Monthly Archives: July 2012

Twelve Easy Lessons for Beginners | 3. Planetary Prominence

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And the changing of the planets must be understood, which has five parts: the first, if [a planet] were in the second or first station.  The second, while it is being hidden from the Sun or goes out from being hidden […]    (Abu Ma’shar, The Abbreviation of the Introduction to Astrology, Book IV, 34-36, Dykes trans., 2010, p. 233)

Digging Deeper into Planetary Prominence

In the introductory lesson, we looked into the history of astrology. Then we looked at the basic significations of the planets, how to pull up charts for free on the internet, and how to judge planetary prominence by “advancement”. Please read the first articles in this series and familiarize yourself with a few charts and the techniques before proceeding.  The first lesson can be accessed by clicking here, and the second by clicking here. In this lesson, we will continue to explore some additional forms of planetary prominence.

Chart of Jesus Christ with a 12/25 midnight birthday (from Sibly’s Astrology of 1806). Was Jesus born at this time with Jupiter rising? Nah. He wasn’t even born on the 25th of December.

Distinguishing Planetary Prominence from Relevance and Benefit

Astrologers of the Perso-Arabic period, such as Abu Ma’shar and al-Qabisi, distinguished the strength or prominence of a planet from its tendency to signify benefit or difficulty (benefic/malefic). Additionally, both of these were distinguished from the matters in life which are relevant to the planet’s indications. The evaluation of a planet’s prominence relates to what’s called planetary strength. A planet may be mixed, being strong in some ways and weak in others. The benefic (beneficial) or malefic (challenging) indications of a planet may also be mixed, and in fact usually are.  Additionally, all planets will have varying degrees of relevance to given life topics (i.e. planetary relevance).

Over-Reliance on Signs in Traditional Astrology

These are very important distinctions. It is too often the case that one or more of these distinctions is missing in an astrological system or that they are mixed together such that the sign a planet is in plays too much of a role determining all three. When I first got into traditional astrology, it was common for me to meet traditional astrologers who would determine both strength and benefit according to the sign of the zodiac a planet was in.

For instance, Venus, signifying young women, the arts, sexuality, and marriage, when in Scorpio might be considered in the sign of her detriment. In this view, her ability to bring about successful relationships might be hampered (poor strength). Similarly, other matters signified by the houses she rules or topics she is given responsibility for in the chart can’t be realized (poor strength). Some astrologers would even say that because of the so-called detriment she tends to signify bad quality women or relationships, such as malicious women, sexual problems, or misfortune through the arts (malefic). I do not use the sign as the main indicator of either strength or beneficence, and I have argued against this approach.

Over-Reliance on Signs in Modern Astrology

In modern astrology, there tends to be a strong focus on the quality of various aspects of the psyche (planets). These are again mainly determined by the zodiacal signs of the planets.  For instance, one might assert that Venus, signifying the love nature, would in Scorpio make for an intense, passionate, jealous, and secretive sexuality.  In this case, the planet itself is a stand-in for some important aspect of the individual’s character or pscyhe.

Does the Planet Connect to the Character?

Unfortunately, it is used in this way whether or not it actually connects strongly with the symbols for the individual and their character in the chart. Venus can provide indications pertaining to the native’s love life and sexuality on her own. However, those significations are not as significant if they don’t associate strongly with the native’s personality; if they don’t connect with the indicators for the self and character in the chart.

Is the Indication Strong or Superficial?

Similarly, the indications from Venus regarding relating may only apply superficially to some situations. If the indications from Venus are not reinforced by similar indications in the natal chart then they are just superficial. Such superficial indications may become relevant on rare occasions when timing factors strongly reinforce them but are not representative of typical circumstances. Reinforcement must come from other factors such as the twelfth-part of Venus, the 7th house and its ruler, relevant lots, and the houses of Venus.

Indications from a Planet Go Deeper than the Sign

When the essential quality of an indication is determined by the zodiacal sign this ignores other factors that might more directly influence the indications given by the planet. For instance, another planet in the same sign will often have a stronger and more direct impact on the significations of a planet than its sign. The sect of Venus, her prominence, the planets regarding her, the state of her ruler, and additional factors all should come into play when interpreting the significations of Venus.

Moving Away from Over-Reliance on Zodiacal Signs

The signs are rather abstract divisions of the sky. I believe that too much emphasis has been placed on the signs especially when it comes to strength and beneficence considerations.  I will introduce the signs of the zodiac in the next lesson. In this lesson, I would like to focus on some additional significations of planetary prominence in a chart.  As with advancement, discussed in the previous lesson, these factors don’t depend on a zodiac, a house system, or a system of planetary aspects.  They have a greater sense of immediacy than such concepts, and are in my opinion the three most important factors for what I call “general prominence”.

General Prominence

The Luminaries, the Sun and the Moon, are naturally prominent.

Distinguishing Types of Prominence or Strength

Ancient authors tend to lump together both prominence and grit (or follow-through), under the label of strength.  In my own experience, I’ve found that one should separate out these strength factors as pertaining to at least three different things.

  • General prominence pertains to loud or pervasive significations in the life.
  • Personal prominence pertains to personal importance to the individual, being influential over key areas of the life such as the character.
  • Grit or follow-through pertains to the stability or instability of what is signified.

In this way, it becomes possible for a planet to be strong in one sense but not in another. There can be a person who is constantly surrounded by artists (Venus generally prominent), who is an intellectual (Mercury personally prominent), and whose relationships tend to start out strong but lack staying power (relationship significators with weak follow-through).

Prominence Changes with Time

For predictive purposes, it is very important to evaluate the range or variance of a planet’s indications. We don’t just want to know the central tendency.  For instance, a planet might be generally strong in one sense, such as strongly advancing, and generally weak in another, such as stationing retrograde.  In such a case, I would likely judge the planet to be centrally prominent due to having a major prominence indication but for the fall from prominence to be triggered at times when a retrograde station of the planet was highlighted. There will be more on this in future lessons, but the main idea is that life is long and complex, so we must take inventory of both the tendency and the variance.

Three Indications of General Prominence

The three most basic indications of general prominence that I look at are:

  1. Advancement – Covered in the last lesson.  These are the approaching alignments of a planet with a location which happen 4 times each day.
  2. Stations – This is when a planet appears to stop and reverse its direction of travel relative to the stars as observed from Earth.  The direct stations mark out days when a planet is particularly prominent. Some planets station more often than others. For instance, Mercury stations multiple times each year.
  3. Phasis or Appearance, also Combust and Cazimi – This is when a planet appears for the first time after emerging from the beams. Note that for Paulus Alexandrinus of the 4th century CE this condition only applies to planets emerging from the beams and not to those setting into them. A planet setting into them may be considered forcefully under the beams of the Sun. This also marks out days of planetary prominence which vary in frequency depending on the planet.

Stations

Spend a little time reading astrological chit-chat on the internet and you will surely encounter a lot of commotion about Mercury going retrograde. When a planet turns retrograde or back to direct, it must station. In order to understand the terms, “station” and “retrograde” we must talk a little bit about the secondary motion of the planets.

Secondary Motion

In the last lesson, we looked at planets moving clockwise around the chart, where they rise on the left side of the chart, culminate at top, set on the right side, and anti-culminate at the bottom.  This is the “primary motion” of the stars caused by the Earth’s daily 24-hour rotation.  However, the planets move much more slowly in the opposite direction, through the sky against the backdrop of the fixed stars (i.e. through the signs of the zodiac).

They follow nearly the same path followed by the Sun (as viewed from Earth). The path is called the ecliptic. Think “eclipse”, as an eclipse happens when the Moon conjoins or opposes the Sun while she’s on the ecliptic. The “secondary motion” of the planets is the motion of each planet going slowly counter-clockwise around the chart, from west to east, each at its own pace.

No Retrogradation in the “Solar System”

The secondary motion of the planets is the same motion that you would’ve studied in high school astronomy class when you observed the Earth and other planets traveling around the Sun. However, in astrology, we study it from the position of the observer, on Earth, as astrology is oriented to the observer on Earth.

In astronomy, an external abstract point is the center of reference with regard to the system. Not exactly the Sun as most assume, but the center of mass (barycenter) of the solar system. The barycenter usually resides within the Sun, so we think of the Sun as the center. In actuality, the barycenter can move up to about a full solar radii outside of its surface at times due to the massive gravitational pull of Jupiter.  Using the Sun as a frame of reference, the planets appear to run their circuits around it, never reversing direction.

Geocentric Perspective

From the vantage point of the Earth, things are different. Planets farther out from the Sun than Earth appear to stop and move backwards when overtaken by the Earth, as seen in the video below.

Similarly, planets closer to the Sun (i.e. Mercury and Venus) appear to move backwards when on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth, as seen in the video below.  The retrogradation is the backwards loop that appears to be traced in the sky when Venus is opposite the Sun from Earth.

Here is one more video in which you can see a real time-lapsed video of Saturn moving retrograde against the stars. The video includes a good look at the way that the 2nd century astrologer Ptolemy modeled these motions using the Earth as a static frame of reference. Ptolemy added a second cycle called the epicycle that would account for the retrogradation. In this way, astrologers could better predict planetary positions at any point in time.

You can read more about the mechanics of apparent retrograde motion and the frequency with which the planets are retrograde in the Wikipedia article on “Apparent retrograde motion“.

Stations in Ancient Astrology

Ancient astrologers attached a lot of importance to the points where a planet appears to stop and change directions. These points were called the “stations” of the planets.  The “first station”, or “retrograde” station, was when the planet appeared to move backwards. In Hellenistic and Perso-Arabic astrology it was considered to signify a weakening of that planet’s significations.  The “second station”, or “direct” station, was when the planet appeared to move forward again after a period of retrogradation. It was considered to signify a strengthening of the planet’s significations.

In the introductory works by Abu Ma’shar and al-Qabisi they discuss strengthening and weakening conditions.  Both astrologers first point to the retrograde station as a major weakening condition.  Some authors, such as Sahl quoted below, have also given helpful metaphors for understanding the stations.

“If a planet were to stand toward retrogradation (that is, if it were in its first station), it signifies the dissolution of a purpose, and disobedience; and if it were to stand toward direction (that is, if it were in its second station), it signifies forward direction after the slowness or duress of the matter.  And every planet which is a significator and wished to go direct (that is, if it were in its second station) signifies the renewal of the actions of matters, and their action and strength or forward movement.  And if it were in the first station, wishing to go retrograde, it signifies their destruction and slowness and dissolution.”   (Sahl Bin Bishr, The Fifty Judgments, #48, Dykes trans., 2010, p. 107)

Effect of Stations and Retrogradation

While retrogradation is given a lot of hype in modern astrology and even in late traditional astrology, I think its importance is overblown. Retrogradation is very common.  For instance, Saturn is retrograde about a third of the time and Mercury goes retrograde three-to-four times per year for about three-to-four weeks each time. Retrogradation itself is only a little bit weakening. A tendency toward contradiction and antagonism were often associated with the action of retrograde planets in ancient literature.

On the other hand, the stations are very significant.  Typically, within about a week of the station, the planet may be considered as being more or less prominent depending on the nature of the station, and how close it is in time.  For instance, someone born within a day of Mercury stationing direct would be considered to have a very prominent Mercury in their chart.  Someone born within a day of Mercury stationing retrograde would have a very weakened Mercury.  One born 6 days from a Mercury station would also have Mercury strengthened or weakened but to a lesser extent.

Finding Planetary Stations

Let’s pull up some charts to look for stations, and also look again at advancement.

Install Morinus

We are going to pull up charts in the free, open source, traditional astrology program called Traditional Morinus.  I’ve previously discussed installation and pulling up charts in Morinus on this blog.  My article discussing the installation of Morinus is here.  Since that article, the program has undergone many updates.  The newer versions are easier to use because they now have a location lookup, which I discussed here.  Not only is Morinus a free program, but it is also one of the programs with the best traditional capabilities.  It is open source, meaning that programmers are free to examine the code and improve upon it. Morinus is truly THE astrological program of the astrological community.

I recommend Morinus above all other astrological programs, even for advanced students  Nearly all of the charts and charting examples on this site come from the program.  Please take the time to download the program and familiarize yourself with it by pulling up a few charts and saving them before proceeding.

Settings in Morinus

Once you have the program installed and have a chart up, you should modify a few settings. Hold “Shift” and press “u”, or go to “Options” and make sure there is a check next to “Automatic save” so that changes that you make to settings will be saved for the next time you open the program.  Hold “Shift” and press “F6”, or go to “Options” then “Housesystems” and select “Whole Sign”.  For charts that look like mine, you will want your appearance options (Shift+a or Options>Appearance I) to be as in the picture below, where Terms is selected and the chart is black and white.

Week Before, Week After

The surest way to determine if a planet stationed within a week of someone’s birth is to compare the birth chart with the chart 1 week before the birth and that 1 week after the birth.  Retrogradation is symbolized by a little symbol of an “R” with a line through part of it, which is next to the planetary glyph in the chart.  Also, if one presses the F11 key, then a table of the planetary speeds appears in which negative speeds by longitude indicate retrograde motion. The Sun and Moon never have retrograde motion, so they are not examined in this respect.

Steve Jobs’ Chart

Let’s look at Steve Jobs’ chart (click here for chart data).  First, you’ll notice that the Moon, followed by Jupiter and Venus, are the most advancing planets in the chart.  You’ll also notice that the Sun and Saturn are retreating and that Mercury isn’t advancing much.  In the chart below I’ve highlighted that Mercury and Jupiter are retrograde.  It is important with any chart that you make an initial mental note of which of the planets are retrograde.

Natal Chart – Steve Jobs

In order to check if any planets stationed within a week of Steve Jobs’ birth, we change the day of birth to one week earlier, pulling up the chart to see which planets are retrograde, then we do the same for one week after the birth.  If there are no stations then Mercury and Jupiter would be the only retrograde planets one week prior and one week after birth.  If this is not the case then there has been some type of station and we’ll have to do some deeper digging.

A Week Before Birth

To start hold CTRL and press “d” or go to “Horoscope” and then “Data”.  Jobs was born on the 24th so we’ll switch it to the 17th, which will show the chart below.

Steve Jobs – One Week Before Birth

One week before birth, Mercury and Jupiter were retrograde while Venus, Mars, and Saturn were not.  This is just as in the natal chart, so there were no stations in the week prior to birth.

A Week After Birth

Seven days after his Feb. 24th birth would be March 3rd.  So we put that date into the Data area and pull up another chart, again checking for some difference in retrogrades. This time we do find some differences.  Jupiter was still retrograde a week after birth, but Mercury was no longer retrograde.  Therefore, Mercury stationed direct at some point within the week following his birth.  Additionally, Saturn is now retrograde, while it was not in the birth chart, so it stationed retrograde at some point in the week following his birth.

Steve Jobs – One Week After Birth

Mercury Retrograde or Mercury Stationing Direct?

Now, we know that Mercury is stationing direct in Steve’s birth chart and that Saturn is stationing retrograde, but we don’t know to what extent. How close were the stations to Steve’s birth?  I like to start with one-day increments from the birthday. I look first at February 25th, then the 26th, and so on.  Doing this I find that by February 25th, within 24 hours of the birth of Steve Jobs, Mercury had stationed direct.  This is a very prominent Mercury direct station!

We initially noted that Mercury wasn’t really advancing much, so by advancement, Mercury didn’t seem prominent at all.  However, we now know that Mercury is very prominent in the chart because it was stationing direct very strongly when Jobs was born.  This means that the natural significations of Mercury have a type of prominent influence on his life.  This is quite significant as Mercury is the planet of intellect, business, technology, and computing.

Saturn Stationing Retrograde

On the other hand, when we progress day by day, we don’t find Saturn retrograde until we get to March 1st, which is five days out, so Saturn stationed retrograde between four and five days after his birth.  Saturn was weak by retreating, and here we see Saturn a little bit more weakened by the fact that it was gradually stationing retrograde at the time of birth. Therefore, we expect the significations of Saturn to be in the background in his life rather than prominent.

Changing Your Perspective on Retrograde Planets

What about your chart?  Were any planets stationing at your birth?  If so, how do the indications of the stations compare with the indications from advancement?

One of the interesting things about this technique is that a planet that seems retrograde often is revealed to be stationing direct, as with Steve Jobs’s Mercury.  Unfortunately, little attention is paid to planetary stations near one’s birth in astrology today, even in traditional circles.  Additionally, too much stress is placed on retrogradation. In this way, it happens that prominent planets are often thought to be weak from retrogradation.  Get in the habit of checking the week before and the week after a chart, with every chart, and you won’t make this mistake.

Station Meanings

In terms of meaning, the retrograde station has significations of drifting out of reach, being involved in delays and so forth.  The direct station has significations of a pioneering and determined start, such as with forceful resolve.  A retrograde station is like someone coming to the party and saying, “oh wait, I’m sorry, I forgot something, and I need to go home to get it”. The direct station is like someone who had been tied up for some time and now can move forward with some established plans.

Appearances or Phasis

Just as famous celebrities and politicians make important appearances, so do the planets. Their appearances pertain to meetings with the Sun, the king of the chart.

The Sun on his throne from a Persian Manuscript 373 CE

Under the Beams

The Sun is like the king of the astrological chart, signifying powerful authority and leadership.  When a planet appears close to the Sun in the sky it becomes obscured by the light of the Sun.  In ancient astrology, the standard distance is typically 15 degrees from the Sun.  When a planet is within 15 degrees of the Sun it is “under the beams” or “combust”.  Planets under the beams can be weakened in the sense of being more hidden or covert.  You could think of this as akin to a person who is employed in some special government operation.  The agenda (Sun) outshines their own personal expression, forcing them to come under a more restricted code of conduct and more limited communication.

Cazimi

An exception to this rule of planets under the beams being “hidden” is when planets are within about 1 degree from the Sun, which is called “cazimi” or “in the heart of the Sun”.  This is like being able to rule in the king’s stead or taking on the authority of the throne.  A planet in such a position becomes much more prominent, but planets which are cazimi are rather rare. A particularly forceful cazimi would be an occultation of the Sun, such as the “Transit of Venus“. In the article on the 2012 Transit of Venus, I explored the history of the concept of cazimi.

In Phasis

Many astrologers are aware of combustion and cazimi, but another very important solar-related doctrine, that of “appearance”, has been forgotten.  A planet makes its appearance (or is “in phasis”) just when it comes out from the beams of the Sun. For some, phasis is also when a planet is about to go under the beams (disappearance).  These phenomena are also known as the heliacal risings and settings of the planets. Think of it like the planet having an important visit with the media either right before its going to have to encounter the authorities or immediately after it has.

A planet coming out of the beams (making appearance) is more prominent. There is more controversy regarding whether a planet going into the beams is. Such a planet may be regarded as more prototypically and forcefully under the beams. After all, it is is actually going under them around the time of birth. However, a planet in its own bound, domicile, or exaltation it was sometimes considered to be made more powerful under the beams. Therefore, this may sometimes be weakening and sometimes strengthening.

Ancient Mesopotamian tablet giving dates (columns 1,2) and positions (column 3) of consecutive reappearances of Venus as the evening star, for 24 years – Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago

Phasis and Profession

A planet making an appearance is called “in phasis”.  A consideration of phasis tends to be included in ancient techniques for finding professional significators.  It seems that its link with the Sun ties it to a sense of what someone becomes known for.

We, then, looking out for the topic of injury, entered into the type of action in this way: the givers, then, of actions are Mercury, Venus, and Mars; the effective houses are the ascendant, the midheaven, the IC, and the [houses] succedent to these, but also indeed the sixth houses, and the Lot of Fortune, and the application of the Moon, and the [star] making its morning appearance or its evening rising seven days before or seven days after.   (Rhetorius, Astrological Compendium, #82, Holden trans., 2009, p. 134)

Rising and Setting Relative to the Sun

The passage above is from Rhetorius. Paulus Alexandrinus (4th century CE) also discussed the phases of the stars and the terminology associated with phasis.  A planet in phasis which is coming out from the beams is called rising or arising, as it is in its heliacal rising (rising out from the beams).  A planet which is going into the beam is also called setting (occasionally called disappearance), as it is in its heliacal setting.  Be cognizant of these other uses of the terms “rising” and “setting”. There are times when rising and setting planets are discussed in the literature where an unknowing reader might assume it is relative to the horizon but it is actually relative to the beams of the Sun.

Variation in Terms of Heliacal Setting

Paulus Version

For some ancient astrologers, only the heliacal rising is viewed as strengthening for professional matters.  Paulus Alexandrinus of the 4th century CE advised to look at heliacal rising as a factor making a planet more significant for signifying the person’s actions (profession), but did not advise to look at heliacal setting in that sense.

Porphyry Version

However, Porphyry (3rd century CE) advised to look at both in the context of finding the lord of the nativity. This suggests that possibly in an earlier doctrine both phases marked out prominence. The Porphyry passage highlights how stations and phasis were both associated with prominence and thus relevant to finding the lord of the nativity.

And the first, the Lord of the ASC or the one that is posited on it in the domicile and the terms, either the one of the Moon, or the one of the MC, or the one of the [Lot of] Fortune, or the one 7 days before birth, or within 7 days making a phase of the rising or the setting or of a station.  (Porphyry, Ch. 30, Holden trans., 2009, p. 24)

In Practice

In practice, I’ve found consistently that both can confer prominence and both can be relevant for the professional significator.  For instance, in the example of Hitler given in this post, the planets in phasis are Venus then Mars, both setting into the beams, but both very significant for his professional development and aspirations in his life, first to be an artist, then to be an aggressive conqueror.  However, planets setting into the beams do seem to take on many of the significations associated with being under the beams, so it is something of a mixed bag. Valens associated a planet going under the beams with troubles, interruptions, and possible secret difficulties.

Under The Beams and its Modification

I personally associate being under the beams with the sense of something powerful causing things to go underground, into hiding, but not necessarily good or bad in a blanket sense.  For instance, do you feel that you can fully and entirely be yourself with your parents, grandparents, or boss? This seems to be analogous to the behavior of a planet under the beams.

Under the Beams but with Rulership

I think that this helps to explain why planets in a place where they held some authority or power (a house or bound they had some rulership over) were thought to be strengthened or made more benefic rather than weakened by being under the beams. Such planets are under the influence of the Sun but also have a type of independence as they are in their own place. It is like a person visited by a king but without a need to subjugate oneself to that king.

“The planets are in their own chariots when they are found in their own domicile or exaltation or terms; and they rejoice in these places even when they are found under the Sun beams, for the benefics increase their good and the malefics are changed into a good influence.” (Rhetorius, Ch. 43, Holden trans., 2009, p. 25)

Morning and Evening Stars

A related distinction to know is that between morning stars and evening stars.  Those rising (above the horizon) before the Sun are said to be to the “right” of the Sun, oriental the Sun, or morning stars. They are seen in the morning before the Sun rises.  Those rising (above the horizon) after the Sun are said to be to the “left” of the Sun, occidental the Sun, or evening stars. They are seen in the evening after the Sun has set.

Morning stars were thought to have quicker and more outgoing significations. For intance, they are viewed as bringing about their significations quickly when activated and pertaining to events earlier in life. They also indicate proactive rather than lazy people or things. Evening stars were thought to have slower and more progressive significations. They can signify things that are lazy or develop slowly as time goes by, such as things realized only later in life.

Star of Ishtar, representing Venus, 12th century BCE, from a kudurru of King Melishipak I of Mesopotami.

Checking for Appearances

We are interested in appearances within about a week from birth.  Therefore, our habit of checking one week before and one week after birth has a dual purpose; we check for stations and appearances.

When looking for appearances, we are concerned with the degree position of the Sun and that of the planets near the Sun.  Mercury and Venus always stay pretty close to the Sun, so they are in phasis most often.  The degrees of the planets are shown in the chart (as well as the minutes in smaller type).  Each sign has 30 degrees, so if the Sun is at exactly 25 degrees of one sign, and Mercury is at 10 degrees of the next sign, then Mercury is 15 degrees from the Sun (in phasis). We are not concerned with the Moon when it comes to phasis.  The combustion of the Moon is significant though, lending a sense of covertness to the Moon’s significations.

Find Phasis in Steve Jobs’ Chart

Natal Chart – Steve Jobs

You’ll notice that Steve’s Sun is at 5 degrees of the sign numbered VII (Pisces). Besides the Moon, Mercury is the fastest planet and moves up to about 2 degrees per day.  Therefore, if a planet is more than about 30 degrees from the Sun it won’t be in phasis.

Mercury Presents a Possibility

Mercury is the only planet within about 30 degrees from the Sun. It is at 14 degrees of the prior sign, Aquarius.  The Sun and Mercury are a little bit over 21 degrees from each other.  Mercury is moving backward and is in a sign before, so they are moving away from each other. Given this, we know they won’t be within 15 degrees of each other at any point after birth.  The question is whether Mercury and the Sun were ever within 15 degrees the week before birth.  To answer this question, we’ll look at the chart from a week before birth.

A Week Before Birth

Steve Jobs – One Week Before Birth

Look at the chart from a week before birth. We find the Sun at 28 Aquarius and Mercury at 17 Aquarius.  This is a distance of about 11 degrees, which is less than 15 degrees. Therefore, Mercury was under the beams within the prior week then made an appearance.

Now we need to find out when.  So starting with the 23rd, we move back one day in the birth data, pulling up charts until we get to the point that Mercury ends up being less than 15 degrees from the Sun.  Doing this you’ll find that it is on February 19th, 5 days before Steve’s birth, that Mercury is under the beams (i.e. within 15 degrees from the Sun).  Therefore, Mercury made its appearance four-to-five days prior to Steve’s birth.

General Prominence in Steve Jobs’ Chart

We have looked at all three of the general prominence factors in Steve Jobs’ chart.  While the Moon was strongly advancing, Mercury, mildly advancing, was strongly stationing direct and was in phasis.  Therefore, Mercury indicates very prominently concerning the life circumstances of Steve Jobs. Recall that it is particularly relevant to the profession due to both stationing and being in phasis.

General Prominence Chart Examples

I’m going to run through a number of examples very quickly. I’ll note the important information obtained from the three general prominence factors. The data for all examples are from Astro-Databank.com.  If you have any questions, please comment and I will do what I can to assist.

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler’s Natal Chart (Ctrl-Click to enlarge)

Hitler has a very complicated chart.  Mercury, the Sun, and Saturn are the most prominent planets by advancement. Jupiter and the Moon are retreating.  Looking at stations, Saturn is even more prominent due to a direct station about 6 days before birth. Additionally, Jupiter is even more weakened by a retrograde station about 4 days after birth.

Mercury is somewhat weakened (or at least hidden/covert) due to being deeply under the beams and not in phasis. Mars and Venus are both between 15 and 16 degrees from the Sun. They are strongly in phasis, but going into the beams. Venus goes into the beams within 24 hours and Mars within 3 days.

Saturn is Most Prominent and Jupiter is Most Weakened

Hitler’s chart has many prominent planets but Saturn (lack, hardship, loss, darkness, discipline, and control) is most prominent.  The Sun, planet of leadership, authority, and influence is also very prominent.  Saturn and the Sun pertain very strongly to Hitler’s ability to rise to power and his dictatorial style.

Venus and Mars are prominent in their own ways as both are advancing and very strongly in phasis. Venus goes very quickly and deeply under the beams while Mars slowly descends into them.  These pertain to his career aspirations, from trying to be an artist (Venus) to trying to be a conqueror (Mars).  Mercury is very important in the life, but covert, which may indicate secretive activity of an intellectual nature.  Jupiter, the planet of opportunity, abundance, generosity, goodwill, friendship, kindness, and spirituality is very weak.

Kurt Cobain

 

Kurt Cobain’s Natal Chart (Ctrl-Click to enlarge)

In Kurt Cobain’s chart, Mercury is conjunct the Descendant. With Mercury, Venus and Saturn are also strongly advancing, while the Sun is retreating.  Therefore, we expect Mercury (voice, writing, intellect, cleverness, business), Venus (the arts, love, women, sensuality), and Saturn (hardship, darkness, loss, obligation) to all be quite prominent in the life.  We expect the Sun (leadership, authority, honors, power, confidence) to be backgrounded in the life, at least in a general sense.

Mercury is in phasis, though setting into the beams, within 2 days after birth, so very strongly.  However, Mercury also stations retrograde within 3 days after birth, which is strongly weakening.  Therefore, Mercury’s significations in the life are complex. It is very significant but with a potential for a reversal. It’s setting under the beams can signify covert action.

Alfred Witte

Alfred Witte’s Natal Chart

Witte was an early 20th-century astrologer who pioneered a new system of astrology. His Uranian astrology is very different from other modern forms of astrology. It is based on symmetrical relationships of planets to each other. Witte ended up committing suicide after being targeted by the Nazis.

Jupiter Prominent with Mercury-Venus Prominent in Another Manner

Notice that Jupiter, the planet of wisdom, spirituality, abundance, generosity, and elevation is strongly advancing, conjunct the IC.  Mars, Mercury, and Venus are also advancing, while Saturn is retreating and under the beams.

There are no stations in his chart.  Saturn is barely in phasis, setting under the beams about 7 days before birth.  Mercury and Venus are very close to each other in the same degree. Both are about 15 degrees from the Sun, so they are strongly in phasis.  Venus is morning rising, rising out from the beams, while Mercury is morning setting, falling under the beams.  Therefore, it is Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter which are the most prominent planets in Witte’s life by these basic methods.

It is interesting that Mercury and Venus are so strongly joined to one another. Witte’s astrology, dependent upon symmetry, has a sense of mathematical harmony to it. It has a visual elegance which shows a fusion of the intellectualism of Mercury combined with the aesthetics of Venus.

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo’s Natal Chart

Kahlo was born with the Moon very strongly advancing toward the Midheaven.  Venus is the next most advancing planet, while Mercury was retreating.  Jupiter was under the beams.  Mars was retrograde but not stationing.  Saturn stationed retrograde within 4 days of birth. Mercury stationed retrograde within 5 days of birth.

The Moon Above All

Overall, we would judge Mercury to be weakened and placed in the background, both from retreating and the retrograde station.  We’d also judge Saturn to be somewhat weakened.

The Moon, the power of irrationality, subjectivity, nurture, ubiquity, mothers, instincts, the wild, and vivid depth, is extremely prominent. Venus is also quite prominent. She is advancing toward the Midheaven (and rules the Midheaven; rulership will be addressed in a future post).

Where Do We Go From Here

It’s my hope that you’ve found in this post some new and valuable techniques for evaluating planetary prominence.  If you are a beginner and are having any trouble with this material please comment below.

In future lessons, we will start to explore the signs, houses, and configurations. These form the core elements of the Hellenistic system of astrology.  However, it is good to get in the habit of initially checking the indications of general prominence.  They will tell you which planets are loudest and have something important to say about the life as a whole.

Solid Footing

Unfortunately, it is much easier to identify which sign a planet is in than to check for stations and appearances.  However, we are looking at something much more concrete when examining advancement, stations, and appearances.

Most considerations in ancient astrology are based on abstract mathematical divisions of the ecliptic into signs.  Here we have dealt with more basic observations of wandering stars rising, culminating, setting, changing direction, appearing and disappearing.  These things have been observed for thousands of years, including in astrological systems which predate Hellenistic astrology.

Practice Makes Perfect

Practice with these three basic techniques on your own chart and as many charts as you can (visit Astro-Databank).  Feel free to expand upon them with the other distinctions we discussed (combustion, cazimi, morning vs. evening stars).  Discuss your findings in the comments.

Critical thinking is very important.  For instance, why is it the case that Kahlo’s Venus was under the beams rather than in phasis?  Ancient astrology is very vast and we are still only dealing with general prominence.  Prominence relative to the self and specific topics such as profession bring in additional considerations and concepts.  The complexity and vastness of ancient astrology is a good thing because human life is even more complex and vast.

The Map is not the Territory

Of course, no astrological system can ever predict the full complexity of any human experience. No communication can ever fully convey an experience. The map is not the territory. Nevertheless, by learning more and honing our skills in ancient astrology we may defy what is generally considered possible. We observe that the sky speaks volumes about the past, present, and future. The language of the heavens, arranged by some intelligence beyond our own, highlights our humble place in a brilliantly intelligent universe.

 

References
Ma’shar, A., & Al-Qabisi. (2010). Introductions to Traditional Astrology. (B. N. Dykes, Trans.). Minneapolis, MN: The Cazimi Press.
Porphyry, & Serapio. (2009). Porphyry the Philosopher. (J. H. Holden, Trans.). Tempe, AZ: American Federation of Astrologers.
Rhetorius of Egypt, & Teucer of Babylon. (2009). Rhetorius the Egyptian. (J. H. Holden, Trans.). Tempe, AZ: American Federation of Astrologers.
Image Attributions
Featured image of four elements from Isidore of Seville’s De natura rerum is in the public domain. 
Sibly’s chart of Jesus Christ image is in the public domain.
Illustration of the Sun and the Moon with a lion by Jaroš Griemiller (Prague 1578) is in the public domain. 
The Sun on his throne image from a Persian manuscript 373 CE – See page for author [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Tablet of Venus evening appearances image is in the public domain. 
Star of Ishtar image is in the public domain.

Twelve Easy Lessons for Beginners | 2. Charting, Angles, Advancement

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Some Planets Are Louder than Others

Have you ever felt like the things associated with one particular planet pervade every aspect of your life in every possible way? In this post, you’ll learn which planets in your chart are the loud ones which want to be heard in every area of life. This is part of a series of lessons on the basics of applied Hellenistic astrology.  In the last lesson, we looked at the basic significations of the planets. There is also a zero lesson on some history and preliminaries. In this post, we’ll learn about planetary advancement, also known as the operative degrees or busy degrees. This will allow you to start figuring out which planets are louder or more pervasive. If you haven’t already done so, please read the past lessons and spend a little time thinking in terms of the planets before proceeding.

Download Valens’ Anthology

Please download the PDF of the full English translation of the Anthology of Vettius Valens (click here to open the PDF or right click and choose “save as” to download).  Not only is it an indispensable and enormous text of Hellenistic astrology, but it begins immediately with Valens on the significations of the planets.

Pull Up Your First Chart

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to obtain really good software for traditional astrology.  As we learn about how to read a chart in this lesson, I’ll walk you through pulling up charts using the free online Astrodienst (astro.com) charting service.  In a future lesson, I’ll show how to use Morinus, a free and advanced open-source traditional astrology program.

Registering on Astrodienst

First, you should pull up a copy of your chart using Astrodienst, which is at Astro.com.  It is free to register with the site and the process is easy.  Click Login in the upper right corner, then “Create a free registered user profile” and follow the instructions.  After registering, you will find that you are faced with many options for computer-generated readings.  I don’t recommend any of the readings on the site.  We are going to use the free chart-drawing service.

You Will Need an Accurate Birth Time

The section of the site called “My Astro” allows you to store birth data for easy access to your charts from the internet. First, you will want to have your birth information handy.  The information that you’ll need is the date, location (city), and time of birth.  Typically, a birth certificate is the most accurate source of this information.  Obtain this information before proceeding, either of your own birth or that of someone of interest.

Entering Chart Information on Astrodienst

With the birth info in hand, log in to Astrodienst and click the “Add new Astro data” link.  Fill out the Birth Data Entry and click “Continue”.  Make sure the correct town is selected and click “Continue” again.  If this is your first time using the program you might be taken directly to the Free Horoscopes page, but if not then click the “Free Horoscopes” link from the top bar.  Scroll down and choose “Chart Drawing Ascendant”.  This is the option that will do for now, even though it includes a lot of additional information we will try to ignore.  Click on the chart to pull it up in a window of its own, where you can right-click and choose “Save Image As” to save the chart to your computer, or press CTRL-P to print the chart.  The chart should look something like what is below.

Angelina Jolie’s Birth Chart (CTRL-Click to open in a new tab)

Adding Celebrity Data from Astro-Databank to My Astro

In your astrological studies, a time will come when you’ll want to check out the charts of celebrities.  There is a database of celebrity charts that is now maintained by Astrodienst and integrates with its My Astro chart collection.  This database is called Astro-Databank (click to go there).

Let’s say that you want to add Angelina Jolie’s chart to your own chart collection.  You would type “Angelina Jolie” in the Search box and then click her name from the list of results.  This will pull up her biography and chart information, with a small chart that you can click to enlarge (click here to go there).  Make special note of the “Rodden Rating” which is an evaluation of the accuracy of the birth information (AA is best, while anything C or below usually shouldn’t be trusted).  To add birth information to your collection click the link “add Angelina Jolie to ‘my astro'” which appears below the grey box.

Finding The Angles: The Crosshairs of a Given Location on Earth

There is much on this chart drawing that you should ignore for now, including all the red and blue lines jutting around the chart.  For now imagine that the small center circle inside the chart, around which the numbers appear, is the sphere of the Earth.  Look at the four bold black lines that jut out from that sphere.  These 4 lines are much like the “cross-hairs” of the location.  It is as if planets on them have arrived at the location. Those moving toward them (clockwise) are arriving. After passing them, a planet is leaving the location. These 4 points are called the “Angles” or “Pivots” of the chart.  Planets on them signify extremely prominent or pervasive influences on life circumstances.

The Horizon

The horizontal line is the horizon at the place you were born. Horizon is in the word horizontal so that should be easy to remember. Notice on the left that it is marked with an AC, for Ascendant.  On the opposite side, there is a DC, for Descendant.  The Ascendant is where planets rise or “ascend”, while the Descendant is where they set or “descend”.  The Ascendant is toward the east and the Descendant is toward the west, as “the Sun rises in the east, and sets in the west”.  A planet above the line is above the horizon, in the sky.  A planet below the line is below the horizon, under the earth.

You will notice that there is a planetary symbol at Angelina Jolie’s Ascendant.  The symbol is that of Venus. Matters symbolized by Venus are therefore pervasive in the circumstances of Jolie’s life. The significations of beauty, love, creativity, the arts, and sensuality are very “loud” in her life.

Finding The Sect of the Chart

For astrological purposes, a chart is a day chart or diurnal if the Sun is above the horizon, while a night chart or nocturnal if the Sun is below the horizon.  This is known as the sect of the chart.  The symbol for the Sun is above the horizon in Jolie’s chart, so she was a day birth. We may think of Angelina as of the diurnal sect.

The Meridian

The vertical, nearly perpendicular lines, are the meridians, like the vertical lines you see on a globe.  The top one is where the Sun reaches its highest point or “culminates” up in the sky, at the natural “Noon” position.  The bottom one is the meridian on the other side of the earth, where the Sun anti-culminates under one’s feet at the natural “Midnight”.  The top line is called the angle of the sky, medium coeli (“middle of the sky”), or midheaven, abbreviated MC.  The bottom angle is the angle of the earth, called the imum coeli (“bottom of the sky”), abbreviated IC.

If one is in the northern hemisphere, the MC is exactly due south, because we are looking south toward the equator of the Earth when we see a culminating planet (for example, the Sun at about Noon).  The IC is due north.  Thus the astrological chart is like an upside-down map as far as directions go.  The top is south, the left is easterly, the bottom is north, and the right is westerly.

Looking at these additional two “Angles” we see that Angelina Jolie has one planet on the MC.  That planet is Jupiter, the planet of fortune, opportunity, gifts, generosity, and social benefits.

On an Angle

The numbers next to Jupiter’s symbol are the degrees and minutes of the sign where Jupiter is located.  These are coordinates of its location.  Notice Jupiter is at degree 17, as is the MC.  They are in the same degree out of the 360-degree circle.  Similarly, Venus was in the same degree as the Ascendant.  Because the degrees on the angles shift about every 4 minutes (of regular clock time), it is rare to find a planet in the same degree as an angle.

We will consider a planet on an angle when it is within about 3 degrees of the angle (a little more than that when dealing with the Sun and Moon).  Notice that Mars is at degree 10, which is about 7 degrees from the MC, so we wouldn’t consider it on the angle.  The Moon is at 13, which is about 4 to 5 degrees from the MC, so we would judge the Moon to be of increased prominence as well in this chart by this method.

Planetary Advancement

This idea of a planet becoming more prominent when it reaches one of the angles predates the advent of horoscopic astrology. It is a feature of geographically disparate astrological traditions, and it is an easy concept to grasp. It is also evident in Hellenistic and Persian astrology (more on this below). Additionally, it is related to one of the most important predictive techniques of traditional astrology, primary directions. This is why I feel it is important to learn it early in one’s studies.

Pre-Hellenistic Origins

A quick survey of archaeoastronomy reveals that for thousands of years people paid close attention to the moments when important planetary phenomena would reach the angles. This is evident in the construction of temples, monuments, and sacred sites the world over.  For example, El Castillo, a step-pyramid at the center of the Mayan Chichen Itza, has a western face that points to sunset (Sun on Descendant) on the traditional date of the start of the rainy season.  Similarly, Stonehenge has important alignments to risings and settings marking the annual transitions of midsummer and midwinter.  Karnak (in Egypt) and many other such sites reveal similar attention to risings, settings, and culminations on key days of the year.  These monuments all draw attention to the time of a planet’s “arrival” to the location by using its crosshairs, the angles.

The Primary Motion

You’ll notice that few people have planets actually conjunct (i.e. on or at) an Angle.  However, while this is the most powerful position, Hellenistic astrologers did attach increased importance to a planet approaching an angle, and decreased importance to one receding from an angle (more on this below).  The exact definition of when a planet is considered to start advancing and when it is considered to stop retreating varies slightly with different authors but the idea is the same.  The idea is that a planet’s significations become increasingly strong or busy as it moves closer and closer to the angle, becoming strongest when it is conjoined to the angle, and then quickly dropping off until it has traveled sufficiently toward the next angle.

You may recall that a planet rises at the Ascendant, culminates at the MC, sets at the Descendant, anti-culminates at the IC, and then rises again at the Ascendant.  This clockwise motion is called the Primary Motion and is shown below.

Quadrant House Systems Are Great for Advancing/Retreating but not for Topics

The concept of advancement and retreat was confused for a method of assigning topics to the signs, called the house system.  In modern charts, including this one provided by Astrodienst, the space between any two angles is divided up into three segments. These are numbered for houses, but actually should be used for evaluating advancement and retreat.  Planets in one of the segments that is right after an angle by primary motion (marked 3, 6, 9, and 12 on the chart) are “retreating” from the angle or “inoperative”.  Those that in other segments are advancing.  Those that are in the segment just before and up to the angle (1, 4, 7, and 10) are even more advancing or “operative”.

Therefore, looking at Angelina Jolie’s chart, we judge Venus, Jupiter, and the Moon to be especially busy or “loud” because they are conjunct angles.  By contrast, we judge that the significations of Saturn and Mars are overall much quieter in the life because they are retreating.  The Sun and Mercury are advancing but not very strongly, so they are middling in terms of the “loudness” of their significations in the life.

Continuous Change in Volume

Rather than viewing advancement and retreat in a discrete way, where we chop things up into strong, middle, and weak, I tend to view it as a continuous matter of a planet being of very low volume after separating from an Angle and then volume gradually being turned up on it as it nears it.  Planets approaching an angle within about 15 degrees or actually conjunct an Angle I take to be especially loud, and I will call them “strongly advancing”.

Busy vs. Relevant to a Specific Topic

A beginner should take some time getting used to the significance of this technique. This busy-ness is not necessarily in terms of personality or what someone’s known for.  It is quite possible for a retreating planet to have great significance for a person’s character or profession, and likewise possible for a strongly advancing planet to have little relevance for characterizing these things.  The basic idea is simply one of general strength or busy-ness, where I think the metaphor of “volume” as on a stereo, comes in handy.

Because the volume of Venus and Jupiter are at the full crank in Angelina Jolie’s chart, we imagine that the things those planets stand for are pervasive through the life, including the people, events, and things encountered in it.  It’s as if the life is being pumped full of Venus and Jupiter energy or those gods are very busily at play there. In Angelina’s case, Venus and the Moon are also very significant for the character and personality, but this is not because of the advancement, but due to other factors we’ll cover later.  The only thing that advancement tells us is that the significations are loud and likely to be quite broad.  The person is nearly constantly encountering things signified by that planet for better or worse.

Ben Dykes on Advancement

I largely follow Dr. Benjamin Dykes interpretation of advancement and retreat as found in his commentary on his translations of Persian introductory astrological works, Introductions to Traditional Astrology. Discussing the commentary on advancement and retreat by Al-Qabisi and Abu Ma’shar he notes the following:

What this suggests is that advancing planets will show active assent, engagement, and success in whatever they signify–whether that is helpful or harmful. (Dykes, 2010, p. 121)

Taken with advancement, retreat suggests that such planets are more likely to show opportunities missed, ignored, or responsibilities dropped. (Dykes, 2010, p. 121)

Busy Places Versus Good Ones

I follow Dykes and Robert Schmidt of Project Hindsight in distinguishing these busy degrees from the advantageous places of Timaeus (more on those in later lessons). The advantageous houses or places are those that have a certain relationship with the rising sign (signifying the self) so they are advantageous in a more personal sense (i.e. good for the individual). Advancement is a relationship to the birth itself (the location of the chart), so pertains to the life circumstances as a whole (i.e. busy in the life).

