Interpretation
Fundamental to horary astrology is the concept of planetary dignity and reception. Dignity comes in two forms, essential and accidental. Essential refers to the quality of a planet at a particular degree of the zodiac and its ability to express its true/good nature. For instance, a horoscope is drawn and Mars is in Scorpio. Using traditional rulerships, Mars here is in its own sign, so it is considered essentially strong; a well-behaved Mars. Mars in Taurus, on the other hand, is in its detriment, so is essentially weak. In a horary question where Mars is a significator, Mars's essential dignity will indicate something of the quality of the quesited. Accidental dignity refers to how the planet "finds itself". That is, if the planet is in a traditionally bad house (6th, 8th, or 12th) in the chart, if it is retrograde, aspected by a malefic planet (Saturn or Mars), combust, etc., then it is considered an accidental debility.
As an example, consider a valuable ring which happens to be lost. Its inherent condition is that it is valuable and so has lots of essential dignity. However, its current state is that it is lost and so has little accidental dignity. The significator for the ring in this horary might, for example, be Venus in Taurus (good essential dignity) but retrograde and combust (accidentally debilitated).
However, some horary astrologers consider a retrograde significator a good sign that the object will come back, or be found. This is particularly true if the significator of the querent and that of the quesited are making aspect to each other. For example, the trine would mean that it is found relatively easily, whereas the opposition may mean that it will be found, but the querent will almost wish it hadn't been. In the above case, the ring may be found, but in such bad shape that the querent would rather not have seen it in its terrible condition. If this question were about a missing person, the person will be found, but in very bad shape.
Reception refers to how each planet in a horary question chart "view" or "receive'" each other, either favourably, unfavourably, or somewhere in between. If Mars is in Taurus, and Venus is in Scorpio, then each of the planets is in the sign the other planet rules. (Venus is ruler of Taurus, Mars of Scorpio). This is called mutual reception by rulership, and although each planet is in its detriment, it nevertheless receives the other planet favourably. In some horary questions, a thorough understanding of receptions (and the above example skims the surface of this topic) is required to delineate the interplay of how the various significators view each other what sort of attitudes are taking place in the area of the question.
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