Preamble

While it inherited the very ancient idea that the sky is a music of the spheres, harmonic astrology is a late advancement in the field. It was first John Addey (1920 – 1982) who showed that aspects (conjunction, sextile, square, trine…) could be understood as harmonic divisions of the zodiacal circle, each division expressing a vibration or frequency of consciousness.

Subsequently, David Hamblin (1935 – 2023) defined experiential keywords for each harmonic (fiveness = creativity, sevenness = spirituality, etc.) and demonstrated their effects in real charts.

Finally, David Cochrane and Gisele Terry collaborated around the concept of vibrational astrology.

In 2021, I had the pleasure of discussing with Mr. Hamblin and had presented to him my attempt at computerizing the translation of his works, as calculations surrounding harmonics are tedious. He was enthusiastic and proposed to include my website in his writings.

Unfortunately, we lost touch and Mr. Hamblin went to join the mysterious universe of those who are no more. And then, I somewhat lost sight of harmonics until today. Fortunately, I had preserved my code and was able to rebuild something in Orbis Cantus.

The calculation of harmonics is now available by going through the Elements section: https://orbiscantus.com/en/what-is-your-element. Then navigate to the Harmonics tab.

Hamblin starts from the principle that harmonics are multiples of fundamental vibrations (like octaves in music).

• Odd harmonics (3, 5, 7, 9, etc.) are more subjective, creative or intuitive.
• Even ones (2, 4, 8, 16, 32…) represent effort, tension, conscious will.
• Products of these numbers combine their qualities: e.g.: 6 = 3×2 → pleasure + effort → pleasure in effort. 15 = 5×3 → creativity + pleasure → joy in creation.

In other words:

• Even numbers (2, 4, 8, 16, 32…) → symbolize effort, struggle, discipline.
• Multiples of 3 (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30) → represent pleasure, harmony, joy.
• Multiples of 5 → express conscious creativity and construction.
• Multiples of 7 → refer to inspiration, spirituality, revelation.
• Multiples of 11 or 13 → speak of challenge, rebellion, adventure, individuality.

Thus, higher harmonics (20–32) become increasingly complex, combining several levels of effort, pleasure or consciousness — a kind of vibratory symphony of the psyche.

We arrive at the following table:

We immediately understand that harmonic 1 is the conjunction, 2 is the opposition, 3 the trine, 4 the square. However, Hamblin warns us that we must set aside these traditional considerations, because in harmonics, there are no unrelated planets, no lone planets. Everything is a matter of angle, of subtle connections.

Harmonic analysis is not meant to replace the study of aspects, but exists to complement the result, sometimes strikingly. Thus, while we can translate Sun trine Venus as an index of charm and ease in entering relationships, the portrait is quite different with a Sun Harmonic 11 Venus (SU 11 VE): mistrustful relationships, exacerbated by the will to distinguish oneself (Donald Trump!).

Hamblin uses the capacity of English to invent substantives: oneness, twoness, threeness. This translates very poorly into French so we will content ourselves with using the term "harmonic".

We will see in the following definitions that Hamblin groups harmonics together. For example, harmonic 2 includes H2, H4, H8 and H16, each level being the reinforcement of the previous level.

Summary Definitions of Harmonics According to Hamblin

HARMONIC 1 (ONENESS) • PRIMORDIAL UNITY

Essence: Fusion and unification

Main Characteristics:

• State of primordial unity
• Complete fusion of planetary energies
• Absence of separation or distinction
• Most basic and fundamental state

Nature:

• Represents conjunction in the natal chart
• Planets in conjunction (narrow orb) function as a single energy
• No conflict, no tension - pure unity
• Basis of the entire harmonic structure

Psychological Significance:

• Total integration of planetary functions
• Energies cannot be separated from one another
• Experienced as a single impulse or motivation
• Can indicate an area of great power but also of blindness (lack of perspective)

Thus people with many conjunctions demonstrate a complexity sometimes very difficult to analyze. They are both a whole and sometimes both nothing in the sense that they could have difficulty becoming aware themselves of what drives and defines them.

HARMONIC 2 (TWONESS) • CREATIVE TENSION

Essence: Effort and aspiration

Main Characteristics:

• Principle of duality - Self and Other
• Dissatisfaction with the present state
• Constant desire for change and improvement
• Creative and dynamic tension

Fundamental Nature:

• There is only Self and Other (no environment yet)
• Geometrically represented by a line
• Fundamental opposition between two poles
• Corresponds to opposition aspects (180°), square (90°), semi-square (45°), sesqui-square (135°)

Manifestations:

• H2: Pure effort, struggle to unite planetary energies
• H4 (2×2): Even more deliberate and conscious effort
• H8 (2×2×2): Very sustained and methodical effort
• H16 (2×2×2×2): Even more intense effort

Psychological Qualities:

• Constructive dissatisfaction
• Motivation to achieve goals
• Need to resolve tensions
• Personal quest and development
• Driving force of personal development
• Energy to accomplish and achieve
• Capacity for transformation
• Ambition and determination

Negative Aspect:

• Inability to accept things as they are
• Perpetual and exhausting struggle
• Permanent feeling of dissatisfaction
• Difficulty finding inner peace

In Daily Life:

• People strong in harmonic 2 are fighters, reformers
• Difficulty resting or "just being"
• Constant need for projects and goals
• May struggle with the concept of harmonic 3 (simple pleasure)

The Two is the energy of perpetual quest. People strong in this harmonic (squares, oppositions) are never truly satisfied with the present state of things. They feel an inner tension that constantly pushes them to improve, transform, surpass. It is creative dissatisfaction par excellence, the kind that moves the world forward.

HARMONIC 3 (THREENESS) • JOYFUL ACCEPTANCE

Essence: Acceptance, pleasure and being

It is the number by which we find our place in the world, creating a triangle (the simplest solid figure) between Self, Other and the shared Environment.

Main Characteristics:

• Acceptance of things as they are
• Search for pleasure and happiness
• Hedonistic and carefree approach to life
• Love of self, others and the whole world

Levels of Expression:

• H3: Simple pleasure in the combination of planetary energies
• H9 (3×3): Pleasure in pleasure - joyful consciousness
• H27 (3×3×3): Refined joy, ecstasy, universal love

Negative Side:

• Negligence and carelessness
• Lack of awareness of others' needs
• Failure to take necessary actions
• Can manifest cruelty despite loving appearance

The Three is the deep acceptance of things as they are, the radical opposite of the dissatisfaction of the Two. Here, the goal of life is simple: to enjoy the world, to be happy, to savor the present moment. People strong in 3 (9 or 27) seek satisfaction with what is, pleasure, abundance, but this has its downside. This blissful acceptance can turn into negligence, dangerous carelessness. Everything can seem easy to them or they give the impression that they have all the talents and the satisfaction that comes from it. It is sometimes an illusion masking a deep inability to act.

MIXED HARMONICS 6, 12, 18, 24 • PLEASURE IN EFFORT

Hamblin uses logic that might seem simplistic, but his research leads him to believe that harmonics resulting from the multiplication of Two and Three come down to: you work hard, but you love what you do. It is joy in work, particularly for harmonic 6.

HARMONIC 5 (FIVENESS) • ARCHITECTURE OF THE WORLD

Essence: Creation of systems and order

It is the number of Man, the one that allows changing the world or creating new worlds.

Main Characteristics:

• Creation of static and lasting structures
• Systematic organization of planetary energies
• Construction of order from chaos
• Ability to create and assemble works of art
• Perfection in execution
• Invention of a tangible nature
• Actors constructing personalities

Negative Side:

• Imprisonment in one's own structures
• Development of addictions
• Ossified and rigid behaviors

The Five introduces a radical paradigm shift. If the Three gave us our place in the natural world, the Five allows us to reshape this world, to create new orders, new structures. It is the number of Man par excellence, the one who builds civilizations.

When planets are linked by a Five aspect, their energies organize themselves systematically. The person uses these planets to create order, structures, coherent behavioral patterns. If the chart contains many Five aspects, this person will be a born builder, someone for whom organization and structuring are central.

HARMONIC 7 (SEVENNESS) • THE FLAME OF INSPIRATION

Essence: Inspiration and inner vision, passage from head to heart.

Main Characteristics:

• Personal inner vision of reality
• Deep creative inspiration
• Communication of hidden knowledge
• Sevenness = inspirational force, Fiveness = execution capability
• Internal gestation of a creation (like a mother carrying a child)
• Deep inner peace and tranquility

Harmonic Variants:

• H7: Pure inspirational link
• H14 (7×2): Effort towards inspiration
• H21 (7×3): Pleasure in inspiration

Negative Side:

• Blur between fact and fiction
• Belief of being "above the law" (murderous tendency, for example)
• Living in a fantasy that can collapse when faced with reality
• "Strange" unverifiable experiences (extraterrestrial messages)

Positive Aspect: Natural fluidity and spontaneity in execution

Where the Five plans and structures, the Seven feels and guesses. It is the passage from head to heart. In the heart, we know what is true without needing to calculate it.

HARMONIC 11 (ELEVENNESS) • THE SOLITARY CHALLENGE

Essence: Defiance and separation

Main Characteristics:

• Spirit of relentless defiance
• Voluntary isolation
• Obstinate determination
• Perfectionism

Temperament:

• Solitary, preferring to do things their own way
• Poor team player
• Workaholic and persistent
• Subject to depression but never discouraged
• "Blood, toil, tears and sweat"

The person strong in Eleven stands proudly apart from others, in a posture of obstinate defiance. They tend to be solitary, preferring to do things their own way, not well suited for teamwork.

HARMONIC 13 (THIRTEENNESS) • THE QUEST FOR IDENTITY

Essence: Search for identity

Main Characteristics:

• Feeling of separation but less confident than Elevenness
• Journey in search of oneself
• Construction of masks to hide identity uncertainty
• Association with death (13th Tarot card: Death)

Identity Quest:

• External: Adventure, testing limits
• Internal: Exploration of the "shadow side"
• Can reach peace through self-acceptance

The Thirteen person, like the Eleven person, feels separated and apart from others. But they are much less confident and secure in their own identity. They are on a journey, searching for themselves. They seek an answer to the question: "Who am I really?"

They may construct an elaborate mask (or a series of masks) to hide the fact that, under the mask, they don't know who they are. Or they may withdraw from society and spend their life searching for their true identity.

HARMONIC 17 (SEVENTEENNESS) • THE REBELLIOUS SPIRIT

Essence: Rebellion and changing the world

Main Characteristics:

• Dissatisfaction with the world as it is
• Mission of social change
• Brilliant use of words as weapons
• Biting humor and satire

People strong in Seventeen tend again to feel apart from others, but this time there is more a spirit of rebellion. They feel dissatisfied with the world in which they find themselves, and want to change it if they can. They feel on a mission; they campaign for a better world. Often they are very skillful with the use of words, using them with devastating effect in their campaign. If they feel they cannot change the world, they can rely on biting humor, undermining their enemies through wit and satire.

HARMONIC 19 (NINETEENNESS) • MYSTERIOUS EMPATHY

Essence: Empathy and acceptance

Main Characteristics:

• Deep empathy with the environment
• Acceptance of the world as it is
• Immersion in circumstances
• Receptivity to experiences
• Lack of personal ambition
• Forgiveness and non-judgment
• Happiness with the present
• Receptivity to circumstances
• Learning through experience

Negative Side:

• Possible complacency
• Reluctance to be an agent of change
• May fail in responsibilities (particularly as parent/employer)

Nineteen people accept the world as they find it, and don't seek to change it. They tend to be forgiving and non-judgmental. They tend to be happy with their present lot, and therefore lack personal ambition. There is a receptivity to whatever life presents, allowing external circumstances to simply "happen" to them, and being willing to learn from and be grateful for these experiences.