Schmidt suggests an interpretive difference which seems promising: (1) by being related to the angles alone, the Nechepso version […] identifies planets busy or advantageous or advancing in the life as a whole, regardless of the specific relation they have toward the native as an individual. […] But (2) by being configured to the ascending sign, the Timaeus-Dorotheus version […] identifies planets which are more directly busy and advancing relative to the native and his interests as an individual. (Dykes, 2010, p. 122)

From Busy Degrees in the Length of Life Technique to Advancing Planets

Advancement is a concept that tends to be ill-understood today.  Advancement was used primarily within the context of the longevity techniques of Hellenistic astrology (techniques to determine the length of life). It became a more basic part of astrological technique during the Persian period. In the Hellenistic period, the regions approaching the angles were often singled out as particularly busy or operative degrees. Those receding from the angles were singled out as inoperative.

The origin of the doctrine appears to be an early lost foundational text attributed to Nechepso. In this work, the four places of the angles and those places following them (in the order of the signs) were viewed as the 8 busy or advantageous places. The other four were seen as diminished in operation. As a number of separate Hellenistic astrologers set up quadrant-based divisions  (i.e. based on the four regions created by the angles) to find the busy degrees in the context of the length of life technique and the 8 advantageous places of Nechepso appear to figure into the technique, it is likely that quadrant-based divisions, the 8 advantageous places, and the operative degrees all come to Hellenistic astrology from the Nechepso text in the context of the length of life technique.

Quadrant Division but Not Quadrant Houses

As this technique is quadrant-based, it inspired the later widespread adoption of quadrant house systems (Lesson 6 will discuss houses). A house system is a means of assigning twelve major topics of life (such as marriage, children, friends, etc.) to different areas of the chart. However, in Hellenistic astrology the quadrant divisions are almost exclusively used to determine the busy-ness of the planets, not to assign topical categories to areas of the chart. When it comes to assigning topics we will do so according to the order of the houses of the planets (i.e. the signs) as the Hellenistic astrologers did.

Advancement/Retreat is Terminology of Arabic Origin

I adopt the Arabic terminology for the technique which uses the language of advancement (‘iqbal) and retreat (‘idbar). This terminology readily captures the physical phenomena of the planet advancing toward the key crosshairs of the location and then retreating. It also captures the most salient indication I’ve observed related to it, which is that of increasing and decreasing loudness across life circumstances. The Greek terminology in which it is characterized as busy (chrematistikos) is also helpful.

Busy-ness in Hellenistic Astrology

Valens

Valens gives a good thorough exposition of advancement in Book III, Chapter 2 of the Anthology.  The chapter is dedicated to explaining the concept which for Valens defines the “operative”, “average”, and “inoperative” degrees (not to be confused with the operative and inoperative places which are another matter).  Valens finds the operative and inoperative degrees by dividing the distance into thirds by zodiacal degrees.  For instance, if there were 120 degrees between two angles, then each third would be 40 degrees in length.

Then it is necessary to take the distance in degrees from the Ascendant to the IC (moving in the order of the signs), to consider one-third of that total distance to be the “operative” degrees in the configuration of the angles, and to consider the stars in these degrees, whether benefics or malefics, to be powerful.  (Valens, Anthologies, Book III, Ch. 2, Riley trans., 2010, p. 59)

Thirds of Varying Power

He instructs to make the same type of division between each of the angles. He describes the power of the thirds as follows.

So then, the first third from the Ascendant will be operative and powerful, the second third will be average, the third third will be crisis-producing and bad. The stars <in these regions> will act in the same way.  (Valens, Anthologies, Book III, Ch. 2, Riley trans., 2010, p. 59)

In the above quote, he seems to imply that a planet becomes more malefic (i.e. “bad”) when retreating.  However, I think Valens is referring to it being bad when a major health significator is in such a position because it is weakened. The section is presented in the context of a length of life technique. My experience is that retreating planets do not signify as prominently, but do not signify more malefic things, i.e. that it is a general strength consideration only.

Dorotheus

Dorotheus does not discuss advancement much but does have a few instances where he brings up a 15-degree rule. A planet that is not in the rising sign but which is approaching the Ascendant within 15 degrees is said to have equal power as a planet in the rising sign.  This rule is found Book I, Chapter 7, #7, as well as book III, Chapter 1, #23, of Carmen Astrologicum.  The rule also appeared in Porphyry in a section attributed to Antiochus.

Ptolemy

Ptolemy also defined certain regions of power where a planet relevant to longevity matters was to be found.  In his discussion (Book III, Ch. 10) one of his regions is from 5 degrees above the Ascendant to the 25 degrees below it.  Thus the region of strength here appears to be the 25 degrees up to the angle, and the conjunction seems to extend 5 degrees.

Practice Using Advancement

Now let’s look at some example charts using a fluid sense of advancement. We are interested in finding the busiest planets.  The chart drawings are from the Morinus program, but the charts are also available on Astro-Databank. I’ve provided the link to the Astrodatabank chart. Remember that here we are looking at one factor of general prominence in the life, which may be compared with volume or busy-ness.  Later we will look at other factors of general prominencend factors as well as factors that signify personal prominence and even self-identification.

Hitler

In Hitler’s chart, Saturn (darkness, death, challenge), Mercury (rationality, writing, voice), and the Sun (leadership, power, confidence) are all very strongly advancing, while the Moon (deep significance, nurture, the irrational) and Jupiter (generosity, spirituality, loftiness) are retreating. Mars and Venus are advancing fairly strongly.

Adolf Hitler’s Natal Chart (Ctrl-click to enlarge)

Kurt Cobain

In Kurt Cobain’s chart, Mercury (rationality, writing, voice), Venus (beauty, creativity, love), and Saturn (darkness, death, challenge) are strongly advancing together.  The Sun (leadership, power, confidence) is retreating.

Kurt Cobain’s Natal Chart (Ctrl-click to enlarge)

Billy Graham

In Billy Graham’s chart, Jupiter (generosity, spirituality, loftiness) and the Moon (deep significance, nurture, the irrational) are strongly advancing.  Mars (violence, physical work, aggression) is retreating, but is also closely with the Moon.

Billy Graham’s Natal Chart (Ctrl-click to enlarge)

Conclusion

Take the celebrity examples from the last lesson, for Bjork, Obama, and Einstein. Look up their charts on Astro-Databank and evaluate advancement as an exercise.  You will find that some planets that you thought would be strongly advancing are not so, and vice-versa.  Advancement is only one piece of the puzzle.  Prominence involves additional factors which we’ll get to in subsequent lessons.

Think of advancing planets as loud and busy, signifying across many areas of life.  Think of retreating ones as quieter, and more directed toward specific topics.

Look at your own chart, and those of your friends, family, and favorite celebrities.  Make note of the planets you would expect to be advancing compare that with what you find.  As we proceed you’ll come to better understand the exceptions, where you met the unexpected.

References

Dykes, Benjamin, trans. and ed., Introductions to Traditional Astrology: Abu Ma’shar & al-Qabisi (Minneapolis, MN: The Cazimi Press, 2010).

Valens, V. (2010). Anthologies. (M. Riley, Trans.) (Online PDF.). World Wide Web: Mark Riley. Retrieved from http://www.csus.edu/indiv/r/rileymt/Vettius%20Valens%20entire.pdf
Image Attributions

Featured image of Astronomical Clock from Cathedrale St-Jean in Lyon, France (cropped from original): This Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons image is from the user Chris 73 and is freely available at //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cathedrale_Saint_Jean_Lyon_Astronomical_clock.jpg under the creative commons cc-by-sa 3.0 license.

Horn Speaker with Girl by Paul G. Andres, in public domain.

Glyphs and Crosshairs images are in the public domain.

 

Twelve Easy Lessons for Beginners | 1. The Meanings of the Planets

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Learn the Meanings of the Planets

In the last article of this series, Lesson Zero, I introduced the history of astrology and the reasons for studying ancient astrology. Have you ever wondered what the planets mean (signify) in astrology? In this article, we will explore the meanings of the planets and how to read their symbols, as well as how to avoid a few pitfalls along the way.

A Note on Astrological Terminology

The terminology of ancient astrology is sometimes confusing because ancient astrologers were also the first astronomers. Modern astronomy developed over the last few centuries and has taken the same terminology used by ancient astrologers/astronomers but often with a change in technical meaning and application. This re-defining of terminology has been a source of confusion. It is also behind many false assumptions made by critics.

What are Stars?

It helps to think of the ancient astrological terms as being based more on visual considerations while their modern astronomical equivalents are based on physical considerations.  For instance, in ancient astrology, a ‘star’ is basically a glowing heavenly body so it included not only the stars in the modern astronomical sense (defined by their composition) but also the planets and the Moon. Therefore, ancient astrology distinguishes the “fixed” stars from the “wandering” stars.

Sure the Sun is a star, but in astrology, the Moon is also a star and a big one. It’s also a planet in astrology. More on this below.

When a Planet was a Type of Star

The term “planet” causes more confusion than any other, Not only does ‘planet’ have a different meaning nowadays, but modern astrologers have tended to use the term in the astronomical rather than the astrological sense.  For instance, in ancient astrology, the “planets” are the seven wandering stars. These seven glowing lights are seen to wander in a regular path along the ecliptic (i.e. the path of the Sun) moving from west to east.  They include the Sun and the Moon, though the Sun and Moon were given special status among them as the Lights or Luminaries.

A Planet by Any Other Name

The astrological planets didn’t include the modern astronomical outer planets Uranus and Neptune, nor the dwarf planets like Pluto and Eris.  These so-called planets are not stars in the ancient sense (and thus are not wandering stars) because they are not visible glowing heavenly bodies.  For this reason, some modern-day traditionalist astrologers who like to use these modern astronomical planets have taken to calling them “the invisible planets”, or simply “the modern planets”. In this way they can be distinguished from traditional astrological planets.

Uranus is not a planet in the traditional astrological sense, but it’s still damn cool.

The Planets – Order and Symbols

The 7 planets of ancient astrology are typically ordered in terms of apparent speed.  This order was conceived as spheres around the Earth which were the domains of each planet.  At birth the soul would descend from the fixed stars, then through the sphere of Saturn and the rest of the planets to the Moon, and then to Earth. The soul would take on different physical and spiritual qualities along the way, in parallel to fetal development.  At death, the soul would ascend from the Earth upwards through the spheres of the Moon, Mercury, and so forth, tested at each sphere and shedding some worldly attribute (possibly influencing the Christian conception of the seven deadly sins according to some scholars). This order is sometimes called the Chaldean order of the planets.  Typically, the order starts with either the slowest planet, Saturn, or the fastest planet, the Moon.

Planetary Order
        1. The Moon
        2. Mercury
        3. Venus
        4. The Sun
        5. Mars
        6. Jupiter
        7. Saturn

On the right side of this engraving, from Renaissance Italy you can see the planetary spheres starting with Saturn below the fixed stars (constellations), in order to the Moon.

Remembering the Planetary Order

The Sun is in the center of the list, dividing the rest of the planets into 3 “inferiors” (Venus, Mercury, The Moon) and 3 “superiors” (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn).  Closest to the Earth is the Moon, while furthest is Saturn. To aid memory, note that the crescent of the Moon and the rings of Saturn are both wispy circles on either end of the list.

You may have heard the expression that men are from Mars and women from Venus. Mars has to do with masculinity and Venus to femininity. In the planetary order, they they flank the Sun on either side. To aid memory, note that Venus is like a feminine sexual organ pulling into the direction of Earth while Mars is like a masculine one pushing out to the stars.  The giant Jupiter is out toward Saturn and the tiny Mercury in toward the Moon.

Learning the Planetary Glyphs

The glyphs for the planets can also be seen here.  The glyphs for the Sun and Moon (Sol and Luna above) are pretty easy to grasp.  Many are also familiar with the glyphs for Venus (like a stick person, think “female person”) and Mars (a circle with an arrow, think “erection”).  The glyph for Mercury (Mercurius above) is pretty easy to grasp, as it looks like a stick person with a winged hat – Mercury is the messenger.

The symbols for Jupiter and Saturn (Iupiter and Saturnus above) are the most confusing for beginners. They are derived from the Greek Z for Zeus and K for Kronos respectively.  Jupiter looks like a 4; think 4 corners and peace of mind. Saturn looks like a cross with a tail; think cross to bear and a little devilish.

The Basic Meanings of the Planets

The seven planets are the most important symbols in the astrological language.  Your ability to read a chart will depend upon being able to get a sense of their main meanings and associations, as well as their quality or energy.  It is very easy to be misled when reading a chart if you do not have a clear idea of the distinctness of each planet. Master these 7 notes of the music of astrology.

As I explain the meaning of each planet, think about people, actions, and things in everyday life that these planets can describe as adjectives.

Short List of Planetary Associations

Saturn

Ancient, dead, land, raw resources, dark, fear-inducing, lack, obligation, duty, macabre, cold, doubting, restrictive.

Jupiter

Lofty, opportune, joyous, generous, open, fertile, popular, teaching, warm, trusting, expansive.

Mars

Fiery, intense, aggressive, dangerous, bold, pack-animals/swarm/march, very hot, disagreeable, explosive.

The Sun

Vibrant, powerful, prominent, rational, leading, pioneering, hot, influential, attention-getting.

Venus

Beautiful, pleasurable, friendly, sensual, sexual, mysterious, intoxicating, wet, agreeable, soothing.

Mercury

Clever, skilled, complex, cunning, numbers, language, business, transporting, dry, knowledgeable, informative.

The Moon

Primal, powerful, idiosyncratic, irrational, natural, familial, nurturing, journeying, wet and changeable, personal, intimate.

Describing People with Planets

Let’s think of a few well-known figures and what planets we’d associate with their lives and personalities. There are no right or wrong answers in this exercise. Simply try to keep the planets distinct and think of why some signification applies to a certain aspect of the life or personality.

Einstein

He doesn’t strike us as very dark and foreboding (Saturn).  His personality seemed a bit Jupiterian, i.e. lofty, joyful and expansive.  He doesn’t strike us as hot-tempered at all (Mars), but he did deal with themes in his professional life of intense energy.  The genius, pioneering, and attention-getting significations of the Sun seem to pertain very strongly to his life’s work as a whole.  He doesn’t strike one as particularly sensual or artistic (Venus) but he has more of a mysterious friendliness than a gregarious Jupiterian friendliness.

Mercury seems to have had a major impact on his life’s work as a whole as it very much was concerned with numbers, knowledge, complexity, and information.  As far as scientists go he seems more lunar than typical in his personality, in that he appears more natural, idiosyncratic, intimate, and embracing of the irrational.  Overall, it would seem that his legacy is particularly well-described by Mercury and the Sun, while his personality seems more lunar, Jupiterian, and possibly Venusian.

Bjork

Bjork strikes me as very lunar in many ways as her art seems to stress a certain natural, primal, intimate, and irrational side of things.  She is an artist which automatically brings to mind Venus but in her style and approach, she seems to stress attention-getting vibrant creative genius (Sun) and intimate personal expression (Moon).

