia of Psychological Astrology. It is a goldmine of behavioral traits and their astrological correspondences. Carter did an enormous amount of anecdotal research to compile this 187 page encyclopedia. It is out of print, but thanks to Weiser Books I was able to get a copy.

Here's what he says under the topic "Alcoholism and Drug-Taking":

"Alcohol is a typical Fire drug and its actions is to augment all the Fiery activities of our nature, such as conviviality, optimism, animal spirits, self-confidence, and often combativeness. On the other hand, it banishes the Watery characteristics, such as carefulness, prudence, timidity, and shyness. It is for this reason that people with much Water in their nativities seek alcoholic stimulation; they desire to supplement artificially their horoscopical deficiencies. Drunkards sometimes have much Fire in their maps, but in such cases the vice is generally due to getting into bad company rather that to a real psychological need.

"Scientific astrological therapy would aim at supplying these deficiencies in a harmless and rational way. For example a person whose horoscope lacks fire may develop the faculty by exercising it. He should read books and attend plays that deal with sport, travel, adventure, and similar themes; he should devote time to games and to social life, and, above all, he should seek the company on those in whom the Fire element is pronounced in such of its forms as he desires to develop. It is interesting to note the expression, so often used to a morbid or negative person, 'Get out of yourself.' This is exactly what the Fire person always does do, and the Watery seldom and with difficulty, with the result he may seek artificial stimulation."

– C.E.O. Carter, An Encyclopedia of Psychological Astrology, p 35. Copyright 1926.

Here is his specific formula for an alcoholic signature:

"We nearly always find the Lights are in weak mundane positions and signs, or else they are badly afflicted, especially in or from Fire or Water or both. Fire gives the convivial drunkard, Water the besotted one. Much Saturn may give secret indulgence.

"The 5th House is nearly always afflicted by Neptune or by planets in Watery Signs, and Mars is very frequently afflicted by Neptune, or in or from Pisces.

"Certain degrees are commonly involved in afflictions, e.g. 11° of Cardinals and 9° and 25° Fixed."

– ibid. p. 34.

by Mark McDonough

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The Translation

With help from C.E.O Carter scholars Robert Blaschke and Ken Gillman here is my translation:

We nearly always find the Lights (Sun or Moon) are in weak mundane positions (Cadent houses) and signs (Detriment or Fall), or else they are badly afflicted. (According to the scholars, Carter used square, opposition, semisquare, quincunx and sesquiquadrate for afflictions. Bad afflictions would come from Saturn, Mars, Uranus, and Neptune – Pluto hadn't been discovered yet – especially in or from Fire or Water or both – the planets on either side of the aspect in Fire or Water.) Fire gives the convivial drunkard, Water the besotted one. Much Saturn may give secret indulgence.

The 5th House is nearly always afflicted by Neptune (Neptune in the 5th or afflicting the ruler of 5th or the fifth house cusp) or by planets in Watery Signs (the ruler of the 5th or 5th house cusp afflicted by any planet in a Water sign), and Mars is very frequently afflicted by Neptune (Mars in the standard afflictions to Neptune), or in or from Pisces (Mars in Pisces or Mars afflicted by a planet in Pisces).

Certain degrees are commonly involved in afflictions, e.g. 11° of Cardinals and 9° and 25° Fixed (any planet, angles and nodes).

Here is the translation into AstroSignature rules:

1. Sun or Moon in cadent houses
2. Sun or Moon in Detriment or Fall
3. Sun or Moon square, opposition, semisquare, quincunx and sesquiquadrate Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
4. [Sun or Moon in fire or water] square, opposition, semisquare, quincunx and sesquiquadrate [Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto in Fire or Water] (Here we are counting it a second time if there is Fire or Water involved on either side of the aspect. This handles his clause "especially in or from Fire or Water".)
5. Neptune in the fifth house
6. The ruler of the 5th or the 5th house cusp afflicted by Neptune
7. The ruler of the 5th or the 5th house cusp afflicted by any Sun-Pluto in Water
8. Mars afflicted by Neptune
9. Mars in Pisces
10. Mars afflicted by any planet in Pisces
11. Any planet, angle, or Moon's node at 11° of Cardinals
12. Any planet, angle, or Moon's node at 9° Fixed
13. Any planet, angle, or Moon's node at 25° Fixed

Let's see how well his AstroSignature works.

The Results

Discussion

Carter's AstroSignature formula has some amazing hits and some factors that were actually weak predictors against alcoholism.

Rule #3 (hard aspects to the luminaries from the outer planets) showed an amazing difference of 46 percentage points between the alcoholic and the control group. This is an outrageously successful rule. By comparison, the Gauquelins found only a 4 point differential between their sport champions and the control group in the placement of Mars in Gauquelin zones.

More than twice as many alcoholics had these hard aspects than people in the control group. Even though 90% of alcoholics had these hard aspects don't be tempted to leap to the conclusion that if a chart with one of these aspects in it, therefore that a person has a 90% chance of being an alcoholic. 44% of the non-alcoholics also had this aspect.

According to the DSM III-R quoted in my Control Group article, 14% of the population has had alcohol abuse problems in their lifetime. Since someone with one of these aspects is twice as likely to have alcohol problems that translates to a 28% chance of having alcohol problems. Presumably the more of these hard aspects in the chart the more likely a person is to have problems with alcohol.

Rule #4 which augmented Rule #3 by added the qualification that these hard aspects are "to or from water signs" actually made the rule less effective.

In general, Carter did much better than our previous study of five Neptunian factors. There we only picked up two factors with a 3 point difference and one with a 7 point difference. Here we have six factors with at least a 6 point differential. When we add these to the rule with the 7 point differential from our Neptune study, we have the following list of seven factors to consider in an AstroSignature for alcoholism.

We can also claim victory in the failures. Six factors did not work as discriminators for alcoholics. This is good news. Work like this will simplify astrology. Astrology is overburdened with too many untested techniques. All astrology techniques work some of the time. Without good testing we keep accreting more and more techniques. With tests like these we will be able to separate those techniques that work most of the time from those that sound good but aren't as reliable.

Some of these rules like the ones involving the rulers of the fifth or particular degrees, I never would have guessed or even suspected to be strong factors. This is the value of library research. Astrology is such a wide and complex study that we must consult others for ideas

Next time we will start looking into some of the suggestions that people have submitted on the website. Please keep those suggestions coming.

Robert Blaschke studied a great deal of C.E.O Carter in preparing his excellent book on Progressions.

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Ken Gillman edits one of the most erudite astrological journals published in America.

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2/10/2000: