Temperament Research - An Update

In temperament analysis, the Moon, ascendant and birth season are analysed in terms of the four types – sanguine, choleric, melancholy and phlegmatic. Each individual has an underlying primary 'temperament'. This is usually combined with a secondary temperament. So, for example, whilst an individual may be principally choleric, they may have a secondary temperament, say phlegmatic, giving a mixed choleric-phlegmatic type.

The four temperaments are a blend of four fundamental qualities – hot, cold, moist and dry. Each temperament is made of one of either hot or cold and moist or dry. So the choleric temperament is the combination of hot and dry qualities; the phlegmatic temperament is the combination of cold and moist qualities. Each temperament has positive and negative dimensions. The combination of temperaments can moderate the excess of a predominant temperament giving a more balanced expression of the personality.

The temperament types have a range of associations, so melancholy is associated with autumn by season. Sanguine has associations with spring. The following table gives the particular qualities and associations with each temperament type:

Temperament	Qualities	Season	Humour	Element	Planets
Sanguine	Hot, Moist	Spring	Blood	Air	Jupiter, Venus oriental, Mercury oriental
Choleric	Hot, Dry	Summer	Yellow Bile	Fire	Sun, Mars
Melancholy	Cold, Dry	Autumn	Black Bile	Earth	Saturn, Mercury occidental
Phlegmatic	Cold, Moist	Winter	Phlegma	Water	Moon, Venus occidental

Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum has written an excellent book on temperament. She gives the following keywords for each of the temperament types. I have added my own words to give additional details about the pure temperaments.

Temperament	Qualities	Description
Sanguine	Hot, Moist	DGG – friendly, social, shallow, unfocussed, cheerful, dilettante, lucky Excitable, enthusiastic, opportunistic, charismatic, charming, youthful, 'easy come, easy go', forward, warm, exuberance
Choleric	Hot, Dry	DGG – will, inexhaustible, optimistic, aggressive, assertive, take-charge, impatient, hates details, high achieving Drive, determined, irritable, quick acting, unreflective, challenging, irascible, explosive, hot-headed
Melancholy	Cold, Dry	DGG – anti-social, analytical, pessimistic, connoisseur, studious Solid, dependable, practical, hard-working, obsessive, dour, quiet, responsible, reliable, ambitious
Phlegmatic	Cold, Moist	DGG – contemplative, reserved, shy, slow-moving, resigned Pessimistic, languid, emotional, changeable, deep, still, empathic, sensitive, private, retiring

For temperament analysis I have developed a weighted scoring system using the following factors. Temperament analysis is typically made using a combination of the temperaments associated with the Moon placement and the ascendant. The only solar factor that is analysed is the birth season – the Sun's placement according to the equinoxes and solstices.

The following table of temperament factors has been subject to revision over the last year or so. The table presented below represents the latest form of the weighting scores, developed through research using a range of natal horoscopes.

Temperament Factor	Points	Scoring Explanation
Birth Season	3	Score 3 for the season of birth – e.g. Sun in Pisces would be phlegmatic, being a winter birth in zodiacal terms.
Ascendant Sign	3	Score the temperament associated with the rising sign – e.g. Aries rising scores 2 for choleric temperament being a fire sign.
Sign of Ascendant's Ruler	2	The sign of the ascendant's ruling planet scores 2 for its temperament – e.g. Mars, Aries' ruling planet, in Gemini scores 2 for sangine temperament, Gemini being an air sign.
Planet Aspecting Ascendant	4	Score 2 each for the planet most closely aspecting the ascendant and its sign – e.g. Saturn in Capricorn square ascendant scores 2 for melancholy (Saturn is a cold, dry planet) and 2 for the melancholy sign Capricorn (being an earth sign). If there is no planet aspecting the ascendant use the ascendant's sign and its ruler.
Ascendant Almuten	2	The almuten planet of the ascendant scores 2 – e.g. the almuten of Aries is often the Sun which would score 2 for choleric temperament.
Moon Sign	3	Score 3 for the sign of the Moon – e.g. Moon in Leo would be choleric, being a fire sign.
Moon Phase	3	Score 3 for the phase of the Moon – e.g. New Moon to first quarter counts as sanginue, first quarter to full counts as choleric etc.
Sign of Moon's Ruler	2	Score 2 for the temperament of the sign of the Moon's ruler e.g. the Moon's ruler is the Sun; Sun placed in Sagittarius would be choleric, Sagittarius being a fire sign
Planet Aspecting Moon	4	Score 2 each for the planet most closely aspecting the Moon and its sign – e.g. Jupiter in Gemini sextile Moon in Leo scores 2 for sanguine (Jupiter is a hot, moist planet) and 2 for the sanginue sign Gemini (being an air sign). If there is no planet aspecting the Moon use the Moon's sign and its ruler.
Moon's Almuten	2	Score 2 for the almuten of the Moon – e.g. the Sun is usually the almuten of the Moon placed in Leo.
Total	28

Using this scheme, which is developed from Greenbaum's temperament analysis methodology in her book Temperament: Astrology's Forgotten Key, Donald Trump, President-Elect, is clearly a choleric type, with an admixture of sanguine. According to this scoring system, Trump has no cold qualities at all – melancholy or phlegmatic. You can follow the breakdown of the scoring in the table below.

Temperament Factor		S	C	M	P
Birth Season	3	3				Spring
Ascendant Sign	3		3			Leo
Sign of Ascendant's Ruler	2	2				Gemini
Planet Aspecting Ascendant	4		4			Mars in Leo
Ascendant Almuten	2		2			Sun
Moon Sign	3		3			Sagittarius
Moon Phase	3		3			Second Quarter
Sign of Moon's Ruler	2	2				Libra
Planet Aspecting Moon	4	2	2			Sun in Gemini
Moon's Almuten	2	2				Jupiter
Total	28	11	17			Total = 28

Trump is true to his temperament, being quick to react, direct, assertive, and concerned to act authoritatively. You can read Greenbaum's other choleric qualities above. The sanguine element of his temperament may make him more likeable than he might be if he was more or less completely choleric. Only time will tell if he has the temperament to be President, or whether, as Hillary Clinton suggested, he is “temperamentally unsuited” to be POTUS.

Donald Trump - Natal Chart

14 June 1946, 10:54 EDT, Jamaica, NY, USA: RR AA.

 

Reference

Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum (2005) Temperament: Astrology's Forgotten Key. The Wessex Astrologer, Bournemouth, England.