James Randi

It’s hard to imagine the guy as anything but a dark, duty-bound, doubtful figure aiming to strike fear into con artist New Age gurus, which is Saturn all the way.  As a magician, he’s clever, an entertainer, and an attention-getting rationalist, so Mercury and the Sun also come to mind.

Barack Obama

As a leader, the Sun definitely comes to mind as having a prominent role to play in the life.  Personality-wise he seems somewhere between Jupiter and Saturn, between open and gregarious Jupiter and the cool formal sternness of Saturn. His general tendency to be attended by luck and popularity is consistent with Jupiter.

Useful Planetary Groupings

There are some ways of grouping or organizing the planets that are particularly useful and meaningful.

Benefics and Malefics

One of the most important groupings is according to the tendency to signify pleasant or unpleasant things.  Two of the planets (Jupiter and Venus) tend toward signifying the most enjoyable types of things while another two of the planets (Saturn and Mars) tend toward signifying the most unpleasant and challenging things.

The Benefics tend toward fortuitous balance.

        • Jupiter – Temperate, fertile, joyous, high, opportune, sweet.
        • Venus -Temperate, fertile, pleasurable, beautiful, satiated, fatty.

The Malefics tend toward unpleasant extremes.

        • Saturn – Cold, depressed, slow, extremes of lack of life and activity, rotten/sour.
        • Mars – Hot, angered, overloaded, extremes of violent energy, bitter.
The Lights and Mercury

Three planets are neither benefic nor malefic. The Sun and the Moon signify powerful and important things. Mercury, the planet most closely associated with rationality, is complex and can assist in bringing about pleasant or unpleasant things.

The Lights tend toward prominence and influence, which is neutral but often desired.

        • The Sun – Attainment, honors, leadership.
        • The Moon – Depth, naturalness, subjective significance.

Mercury is amoral, complex, and combining. It is neutral but also tends toward argument, contention, and dryness so it was considered by some to tend toward slight displeasure.

Sect

Another very useful and important division is called “sect”.  Three planets are more associated with the day and the sky (i.e. above the horizon), and three with the night and the ground/underworld (i.e. below the horizon). Mercury is neutral, affiliating sect based on specific circumstances. Each sect is led by a Light and has one benefic and one malefic. We will return to sect frequently in future lessons, as it is an important factor in astrological interpretation.

The Diurnal Sect

The day or diurnal sect is led by The Sun, with the benefic Jupiter and the malefic Saturn.  These planets are also more associated with the realm above the horizon, which is more sky-like, soul-oriented, or abstract. Therefore, they tend to signify along more social, mental, and spiritual lines.

The Nocturnal Sect

The night or nocturnal sect is led by The Moon, with the benefic Venus and the malefic Mars.  These planets are also more associated with the realm below the horizon, which is more Earth-like, body-oriented, or tangible. Therefore, they tend to signify along more familial, physical, and resourceful lines.

Contrasting the Two Pairs of Benefics and Malefics

All of the planets can signify along either abstract or tangible lines. However, the day benefic and day malefic will usually pertain more to social and mental benefits and problems, while the night benefic and night malefic will pertain more to physical and familial or intimate benefits and problems.  The day malefic Saturn would be more likely to signify something like imprisonment or depression (a social or mental problem). By contrast, Mars  would be more relevant to something like assault or a family argument (a physical or familial problem).  Similarly, the day benefic Jupiter will tend to signify getting a job or having a spiritual experience (a social or mental benefit). By contrast, Venus will tend to signify a delicious dinner or a great sexual experience (a physical or intimate benefit).

Statue of Good and Evil, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, NY, NY

Take It Further

Now that you are familiar with the basic associations of the planets, I’d like you to look at two different ancient perspectives on the significations of the planets. Vettius Valens and Claudius Ptolemy are both very important Hellenistic astrologers who practiced in the 2nd century CE. Valens was more in line with the astrological thought of his day (and the Mesopotamian’s before) in that he viewed astrological indications as signs (like writing in the sky from a higher power). On the other hand, Ptolemy sought to understand planetary influence in a physical and causal way, using the Aristotelian physics of his day.

Look over the first chapter of Valens’ Anthology (click the link) in which he describes the planetary associations and their significations for character. Compare and contrast these with Ptolemy’s description of the powers of the planets (click the link). Ptolemy’s descriptions are very weather-oriented. However, later in the Tetrabiblos when he describes actual characteristics and events in terms of the planets, we find that he associates the planets in much the same way as Valens. It is worth reviewing the first chapter of the text by Valens multiple times.

Planetary Thoughts

Think about the basic planetary associations and the indications given by Valens.  Which planet or planets play the greatest role in your life?  What planet best describes your personality?  Which one best describes your work and favorite hobbies? Ask yourself these questions about loved ones as well.

The planets can span nearly any topic in life, so also think about people, place, things, and events in general in terms of the planets.  If someone goes on vacation think “Moon”, as she journeys.  If someone is frequently commuting for work, think “Mercury”.  Seeing a major CEO, think “Sun”.  A homeless person should make you think “Saturn”, and a lottery winner should make you think “Jupiter”.  An attractive musician should have you thinking “Venus”, while muscles and tattoos should have you thinking “Mars”.  A computer database is “Mercury”, while an explosion is “Mars”.

Practice thinking like this and in the next lesson, I’ll address one way to find the general prominence or “volume” (as in loudness) of a planet’s significations in someone’s life.

 

Image Attributions

Featured image is in the public domain.

Luna de Septiembre (September Moon) by ANDY ABIR ALAN, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54698423

Uranus image is in the public domain.

Music of the Spheres image is in the public domain.

Astrological Glyphs images are in the public domain.

Einstein image is in the public domain. 

Bjork image by Zach Klein from New York, New York, USA (Bjork, Hurricane Festival) [CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

James Randi image is in the public domain. 

Barack Obama Portrait 2006 by By Ari Levinson (Autumnfire), minor cleanup edit by Chicago god. (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

Solar eclipse image is in the public domain. 

Statue of Good and Evil image is in the public domain.

Entering Ages of Air | Out of the Ground, Into the Sky

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We are not in the Age of Aquarius

Are we really in the Age of Aquarius?  People in the new age community often say that we are.

The particular system of ages behind these claims defines them according to either the zodiacal constellation or the sidereal zodiac sign through which the point of the vernal equinox passes (more on this below). In this sense the ages proceed backwards through the zodiac by way of precession. This occurs at the rate of a degree approximately every 72 years (a sign about every 2,160 years).

However, by either calculation we’re only about 80-85% of the way through the Age of Pisces. There are hundreds of years to go before we reach the Age of Aquarius. Still, there are many traditional astrological time lord techniques which show us moving into ages of air in other ways. These overlooked methods of dividing time provide some fascinating insight into broad changes in society to the present day and beyond.

Zodiacs

To figure out if we are in the Age of Aquarius, we must understand that there are three different zodiacs.  Let’s look at the nature of each of these three types of zodiacs.

Zodiacal Constellations

There are twelve main constellations of stars which lie on the ecliptic (apparent path of the Sun). The twelve main constellations that the Sun passes through each year are the zodiacal constellations. These constellations vary in size and lack any clearly demarcated boundaries.

Note that a small portion of a thirteenth constellation (Ophiuchus) now also crosses the ecliptic though it is not one of the traditional twelve zodiacal constellations that formed the basis of the signs. There is more on this in the lesson on the signs of the zodiac. However, only a few of the constellations are relevant to this discussion.

Sidereal Zodiac

The sidereal zodiac is a division of the ecliptic (apparent path of the Sun) into twelve equal 30 degree segments, called signs.  Each sign in the sidereal zodiac roughly overlays the constellation from which it gets its name. However, the sidereal zodiac is not the same as the constellations because unlike the constellations each sidereal sign is exactly 30 degrees in length and the zodiac is fixed in position to some star (such as Spica marking the start of Libra). Disagreement regarding which star is the best reference has led to a variety of minor variations in terms of where to start the sidereal zodiac.

Tropical Zodiac

The tropical zodiac, like the sidereal zodiac, is another regular division of the ecliptic into twelve equal 30 degree signs. However, it is fixed to the Sun-Earth cycle, rather than to a reference star.  The tropical zodiac  has its origins with the  sidereal zodiac. The two were quite closely aligned two thousand years ago during the rise of horoscopic astrology, but the tropical zodiac is fixed to the Sun-Earth or “seasonal”/”light” relationship. In this way 0 Aries (the beginning of the zodiac) is the Northern Hemisphere’s vernal equinox (spring equinox). Each 30 degree segment of space after the point of the spring equinox is another sign.

The vernal equinox is the point where the Sun (from the perspective of the Earth) crosses the Earth’s horizon northward (i.e. the northern hemispher of the Earth starts to become tilted more toward the Sun than the Southern; transitioning the north into spring).  The “equi” in equinox stands for equal measures of daylight and darkness (day and night are the same length of time on these days). The vernal equinox is the point at which the daylight will begin to overtake the darkness.

Precession and Current Location of the Vernal Equinox

Due to the Earth’s “wobble”, a phenomena called precession of the equinoxes, the starting point of the vernal equinox (and thus the tropical zodiac) moves in relation to the stars. It slowly shifts backwards relative to the constellations (and thus backwards relative to the entire sidereal zodiac as well).

Vernal Point in the Sidereal Zodiac

The measurement of how far the tropical zodiac has moved backwards relative to the sidereal zodiac is called ayanamsa. It is used in Indian astrology to quickly calculate a start point for the sidereal zodiac. According to the wikipedia article on ayanamsa and current tables of ayanamsas, it is typically assumed to be close to 24 degrees (usually just under 24 degrees).

Therefore, the tropical zodiac is currently 24 degrees back from the start of the sidereal zodiac. The beginning sign of the zodiacs is Aries and the final sign is Pisces, so we are almost 24 degrees backward through the 30 degree Age of Pisces. There are 6 degrees more to go before the vernal equinox enters Aquarius. That implies we are only about 80% of the way there! Currently, the vernal equinox is at about 6 degrees Pisces of the sidereal zodiac. As mentioned above, it takes about 72 years for a degree of difference. This means there are over 400 years before the start of the Aquarius period.

Vernal Point in the Constellations

Similarly, there is at least a few hundred years before the vernal equinox could be said to be within a reasonable boundary of the actual constellation Aquarius.  This site (click link) provides more information on its current position relative to the constellations.

Age of Aquarius?

The vernal equinox is hundreds of years away from entering the sign or constellation of Aquarius, so why all the talk of the Age of Aquarius? It seems a little far-fetched to attribute dramatic shifts in global circumstance to the precession into Aquarius when that precession is actually yet to occur for many hundred years.

Some modern astrologers believe that we must be transitioning into a new age because of the vast changes brought about by technology and globalization in the current era. To them, these changes reflect Aquarius as an air sign. Air signs are more associated with mental phenomena and information. Additionally, the modern astrological rulership assigned to Aquarius is to Uranus. Uranus is a planet modern astrologers associate with electricity, originality/invention, and perturbation.

Are these Ages Part of Traditional Astrology?

While we are not yet in the Age of Aquarius, it is noteworthy that it was not custom in ancient astrological practice to define major eras this way, by the sign or constellation of the vernal equinox. Finally, Aquarius was not ruled by Uranus in ancient astrology, but by the dark and malefic planet Saturn. The sign Aquarius, and that of Capricorn, are ruled by Saturn, planet of darkness, and are opposite the signs of the Lights (the Sun and Moon). Therefore, many of the features of the present day do not fit well with traditional conceptions of Aquarius and Saturn.

Each of the 5 classical planets aside from the Lights, including Saturn, rule two signs, one day home and one night home.  The system lost its logic and symmetry with the introduction of new rulers of the signs as new planets were discovered. Uranus is not one of the 7 wandering stars, defined as “planets” within astrological science, as it does not appear like a star in the sky (it’s not visible as such to the naked eye).  Uranus as the Greek god of the sky, also known as Father Sky, also seemed to have little to do with electricity, revolution, and some of the other associations given to it by modern astrologers. Father Sky, Uranus, should probably be associated instead with astronomy, astrology, the sky, and so forth.

New Agers

I believe the Age of Aquarius concept should be rejected as an astrological explanation of current societal changes.  The concern with the Age of Aquarius and a “New Age” in general (the influx of “2012” BS being the latest incarnation), has its roots in 19th century, industrial-age, spiritualist movements, like Theosophy.  As the world was being radically transformed by industrialism many believed that some similar type of radical transformation of the human spirit was at hand. This transformation was like a hokey non-“religious” counterpart to the rapture, where either everyone, or just a spiritually select few, would be swept up into a natural spiritual evolution.

The naivete of this spiritual triumphalism mirrored the similarly naive scientific and industrial triumphalism of that age. An overly simplistic and misleading whiggish history was expounded. Whig history sees the past as a linear progressive evolution from a dark ignorant past to an enlightened present and future (for more on whig history see this link). This triumphalist worldview, dismissive of the past and competing worldviews, hangs on in many spiritual, scientific, and technological circles to this day, but is, hopefully, losing credence.

Looking Back with Clearer Eyes

Overcoming such distortions is something of a prerequisite to understanding the past and one’s ancestors. Rejecting a “new age” outlook establishes a respectful openness to the humanity, individuality, and intelligence of those who presided over prior times.

History is not one linear progression to greater evolved states. It involves forward, backward, and tangential movement, not to mention give and take where certain forms of knowledge progress and others atrophy. For instance, the first analog computer, the antikythera mechanism, believed to serve astrological purposes, dates to the 2nd or 3rd centuries BCE. Mechanisms of equal complexity were previously unknown to exist in Europe prior to the 14th century, so it represents an instance of advanced technological achievement which was subsequently lost for a thousand years.

There is an opportunity cost associated with all broad societal movements toward some set of shared goals.

A Couple Techniques for the Ages

There were ancient mundane astrological techniques for characterizing society over large spans of time, like ages. The Persian astrologer Abu Ma’shar discussed some of these which I highly regard for major global cultural shifts. The first of these is the dawr which changes every 360 years. The second is the shift in triplicity of the Great Conjunctions which varies in length but is about every 240 years.

The Dawr

The dawr has both fixed and relative variants.  The dawr consists of 360 year periods ruled by a planet and a sign.  The planetary rulers proceed in the so-called Chaldean order (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, then Saturn again, Jupiter, etc.).  The sign rulers proceed in the zodiacal order (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, etc.). The fixed dawr was believed to be rooted in the calculation of the date of a great flood, typically associated with the flood in the biblical tale of Noah’s Ark.

Eras of the Fixed Dawr

Here are some of the more contemporary periods of the fixed dawr:

  • Saturn-Aquarius: -860 to -500
  • Jupiter-Pisces: -500 to -140
  • Mars-Aries: -140 to 220
  • Sun-Taurus: 220 to 580
  • Venus-Gemini: 580 to 940
  • Mercury-Cancer: 940 to 1300
  • Moon-Leo: 1300 to 1660
  • Saturn-Virgo: 1660 to 2020
  • Jupiter-Libra: 2020 to 2380
The High Middle Ages: Mercury-Cancer

Notice, for instance, that the period from 940 to 1300 coincided with the High Middle Ages in Europe.  The High Middle Ages were a period of particularly strong increase in trade, as well as important translation movements. These translation movements re-exposed Europe to Greek thought (and its Perso-Arabic developments), igniting immense scholarly and scientific activity.  This fits well with Mercury, lord of commerce, language, and analysis, as period ruler.  It was also a time of population booms and rising ethnocentric nationalism, which fit well with the fertile, familial, sign Cancer.