HARMONIC 23 (TWENTY-THREENESS) • NARRATIVE INVENTIVENESS

Essence: Inventiveness and originality

Main Characteristics:

• Invention of unique lifestyles
• "Character actors" in their own life
• Tell themselves a story in which they are the heroes
• Unique interaction with society
• For creative artists: very positive force
• Remarkable ability to translate dreams into reality
• Inventive spirit that always finds expression

Danger for Politicians:

Hasty decision-making motivated by the need to stand out

Difference from Other Harmonics:

Not just dreams, but ability to embody these dreams in inventive ways

Many people strong in Twenty-three have a remarkable ability to invent new ways of behaving, new ways of living their life, that make them stand out from the crowd and present themselves as unique and original individuals. Typically, they do not withdraw from society; rather, they interact with society in ways that are unique to them. One could describe them as "character actors". It's as if they are telling a story, a story in which they themselves are the central characters.

HARMONIC 29 (TWENTY-NINENESS) • UNSHAKEABLE PRIDE

Essence: Pride and unshakeable belief in self

Central Quality:

• Unshakeable belief in one's own uniqueness
• Pride in being oneself
• Nothing can disturb this belief
• Obstinate persistence in face of criticism
• Helps overcome setbacks
• Facilitates achievement of goals
• Contributes to happiness

Negative Aspect:

• Difficulty admitting mistakes
• Difficulty learning from faults
• Lack of empathy towards others
• Absence of humility

When two or more planets meet in harmonic 29, their relationship will have this quality of pride and unshakeable self-belief. This self-belief is of course an admirable quality, and it can greatly help to overcome setbacks, achieve goals, and find happiness. But the negative side is that it can make it difficult to admit mistakes and learn from them, and difficult to listen and show empathy for others.

HARMONIC 31 (THIRTY-ONENESS) • THE DEPTHS OF THE UNCONSCIOUS

Essence: Exploration of the unconscious and the "id". Access to the unconscious can be therapeutic (Freud, Jung) or destructive (serial killers) depending on usage

Beneficial Side:

• Self-understanding
• Therapeutic help to others
• Access to useful unconscious material

Dangerous Side:

• Weakened social control capacity
• Overwhelmed by demands of the "id"
• Inability to resist unconscious impulses

When two or more planets meet in harmonic 31, the person will tend to dive into the unconscious and bring to the surface material that connects these planets. This can be extremely beneficial (as for Freud and Jung) or extremely dangerous (as for serial killers), depending on how the person uses this material.

Conclusion: A Cosmos of Living Numbers

This journey through the harmonics reveals a psychological cosmos of beautiful richness. Each prime number opens a door to a particular dimension of human experience, from the primordial unity of One to the descent into the abysses of Thirty-one.

Where traditional astrology saw only "good" or "bad" aspects, harmonic astrology reveals infinitely richer textures: the Three can be mystical bliss or cruel negligence; the Five can be creative genius or addictive prison; the Seven can be sublime inspiration or murderous delirium in certain criminals.

This fundamental ambivalence reminds us that numbers are neither good nor bad in themselves. They are principles, potentialities, modes of consciousness. It is the person's use of them – their level of consciousness, their moral integrity, their social context – that determines whether these energies express themselves constructively or destructively.

Harmonic astrology offers a more nuanced, more humble view of human nature. It reminds us that we are multidimensional beings, traversed by forces sometimes contradictory, sometimes harmonious, whose creative resolution constitutes the challenge and beauty of all human life.

And perhaps, ultimately, the deepest lesson of this exploration is that numbers – these abstract mathematical entities – are actually alive, charged with meaning, bearers of distinct psychological qualities. As if the universe itself speaks through them, whispering to us the secrets of our own nature.

For my part, I imagine that all the effort I put into programming the calculation of these harmonics reveals my desire for harmony represented by the single fusional presence of Venus at the Midheaven. But I have so many numbers, so many connections, just like everyone else, that it may be vain or senseless to want to decipher every iota of my existence…

Some examples

Reference

The Wessex Astrologer