Renaissance and Age of Exploration: Moon-Leo

1300 to 1660 coincided with the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery/Exploration.   The Moon rules bodies of water and all voyages. She is an appropriate ruler for this period of immense transfer of human culture by water. There were also major humanist movements at this time. These movements shifted focus from the recovery and development of natural science toward literature and the arts. This is consistent with the personal and subjective significations of the Moon. The renaissance was also marked by clarity, coupled with a haughty royalty, self-awareness, and self-importance, all consistent with the significations of Leo.

Scientific and Industrial Revoluations: Saturn-Virgo

1660 to 2020, the age we are currently presiding in, saw the birth of industrialism and modern science. The scientific revolution is generally considered to really have come into its own in the last 17th century. This age has involved a literal ravishing transformation of the natural world.  With limitation being a chief concern (Occam’s razor) we have seen a very materially productive transformation of science and philosophy. We’ve seen the ascendancy of physicalism, materialism, and a more restrictive scientific method. This is the age of Saturn, planet of land, earthly resources, raw materials, tangibility, restriction/rejection, doubt, solitariness (individualism), and administration.  It is also the age of Virgo, Mercury’s earth-sign home, pertaining very strongly to material science and commerce.

What’s Next?: Jupiter-Libra

Within the next decade we will begin a new 360 year age which will run from 2020 to 2380.  This age will be ruled over by Jupiter, a planet which signifies friendship, tolerance, fellowship, charity, generosity, openness, spiritual expansiveness, and opportunity. The sign of the age is Libra, an air sign, pertaining to ideas, information, and culture. Libra is ruled by Venus, planet of the arts/aesthetics, love, marriage,  and beauty.  Libra, the sign of the balance or scales, focuses on themes of social relationships, aesthetic science, and fairness/justice.  While Virgo is a mutable sign, signifying complexion and mixture, Libra is a cardinal sign, signifying a bolder and more direct change of direction.

It will be interesting to see how this shift pans out, going from a physicalist bottom-line materialist intellect to a more information-based or mentalist view of reality. Especially as this view will be coupled with a stress on generosity, spirituality, and expansion.

For more on the Dawr, see commentary regarding it in Burnett’s translation of Abu Ma’shar’s seminal text on mundane astrology.  It is a rare and highly priced book at the moment. It may be available at some college libraries in your area through inter-library loan.

Triplicity of the Great Conjunctions

I have mentioned the great conjunctions previously in my post on Abu Ma’shar’s “Six Elements for Deducing Advanced Knowledge”. The Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, which occurs every 20 years was the cornerstone of mundane predictive techniques in ancient Persian astrology.

This conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurs in the signs of the zodiac in a triangular pattern moving backwards.  For instance, a conjunction in Aquarius will normally be followed by a conjunction in Libra, then one in Gemini, then in Aquarius, etc.  However, the conjunctions are not spaced exactly 120 degrees apart, so they shift triplicity (element) over time.  This shift would occur every 240 years if regular, but varies in reality.  After the shift occurs there is often one or two conjunctions at the start of the series that revert back to the previous triplicity/element (see Richard Nolle’s 3000-year table of Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions).

Triplicity Shifts

Here are a few elemental periods from shifts of the triplicity:

  • 1603/04 to 1802: Fire
  • 1802 to 1980/81: Earth
  • 1980/81 to 2159: Air
  • 2159 to 2338: Water
Fire: Age of Enlightenment

The Fire period occurred during the Age of Enlightenment, a period of heated philosophical activity, elite socially-dominant intellectual circles, and of great political importance. This is consistent with the energetic, truth-seeking, and leading or elitist qualities of fire.

Earth: Industrial Revolution

The Earth period, which recently ended, provided strong reinforcement for the significations of the dawr of that time (Saturn and Virgo). It concerned natural resources and skepticism (Saturn) as well as physicalism. Virgo is an earth sign and for the physicalist existence depends upon physicality. This period from the start of the 19th century until nearly the present day, saw an evident focus on earthly resources and the material realm in every sense.

Air: Information Age

Since 1981, and the start of the Air triplicity, we’ve seen a drastic cultural shift. There is now a strong emphasis on abstract information.  The personal computer came to ascendancy in the 1980’s, as well as new increasingly information-based (digital) rather than physical-based media.  Some of the most profound changes have occurred in terms of communications and social technology. From social media to searching the web for needed information. Pieces of technology continue to lose mass, go wireless, and depend upon transmission of waves through the air. These changes are consistent with a shift to Air, with its significations of abstraction, communication, and social relationships.

Conclusion

There are broad global transitions taking place which are taking us “out of the ground and into the sky”. The Age of Aquarius is an inadequate and naive astrological approach to understanding these changes. The shift of the triplicity from Earth to Air in 1981 set off a number of cultural and philosophical changes. These changes move us away from a material standard and toward an information standard. We are likely to see these changes intensify following the shift of the dawr to an air sign in 2020. There will possibly be a focus on global welfare, as well as a shift in the meaning of “meaning”. Societal goals of spiritual fulfillment and generosity may become more meaningful. The old goals of material acquisition, material standards, and rational certainty are likely to become less and less central.

Featured image:
A portion of a drawing of Surya in his chariot by an unknown Indian artist of the late 19th century.

Lots | A Lot for Evil: The Hellenistic Lot of Affliction, Injury, and Crisis

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With this having been established, it is necessary to prove by experience <the effectiveness of> still another place which I will demonstrate most abundantly: this is the Crisis-Producing Place, the place causative of terrors, dangers, and chains. Consequently this place is strong; (Vettius Valens, Anthologies, Book V, Ch. 1, Riley trans., 2010, p. 95)

From Four to Five

In my last article on the lots, I looked at the four principal lots of Vettius Valens. The four principal lots pertain to two polarities. There is the more static polarity of the physical (Fortune) vs. mental/social (Spirit). There is also the more dynamic polarity of friendly interpersonal matters (Love) vs. adversarial ones (Necessity).

The rationale of the lots involves metaphorically moving from the signification of the origin point to that of the destination point. For instance, Spirit to Fortune signifies mind moving to rigidity and distinction (spirit to matter), indicating the lot of Necessity and its adversarial significations.

While those 4 lots are the most important, there is another exceptional lot which we should add to our inventory, the Lot of Affliction. Together with the four principal lots, these five lots represent what I feel are the five most indispensable lots in ancient astrological literature.  In other words, if you use only 5 lots, use these!

Lot of Affliction

The fifth lot is the most sinister one you can construct from two classical planets. Many ancient sources mention it, though often with different names.  It is referred to as the Lot of Injury or Chronic Illness by Dorotheus of the 1st century CE (Carmen Astrologicum, Book IV, Ch. 1, #75).  Valens (2nd century CE) called it the place producing crises and accusations (Anthology, Book V, Ch. 1). Maternus of the 4th century CE referred to it as the house of affliction and illness (Mathesis, Book VI, Ch. 32, #40).

Affliction Formula: Sect Malefic to Non-Sect Malefic

Think back to the rationale discussed earlier for the lots.  When constructing this lot, we use the same rationale.  In this case we have a metaphor for things going from bad to worse. The formula is from the sect malefic to the out-of-sect malefic (projected from the Ascendant).  Therefore, for one born during the day, the lot is the distance from Saturn (the more benign malefic by day as it is of the diurnal sect) to Mars  (the more aggravating malefic by day because it is nocturnal), then projected from the Ascendant. It is reversed for night charts (those with the Sun below the horizon), such that you take the distance from Mars to Saturn and then project that from the Ascendant.

Lot Interpretation

Valens describes the interpretation of the lot at great length in the beginning of Book V of the Anthology.  He connects it chiefly with imprisonment, servitude, and other crises. The crisis can be social, such as incarceration, or physical, such as a debilitating illness. Mental afflictions, such as anxieties and a bad conscience, and social afflictions, like betrayal, are also possible under this lot. When eased by the influence of benefics, it may still show burdensome obligations.  In any sense, this lot signifies the most undesirable states of affairs. I will refer to this lot as the Lot of Affliction.

Usage in Predicting Crises

Valens provided some guidelines for analyzing Affliction.  If it is ruled by, occupied by, or strongly aspected by a malefic, then that shows vulnerability to afflictions signified by the influential planet and/or sign. On the other hand, benefic influences serve as alleviation or escape.

Sextiles between Lights and Malefics

Additionally, Valens combines this with another type analysis that signals general vulnerability to crises.  When the Sun and/or Moon are in a whole sign sextile to Mars and/or Saturn it signifies a general vulnerability to crisis.  This is intensified if the sextile is within 70 degrees and/or between the hearing signs. Presumably, more sextile configurations between the Lights and the malefics show more potential for crisis.

Valens-Style Profections

Prediction of when the crisis will occur is made by using various chronocrator (time-lord) techniques, especially Valens-style profections. Valens discussed the techniques in Book IV of his Anthology.  Danger is shown when a Light (i.e. the Sun or Moon) transmits to a malefic (i.e. Mars or Saturn), or a malefic to a Light. For instance, crisis may be indicated when the sign occupied by the Sun in the chart profects to a sign of Mars or Saturn.

Transmission typically occurs either when a planet profects to the place occupied by another planet, or an empty place ruled by another planet; but in this analysis of Affliction, Valens emphasized the ruler.  Benefics in the place or in strong aspect indicate alleviation or escape.  The worst crises occur when a greater chronocratorship (discussed below) and an annual one (profection) of this sort (Light-to-malefic or malefic-to-Light) occur at the same time.

In profections, the transmission is from the natal house ruler to the ruler of the destination house. In other chronocrator (time-lord) techniques of Valens the transmitter is the time lord of the larger period while the transmission is to the time lord of the smaller period. For instance, if a planet ruling the year is the Sun, while the one ruling the month is Mars, then it is a transmission of the Sun to Mars.

Effect of Basis

Valens takes into account “basis” or personal power/eminence indications in the chart. Those with greater basis or social status will tend toward more social forms of crisis, rather than physical ones. It is similar when benefics have a strong influence over Affliction.

Natal Lot of Affliction Examples

Dahmer: A Marriage of Love and Affliction; Venus and Saturn

I’ve explored Dahmer’s chart previously. Dahmer’s tight conjunction of the lots of Affliction and Love is interesting, particularly as Affliction is ruled by Saturn and is with Saturn. Dahmer also identified strongly with both Venus and Saturn (both have dignity at the Ascendant).  Both lots are very closely square to Dahmer’s Mars (especially the Lot of Affliction which Mars aspects within 2 degrees), bringing in violent significations.

Killing Begins: Mars Square Affliction

Dahmer started relationships with his victims before he would torture, kill, mutilate, and eat them.  His first killing was impulsive – from a desire to sleep with a hitchhiker he had picked up.  That killing occurred at age 18, during an annual profection of his Ascendant to his Moon-Mars conjunction in the 7th, ruled by Mars.

The Killings Become Serial: Profection to Love-Affliction

He did not kill again until 9 years later, at age 27. That killing kicked off sporadic serial killings that year. It saw the annual profection of his Ascendant to the 4th, the place of Affliction (and the Lot of Love), ruled by (and occupied by) Saturn, and squared by Mars and the Moon. The fact that the serial killing started in the year of the annual profection to the place of both the lot of affliction, and the lot of love, with both lots strongly linked with each other, is very illustrative, as he has admitted in interviews that renewed intense desires that were awoken in him at this time inspired the killings.

Dahmer’s Natal Chart with Lots

David Carradine: 8th House Libra Affliction

David Carradine’s Lot of Affliction was in the 8th house, in Libra, ruled by Venus, adhering to Carradine’s Mars and with his Moon also. As I’ve noted in articles about the previous chart (Dahmer) Mars-Moon conjunctions can carry significance related to bodily harm. Affliction therefore enters into the equation of Carradine’s death signified by Moon-Mars (bodily harm) ruled by Venus (sexuality) in the house of death (8th house).

Carradine’s Natal Chart with Lots

Prediction Example

In this prediction example, I’m going employ a few predictive techniques discussed by Valens that I have not previously introduced on the blog.  Here I will keep my explanation of the techniques rather short so I can focus on the relevance of Affliction.  These techniques will be explained in more detail in some future articles.

Finding Affliction

The chart of an Anonymous friend is provided below for examination (CTRL+Click to enlarge in a new tab).

Notice that the chart has the Sun above the horizon, so Saturn is in sect and Mars is out of sect.  The distance from Saturn to Mars is about 91.5 degrees in the zodiacal order.  Adding that to the Ascendant of just under 4 degrees Aquarius brings us to 5 degrees Taurus.

Analyzing Affliction

Affliction is not in very bad condition in this natal chart.  It is ruled by Venus and in the bound of Venus.  There are no malefics located in the place, opposing it, or squaring it.  Saturn doesn’t even regard the place, and Mars does not scrutinize the lot, though Mars is in a superior trine to the lot which is just over 4 degrees from perfect (within 3 would be scrutinizing).  So for the most part we don’t read a major affliction into the lot, but if we were going to describe a particularly vulnerable area it would probably pertain to Taurus, Venus, and the 4th house. We might expect that matters pertaining to the home, family, and significant women could take on special significance.

Malefic Sextiles

The other sign of vulnerability is very apparent.  The Moon is in a scrutinizing sextile with Mars, while the Sun is also in a pretty close sextile to Saturn.  Hearing signs are not involved but these are pretty close sextiles and involve both Lights.  This situation is somewhat alleviated by the fact that the Moon is in close conjunction with the benefic Venus and Saturn is in close conjunction with the benefic Jupiter. Therefore, the benefics have a very strong alleviating indications related to the promises of affliction.

Profection to Affliction

At age 27, a string of unfortunate events happened to the native.  His spouse intentionally looted all of the family bank accounts and credit cards as an aggressive act. Subsequently, he got divorced, putting an end to a 10 year relationship. At the time of the split he moved out of his house with his 2 children, and moved in with his parents – he hadn’t lived with his parents since he was 19. The same year (2008) he also slowly went out of business due to a lack of work caused by the global financial crisis. Due to the lack of income, before the end of the year he lost his home.  Additionally, he returned to college before the period’s end.

You will notice that many of these themes relate very directly to the place of Affliction and its associations with Venus and her places. There was aggression from women (Venus ruled by 12th house Mars), marital problems (Venus), family issues (4th house), real estate and moving (4th house), issues with income (Venus is exalted ruler of the 2nd), an a return to higher education (Venus rules the 9th).

Timing: Major Period by the Quarters Technique

Now, let’s look at the predictive techniques. One predictive technique that Valens discussed right at the beginning of Book IV, and then returned to at the end of Book IV, utilizes the 1/4 values of the minor years of the planets, so I have personally called it Valens Quarters or just the Quarters.

Finding the First Period

There is a major and a minor period.  The major period begins with the first planet after (in zodiacal order) the point of the prenatal syzygy (New or Full Moon most nearly preceding the birth) in the chart in zodiacal order.  For instance, in our example chart the Moon is waning so it was a Full Moon that preceded the birth.  That Full Moon, or prenatal syzygy, was located at 0 Gemini.  The first planet that one encounters moving from 0 Gemini up through the zodiac in order is Jupiter at 6 Libra, and if we continue then it would be Saturn, and then the Moon, and so forth.  Therefore, Jupiter gets the first major period, ruling for a quarter of its minor years (12), which is 3 years.

Calculating to the Period Under Consideration

After Jupiter, Saturn rules for 7.5 years (i.e. until age 10.5). Next,  in this chart is the Moon which rules for 6.25 years (i.e. until age 16.75).  Venus is after the Moon and she get 2 years (i.e. until age 18.75). Mercury then rules for 5 years (i.e. until age 23.75) After Mercury, the Sun rules for 4.75 years (i.e. until age 28.5).

The events under consideration occurred while the native was 27 years old, in the middle of the native’s 28th year, so the Sun ruled the major period.

Timing: Minor Period by the Quarters Technique

To find the minor period in the Quarters technique we start with the ruler of the major period and we take the days of the planets (I’ve addressed them previously here), multiplying them by the length of the period in years to determine the number of days for each plane. The rulership again passes in zodiacal order around the chart.  At the end of Book IV, Valens provides convenient tables with the amount of days each planet gets under each period. See pages 92-94 of the Riley translation, available free online.

Finding the Minor Period Ruler

The Sun minor period started when the native was age 23.75 and ended when the native was 28.5, with the event occurring when the native was 27.5.  It will be easier to work backwards, one year from the end of the major period, knowing that Mercury would be the last planet in sequence by zodiacal order.  During a solar major period Mercury gets just over 269 days, this is less than a year and the major event took place over the last couple days in May thru June 1st, so we need to go a whole year back.  Prior to Mercury is Venus for almost 108 days.  That period will be inclusive of the days in question.  Therefore, the minor period at the time of the event was that of Venus.

In this case, the period of crisis does not coincide with a Light transmitting to a malefic (nor vice-versa).  Here we have the Sun transmitting to Venus. While relevant to a time in which relationship themes are focal (Sun rules the 7th, Venus natural signifies romantic relations), we have no reason to suspect a crisis from this indication.

Zodiacal Releasing

Zodiacal Releasing also involves a transmitter and a receiver, the ruler of the sign of the Level 1 releasing transmits to the ruler of the sign of the Level 2 releasing (you can also do this for Level 2 lord transmitting to Level 3 lord, and Level 3 lord transmitting to Level 4 lord).  Interestingly, in his discussion of these transmissions Valens identifies those of Lights transmitting to malefics as particularly bad, but those of malefics transmitting to Lights as good (this contradicts some interpretive guidelines he provides in Book V).

Finding the Level 1 Period: Aquarius-Saturn

Looking at releasing from Fortune, for Level 1 we start with Fortune’s natal sign, Capricorn, which gets 27 years. Typically, we allot the minor years of the sign’s ruler. However, Capricorn is an exception at 27 (note: these are Egyptian 360 day years).  We would expect that Level 1 moved into Aquarius shortly before this happened, which is the case. Therefore, at age 27, a new level 1 period started for the first time since birth. It is the Aquarius-Saturn period.

Finding the Level 2 Period: Aquarius-Saturn

The first Level 2 period in Aquarius would last for 30 months (note: these are 1/12 the Egyptian 360 day year, i.e. they are 30 day months).  As all of the events happened in the first 12 months of the period (between ages 27 and 28), the first Level 2 period was still active. Therefore, both Level 1 and Level 2 were Aquarius for the releasing of Fortune, signifying a transmission from Saturn to Saturn.

Finding Level 3 and Level 4 Periods: Leo-Sun and Aquarius-Saturn

Taking things down to Level 3 and Level 4 for the actual set of a few days in which the financial attacks by the spouse were discovered, the spouse requested a divorce, and the native moved back with family, gives us Leo for L3 and Aquarius for L4.  Therefore, a more complete picture of those days is Saturn transmitting to Saturn (L1 to L2), which transmitted to the Sun (L3), which transmitted to Saturn (L4).

Therefore, since the transmissions involve malefics and lights (Saturn and the Sun), we may be looking at an indication of a crisis. Note that Saturn and the Sun are also in a sextile and that the Sun rules the 7th house of marriage.

Releasing from Spirit

Let’s also release from Spirit. For Level 1, we start with Spirit’s natal sign, Pisces, ruled by Jupiter which gets 12 years. The next sign, Aries, and its ruler, Mars, get 15 years.  Therefore, at about age 27 Level 1 Spirit moved to Taurus, ruled by Venus. The 8 year period would end at age 35.  This is interesting given that Taurus is the place of Affliction and Spirit refers to professional and social changes, which in this case were beset with crises. Still, Level 1 is neither a Light nor a malefic.

Level 2 changed to Gemini, ruled by Mercury, just before things went downhill fast.  Therefore the transmission is from Venus to Mercury. For the tumultuous days, L3 for Spirit was Cancer, ruled by the Moon, and L4 was Aquarius, ruled by Saturn.  So the transmission was Venus (L1) to Mercury (L2), to the Moon (L3), to Saturn (L4).  This intensifies the sense of a Light to a malefic, not for the greater periods but for that short set of about 3 days.

Profections

Finally, we want to examine the annual profections, paying special attention to those of the Lights and the malefics.  First, it is best to look at the profection of the Ascendant. It is used to establish the Lord of the Year and the activated sign.  At age 27 everything profects to the 4th house from itself, so the annual profection of the Ascendant was interestingly to Taurus, the 4th place, the place of Affliction, ruled by Venus.

Another interesting profection is of Affliction itself. As noted in the article on the 4 principal lots, Valens would draw indications from profecting those lots around the chart. If we profect Affliction we find that it profects to the 7th house of marriage, ruled by the Sun. Perhaps this is an indication that the 7th house is the focal crisis-prone area that year.

As we noted earlier, when looking at profections for this technique we lok at transmission by rulership, with an emphasis on Lights and malefics.  The Sun profects to Pisces, so it transmits to Jupiter.  Mars profects to Aries, so it transmits to itself.  Saturn transmits to Capricorn, so it also transmits to itself.  The Moon, however, profects to Aquarius, so it transmits to Saturn.  Therefore, the crisis did occur during a time when a Light made an annual transmission to a malefic by rulership.

Predictive Summary

Let’s recap the predictive technique findings:

  1. Quarters: Sun transmits to Venus
  2. Annual profections: Ascendant transmits to Affliction (and Venus)  [also Affliction transmits to the Sun-7th]
  3. Annual profections: Moon and Venus transmit to Saturn.
  4. Months Fortune releasing: Saturn transmits to the Sun.
  5. Days Fortune releasing: The Sun transmits to Saturn.
  6. Days Spirit releasing: The Moon transmits to Saturn.
  7. Additionally the Moon was transiting in Taurus, the place of Affliction, during the most pivotal two and a half days of the crisis period.

The picture that is painted is activation of Venus, Sun-Saturn, and the 7th house in relation to crises. These themes are made all the more significant by the fact that Saturn directed to the square of the Sun in September of that year. September is the month that the divorce was finalized.  See the articles on primary directions for more information on how to figure out primary directions.

Saturn Directs to the SunWhile this is just a single example, we can see that Affliction merits further exploration. The  many special techniques which Valens provided for evaluating and timing periods of substantial crisis and hardship also merit exploration.

Conclusion

Affliction brings the topic of misfortune to a place in the natal chart where you might not have expected it.  It’s a very important addition to an astrologer’s arsenal of lots which should not be overlooked.  Valens has provided interesting and unique insights into how one may use the lot of affliction. He also provided many predictive techniques for discovering periods of great hardship or general malevolence.  I hope you’ll take up the ongoing work of researching these lots and techniques.

References
Valens, V. (2010). Anthologies. (M. Riley, Trans.) (Online PDF.). World Wide Web: Mark Riley. Retrieved from http://www.csus.edu/indiv/r/rileymt/Vettius%20Valens%20entire.pdf
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Engraving by Baccio Baldini after Sandro Botticelli (1481 original) for the printed version of Dante’s “Inferno.” Image is in the public domain.

Lots | Introducing the Four Principal Lots

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The Principal Lots

Four lots were considered so important to Vettius Valens that they marked out effective houses in the chart.

The operative and effective signs are the Ascendant, MC, <the XI Place of the> Good Daimon, <the V Place of> Good Fortune, the Lot of Fortune, Daimon, Love, Necessity. Signs of moderate activity are <the IX Place of> the God, <the III Place of> the Goddess, and the other two angles. The rest of the signs are mediocre or bad. (Vettius Valens, Anthologies, Book IV, Ch. 11, Riley trans., 2010, p. 79)

These four lots were also the only ones which he mentions using in the context of his Valens-style profections.

It is also necessary to count from the Lot of Fortune, from Daimon, from Love, and from Necessity, for it is from these points that the critical illnesses, benefactions, and dangers are apprehended. (Vettius Valens, Anthologies, Book IV, Ch. 11, Riley trans., 2010, p. 78)

In this article, we’ll be exploring these 4 lots in depth. In addition to their significance, we’ll also look at predictive usage, including in the context of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.

The Most Important Lots to Valens

In Chapter 16 of Book II of The Anthology, Valens gives 9 special topical names to certain places of the chart. These places are largely identified by houses, but 4 lots are used as well. This shows that Valens assigned a particularly special significance to these 4 lots in the chart. Of the many lots used by Valens, only these 4 lots seem to be used on a par with the primary 12 houses in terms of importance.

In Book IV of The Anthology, Valens discussed profections. There are only 4 lots which he profected around the chart (see introductory quote). In fact, Valens sets aside an entire chapter of Book IV, Chapter 25, “The Distributions of the Four Lots”, to provide more details about the significance of the annual profections of just these four lots.

The Polarities of the Four Lots

These lots represent two significant topical polarities in life. First, there is a polarity between the physical and the abstract. There are things which befall us on a physical level, from our bodies to accidents to children. These contrast with that which befalls us on a more abstract level, from our minds to social relations to spirituality. Fortune (also known as the Lot of the Moon) pertains to the physical while Spirit or Daimon (also known as the Lot of the Sun) pertains to the abstract.

Secondly, there is the dynamic polarity, so dear to the philosopher Heraclitus, of Love and Strife. Harmonious constructive alliances bring things together while dissonant destructive divisiveness pulls things apart. The Lot of Love is a place of alliance while the Lot of Necessity is a place of competition and distinction.

Derived from the Lights

These four powerful lots are all derived from the locations of the Lights, the most powerful planets of the chart (the Sun and Moon). The most important lots, Fortune and Spirit, are projections of the distance between the Lights. The other two, Love and Necessity, are projections of the distance between Fortune and Spirit. The importance of these lots reflects the power and importance attributed to the Lights in Hellenistic astrology.

Significance of Fortune and Spirit

This principle of abstraction vs. tangibility is reflected in the common names for the lots of the Lights, Fortune and Spirit. The Ancient Greek term for Fortune, “tuche”, referred to more passive chance happenstance. The term for Spirit, “daemon”, referred to things brought about by spiritual machination.

Matter, Spirit, and the Joys

These same terms pertain to the four houses of the natal chart where the benefics and malefics have their Joys. Diurnal planets have their Joys above the horizon, while nocturnal planets have their Joys below the horizon (Mercury’s Joy straddles the horizon, i.e. the 1st house).

The Joy of the diurnal benefic, Jupiter, is the 11th House, which is called Good Spirit. The Joy of the diurnal malefic, Saturn, is the 12th House, called Bad Spirit. Good Spirit pertains to friendship and other generally beneficial social and mental phenomena. Bad Spirit pertains to betrayal, enmity, and other generally challenging social and mental phenomena.

Opposite those two houses are those of their nocturnal counterparts. The 5th is the Joy of Venus, which is called Good Fortune. The 6th is the Joy of Mars, called Bad Fortune. These nocturnal Joys are more associated with passive physical phenomena. The passive phenomena is pleasant and productive in the case of the 5th (Good Fortune), as it signifies children and pleasure. However, it is challenging in the case of the 6th (Bad Fortune) which signifies illness, accidents, and slavery.

Valens on Spirit and Fortune

Now let’s look at what Valens says about the significance of the Lots of Spirit and Fortune. Consider how they compare with the Spirit and Fortune house meanings.

For the reason mentioned above, the Lot of Fortune and Daimon have great influence on undertakings and their outcomes. The former gives information about matters concerning the body and concerning the work of hands. Daimon and its ruler give information about spiritual and intellectual matters and about the activities of giving and receiving. It will be necessary to examine the places and the signs in which their houserulers are located and to correlate their natures, in order to learn the type of activity and fortune and the quality of activity <to be expected>. (Valens, Anthologies, Book II, Ch. 20, Riley trans., 2010, p. 35)

We find that Valens associates Fortune with the body and physical skill, while Spirit is associated with the mental and spiritual, as well as social exchange. This accords with the significance of the spirit houses (11th and 12th) which associate with social/mental benefits and obstacles, as well as the fortune houses (5th and 6th) which associate with physical/sensual benefits and obstacles.

11th from Fortune

Interestingly, the 11th place from Fortune has a meaning related to being the Good Spirit (11th place) relative to physical happenstance (Fortune). It is called by Valens, “… the Place of Accomplishment, the bestower of property and goods, especially if benefics are in this place or in aspect” (Valens, Anthologies, Book II, Ch. 21, Riley trans., 2010, p. 35). Thus it becomes possible to derive an interpretation in which good social activity relative to physical happenstance means circumstances in life in which tangible gifts are conferred to the native. This allows us to analyze themes that may coincide when this place is active.

Zodiacal Releasing

There is a specific predictive technique involving Fortune and Spirit whih was employed by Valens. Today it is commonly referred to as Zodiacal Releasing. In Zodiacal Releasing, the Lots of Spirit and Fortune are the primary points which are moved around the chart (circumambulated) to establish time lords. These time lords relate specifically to physical/sensual circumstances (releasing from Fortune) or mental/social circumstances (releasing from Spirit). Let’s look at what Valens had to say about the significance of releasing from Fortune and from Spirit.

So, if we are investigating the chronocratorships with respect to bodily existence, such as critical points of illnesses, hemorrhages, falls, injuries, diseases, and whatever effects the body with respect to strength, enjoyment, pleasure, beauty, or love affairs, then we must begin the vital sector with the Lot of Fortune. (Valens, Book IV, Ch. 4, Riley trans., 2010, p. 71-72)

If on the other hand we are investigating employment or rank, then we will begin the chronocratorships with Daimon as the apheta. (Valens, Book IV, Ch. 4, Riley trans., 2010, p. 72)

Spirit and Mental Instability

Similarly, Valens in his delineations of various Spirit configurations of Zodiacal Releasing associates the times when Spirit comes under malefic influence with mental instability and professional overturn. He even takes into account the element of the sign occupied by the released Spirit’s ruler in the natal chart; fire shows nervous breakdown and acting against one’s will, air shows distraction and worry, etc. This shows that, for Valens, Spirit is not just about profession (i.e. social signification) but also about mental life, consistent with his analysis of the two lots in general.

Profecting Spirit and Fortune

When looking at profections of Spirit and Fortune in Book IV, Valens considers that one’s work may change form depending on connections with Fortune and Spirit. One’s work may become more physically involved if more planets become associated with Fortune than Spirit, while more mentally involved when more planets incline toward Spirit.

Fortune and Spirit – Yin and Yang

At this point we have grasped the key polarity of the first pair of principal lots. The active, the ideal, social rank, and the mind are associated with Spirit, the Sun, the diurnal sect, and the houses above the horizon. The passive, the mundane, the tangible, and the physical body are associated with Fortune, the Moon, the nocturnal sect, and the houses below the horizon.

Dalai Lama’s Fortune and Spirit

Now let’s look at Fortune and Spirit in delineation, by turning our attention to the chart of the current Dalai Lama. We want to pay particular attention to the ruler, planets in the place, and planets in the stakes of the place (the 10th, 7th, and 4th places from the place – those that oppose or square the place).

Dalai Lama’s Lot of Fortune – X marks the spot

Fortune in XI Taurus

For the Dalai Lama we find Fortune in the 11th, the place of the Good Spirit. It is in Taurus, ruled by the sect benefic, Venus. The place is empty though it has Jupiter and Venus in its stakes (Jupiter actually scrutinizing the lot). Therefore, there is overall indications of general good health and enjoyable physical circumstances. Additionally, Fortune is closely aspected (i.e. within 3 degrees) by both Lights, Jupiter, and Saturn, connecting it particularly with loftiness, power, and administration. Where Fortune has difficult potential is in the close overcoming sextile from Saturn, the out of sect malefic, in the 9th of travel and religion.

Spirit in III Virgo

Spirit is in the 3rd House, Goddess, the Joy of the Moon, in Virgo. It is ruled by Mercury, and in the bound of Mercury. Spirit is with the Moon and dominated by Mercury (Mercury is in the stake that is in a superior square), while opposed by Saturn. The overall indications for intellectual, professional, and social circumstances are that there is a great deal of communication (Mercury, 3rd), analysis (Mercury), congregation (Moon), and frequent travel (Moon, Mercury, 3rd). The fact that the sect Light is with Spirit and in its Joy suggests particular importance and power associated with the professional and intellectual affairs. Saturn again shows a potential challenge in this area through its opposition.

Profections of Spirit

Remember in the Valens quote above that in Zodiacal Releasing Fortune is used primarily for physical pleasures and ailments while Spirit is used primarily for social/professional peaks and valleys. For the Dalai Lama we are particularly interested in profections to and from Spirit and releasing from Spirit. We know less about health crises and pleasures in his life. Let’s look at Valens-style profections involving Spirit.

The Dalai Lama was recognized at age 2, which is significant as the year in which the Ascendant (self) profected to the 3rd place. The 3rd place is occupied by both Spirit and the sect light (the Moon), showing a very pivotal time for personal prominence. Additionally, at that time, Spirit and the Moon (i.e. 3rd house) profected to Jupiter in the house of Good Fortune (the 5th). Also at that time Fortune profected to the Sun in the 1st House of the self and identity. Therefore, many profections signalling prominence and loftiness of station occur at age 2 when the 14th Dalai Lama was recognized as the incarnation of the previous Dalai Lama.

The Lost Formulas of Love and Necessity

Now let’s look at the other two principal lots, Love and Necessity. There has actually been some confusion as to how to calculate these two lots. The Project Hindsight translation of Valens left out the note in the original Greek in which Valens (2nd century CE) provided instruction in calculating the lots. In fact, the Project Hindsight translation didn’t even mention that note in the original. This has caused many astrologers to assume that the lots of Love and Necessity mentioned by Valens are the same as the Lots of Venus and Mercury which Paulus Alexandrinus (4th century CE) called Love and Necessity.

However, the lots mentioned by Valens are not the ones discussed by Paulus. The calculation of the lots is explicitly given in the text and is included in the original Greek in the critical edition by David Pingree (see pages 191-193 of that edition). The most recent English translation by Mark Riley includes a translation of the note on lot calculation which was lacking in the Project Hindsight translation. In addition, to examining the Greek of the Pingree edition and finding the calculations, I have been assured by Chris Brennan that the Valens calculations are in the original Greek. Valens is the older source.

Different Love and Necessity Lots

The fourth century astrologer Paulus Alexandrinus named seven lots for the planets. These are known as the “Seven Hermetic Lots of the Planets”. Fortune and Spirit were the Lots of the Moon and the Sun. The Lot of Venus is called “Love” by Paulus and that of Mercury is called “Necessity”. However, Paulus referred to different lots with different formulae than the Lots of Love and Necessity discussed by Valens.

The confusion doesn’t end there. The 4th century Roman astrologer Julius Firmicus Maternus also mentioned them but gave the opposite formulae for the lots as Valens. More on that below.

The Valens Formula

Valens gave the formula for Love as from Fortune to Spirit by day (reversed by night), projected from the Ascendant. Necessity is from Spirit to Fortune by day (reversed by night), projected from the Ascendant. One can find the Valens instructions at the bottom of p. 90 of the 2010 Riley translation which was made available for free on Mark Riley’s faculty web site.

Sect and Directionality

This makes sense when we think of Spirit as the Sun Lot and Fortune as the Moon Lot. Movement from the non-sect lot to the sect lot is found in the Valens formula just given for Love. If one is born during the day, then we go from the Moon Lot (Fortune) to the Sun Lot (Spirit), and project that from the Ascendant, as Spirit is the “sect lot”. By night, we go from Spirit to Fortune, and project that from the Ascendant. This is consistent with the rationale discussed above for a lot which shows more ideal circumstances to involve movement from passive to active, from dark to light.

The Maternus Reversal

Maternus gave the opposite formula for Love (see Mathesis, Book VI, Ch. 45, “House of Desires”); from Spirit to Fortune by day. This is inconsistent with the rationale discussed above. It is similar with Necessity, where in Valens (the earlier source) a rationale is evident that is lost in Maternus. In Valens, Necessity is from the sect lot to the non-sect lot, from the more active to the less active, from the light to the dark. Again, Maternus gives the opposite formula and one without sound rationale (see Mathesis, Book VI, Ch. 46, “House of Necessity”).

Finding Love and Necessity

Therefore, to find the Lot of Love in a chart it helps to think of Spirit as the Lot of the Sun and Fortune as the Lot of the Moon. Find the distance from the non-sect lot (Fortune by day, Spirit by night) to the sect lot (Spirit by day, Fortune by night). Project this from the Ascendant in the same direction you measured the distance. To find the Lot of Necessity in the chart, merely take the same distance and project it in the opposite direction from the Ascendant. This is the same as taking the distance from the sect lot to the non-sect lot and projecting it from the Ascendant.

Love = from non-sect lot to sect lot (projected from Asc)

Necessity = from sect lot to non-sect lot (projected from Asc)

Valens on the Meaning of Love and Necessity

Valens, in Book II, Ch. 16, attributed “desire” to the place of Love, and “enemies” to the place of Necessity. Looking at his delineations of their use in time lord techniques we can expand upon these central notions a bit.

Love describes the nature and circumstances which accompany desire and getting together, such that malefics will connect it with scandal or unsavory things and benefics with powerful alliances.

Necessity describes the nature and circumstances which accompany dispute and competition, such that malefics will bring failures and attacks while benefics will bring victory and put power on one’s side.

There is such a nice symmetry or polarity to these concepts, in which one pertains to the attempt to conjoin and the other to the attempt to oppose.

The Four Principal Lots in Action

We briefly looked at Fortune and Spirit in the Dalai Lama’s chart. One thing that is interesting is that the 9th House of God (religion, spirituality, wisdom, higher education) is the place of Love in the Dalai Lama’s chart, and is ruled by Jupiter.

While some information can be gleaned about general baseline trends and themes from delineation of the lots in the natal chart, their true strength is in predictive work, such as profections, releasing, and even transits to the places of the lots.

Solar Eclipse Love

One particularly striking example came to me from a friend of mine who had a very eventful day in which he both started a relationship and was arrested at a protest. It all occurred on the day of the last solar eclipse this year! Born in December 1984, he was 27 when the events transpired. Therefore, the annual profection of the Ascendant was to his 4th place, Gemini. Mercury was the Lord of the Year, and Gemini was the activated sign. Gemini happens to be the location of both the twelfth-part of his Venus (at about 14GEM) and his Lot of Love (at 25GEM). The Lot of Love itself had profected to the 7th of partnership, Virgo, also ruled by Mercury.

On the afternoon of May 20th, 2012, there was a solar eclipse at 0 Gemini, the sign of the annual profection, Love, and the twelfth-part of Venus. Our friend started a relationship with someone that day. Later in the day, he was arrested at a protest.

Besides the solar eclipse itself bringing forth the significations of Gemini in his chart, there were also some interesting transits. For instance, transiting Venus was in Gemini at the time and conjunct, within 3 degrees, his Lot of Love, right on his IC. Mercury, the Lord of the Year, was transiting conjunct transiting Jupiter.

Mercury was also appropriate for the arrest. As transiting Mercury was opposing the native’s 9th house Saturn and squaring the native’s 12th house out-of-sect Mars, all within 3 degrees, at the time of the arrest.

May Transits to Anonymous Chart

Clinton’s Love and Necessity

The Clinton-Lewinsky scandal pertains both to getting together and disputes with enemies, so Love and Necessity are naturally involved.

Love Ruled by 1st House Mars

Bill Clinton was born with the Lot of Love in the 7th of partnership, which may intensify Love’s themes. Unfortunately, Love is ruled by the out-of-sect malefic, Mars, and is opposed by the amorous Mars-Venus conjunction in Clinton’s 1st house. Love is complicated for Clinton as its ruler is both prominent and malefic, though it is with both benefics.

Necessity Ruled by 1st House Jupiter

Clinton has Necessity in his 6th house, Pisces. It is ruled by the sect benefic, Jupiter, which is prominent in Clinton’s first house. Jupiter signifies generally fortunate outcomes and assistance in competitions or disputes. As Jupiter is with Mars (the ruler of Love), and they both are with Venus, there are some interesting connections between Love and Necessity in Clinton’s chart which revolve around his character (1st house) and sexuality (Venus). Clinton’s natal chart is below.

Things Start with Love in Taurus

In late 1995, when Clinton was 49 years old, he started having sexual relations with an intern, Monica Lewinsky. The Lot of Love had profected into the 8th house, Taurus, ruled by Venus and occupied by the Moon, both out of sect. Venus shows the sexuality, and the Moon and the 8th show the personal and private nature of the activity.

The relationship continued into early 1997. After Clinton’s birthday in 1997, things started taking a turn for the worse as Linda Tripp began secretly recording phone calls. The whole thing broke to the media soon after, in January of 1998, when Clinton was 52 years old.

Enter Saturn

The profection of the Ascendant was to the 5th House, Aquarius, ruled by Saturn. The profection of Love was to the 11th House, Leo, ruled by and occupied by the Sun, as well as occupied by Saturn and Mercury. Therefore, there was a particular emphasis on Saturn, which as a baseline is not a bad indications in Clinton’s chart because it is in sect and in the place of Good Spirit, but it does indicate that Saturn is the focal planet for the year (i.e. lord of the year). However, at the solar return we find Saturn, Lord of the Year, in the place of Love and closely conjunct the Lot of Love. It is also opposing Clinton’s 1st house Jupiter.

Clinton – non-precessed solar return at age 52

In January 1998, when the story broke and Clinton made his infamous public denial of sexual relations, transiting Saturn was actually in adherence (applying conjunction within 3 degrees) to Clinton’s natal Lot of Love.

Lot of Necessity and the Impeachment Process

It was in Winter of 1998, when Clinton was 53, that a major battle began. The House voted to issue articles of impeachment over his perjury and obstruction of justice. At Age 53, the Ascendant profected to the 6th house, Pisces, with Jupiter as Lord of the Year. The 6th place is also the place of Necessity in Clinton’s chart. Therefore, the Ascendant had profected to Necessity the year when the articles of impeachment were issued. This signifies some prominent engagement with enemies/adversaries.

Necessity profected to the 11th, Leo, ruled by and occupied by the Sun, but also occupied by Saturn and Mercury. The solar return was rather promising as far as vying with enemies would go, because Jupiter in the return was in the place of Necessity, Pisces, its domicile. At 26 Pisces and moving retrograde, it was actually adhering to the Lot of Necessity at 24 Pisces. Additionally, Necessity’s profection to the 11th was bolstered by the benefic Venus transiting through the place. So while the profection of the Ascendant to Necessity brought a divisive struggle to the forefront, the indications were of victory over enemies. That is exactly what happened when the Senate voted to acquit Clinton of of the impeachment charges issued by the House.

Clinton Age 53 Non-Precessed Solar Return

Two Sides of the 1st House and the 7th House

In this example, we see how the lots of Love and Necessity can provide deeper indications pertaining to human relationships. Fortune and Spirit echo themes of the 1st house of self, but distinguish the tangible (Fortune) and the intangible (Spirit). Similarly, Love and Necessity pertain to 7th house themes of relating. Important friendly and adversarial social interactions can be separately examined. We can study the evolution of these interactions over time with predictive techniques.

Additional work is needed to explore the usage of these very important lots in things like evaluating political contests. They may prove to be quite useful in all areas of astrology, including mundane, electional, and horary. For instance, a great deal of horary questions concern attractive or adversarial human relationships. Fortune, Spirit, Love, and Necessity allow us to dig deeper into the topics of the self and relationships.

A Loose-End: The Lot of Basis

There is one final matter concerning the lots of Love and Necessity which it is appropriate to address here. Valens discussed a Lot of Basis which pertains to personal power and leadership skills. Basis is examined with Fortune and Spirit, and another lot, the Lot of Exaltation. When these lots and their rulers occupy each other’s places it indicates personal power and social mobility.

The Lot of Basis is always either the Lot of Love or the Lot of Necessity. Whichever one of these is under the horizon is Basis. Love and Necessity pertain to human relationships and the houses under the horizon pertain more to physical substance. Therefore, the lot under the horizon may show the type of social interaction (friendly or competitive) with the greatest impact on social standing. With my limited usage of using Basis for examining social mobility, I can only speculate.

Conclusion

Many reader already had a passing familiarity with Fortune and Spirit, but were not familiar with Love and Necessity. You should now have a sense of their usage and the great importance placed on these lots by Valens. I hope you’ve become inspired to start using the four principal lots, and to investigate the use of more lots.

There are actually over dozen lots which were commonly used in Hellenistic astrology by multiple astrologers. The lots have a utility for establishing topics that allows for more fine-tuned topical analysis. We will be exploring more important lots in future articles of this series.

References
Brennan, C. (2010, June 29). The Theoretical Rationale Underlying the Seven Hermetic Lots. Chris Brennan Astrologer. Retrieved July 14, 2012, from http://www.chrisbrennanastrologer.com/Brennan-Theoretical-Rationale.pdf
Valens, V. (2010). Anthologies. (M. Riley, Trans.) (Online PDF.). World Wide Web: Mark Riley. Retrieved from http://www.csus.edu/indiv/r/rileymt/Vettius%20Valens%20entire.pdf

Featured Image of terracotta dice is in the public domain.