This is an accidental article. While working on the research for a long article on comets, prompted by the current COVID-19 pandemic, I came across a story about how a comet observed by Tycho Brahe helped to propel the Copernican Revolution forward. This led to some additional revelations about the confusing multiple meanings of terms like heliocentric and geocentric. These terms mean one thing among astrologers, another to the general public, and something a little different and more specific in a scientific context.
I intended my thoughts on these matters to serve as an afterward to the comet article, but it dawned on me that they pertain to a separate topic. Additionally, this is a topic important enough for its own article. I hope you agree and enjoy it. Thank you for your support. I feel for those going through hard times during this epidemic. I wish everyone good health and a solid footing.
Tycho and the Comet
A pivotal moment in the history of astronomy was made possible by an extraordinary comet. On November 13, 1577, Tycho Brahe was fishing when he saw a very brilliant comet, as bright as Venus, and with a 22° long reddish tail. This was the famed Great Comet of 1577. His continuous observations of the comet over the ensuing period of its visibility (nearly 2 months) turned up discoveries that would upend some Ptolemaic assumptions that had persisted even into Copernicus’s model of the heavens.
Cellarius’s 1661 chart illustrating Copernicus’s heliocentric model of the Universe
Goodbye Spheres
Initially, his calculations of the comet’s motion and distance led him to debunk Aristotle’s theory that comets were meteorological events of the upper air. His data clearly showed that comets moved in the heavens, like the planets. More radically, when the comet was observed to have moved through what was assumed to be the spheres of Venus and the Sun, it became clear that planetary motion was not due to physical spheres upon which the planets were fixed. In other words, there were no solid celestial spheres. The relatively mechanical planetary spheres would no longer suffice as the explanation for planetary motion. Tycho published these findings in his book on the comet (De Mundi Aetherei …). It had a profound influence on the later work of Johannes Kepler.
Bartolomeu Velho’s 1568 illustration of the Ptolemaic model with planetary spheres
A Geostatic Heliocentric Model
Brahe, who was also an astrologer, developed his own rather unique model of planetary motion. It is typically characterized as geocentric or as a geocentric-heliocentric hybrid. However, it is more accurately characterized as a geostatic heliocentric model. That is, he posited that the Earth was motionless, so the model was entirely relative to a stationary Earth (geostatic), but he posited that planetary motion was around the Sun (heliocentric). While Brahe accepted Copernicus’s planetary motion around the Sun, he wished to improve some major faults in Copernicus’s model, including its heliostatic nature.
Cellarius’s 1660 chart illustrating Tycho Brahe’s model of the Universe
Morin’s Kepler-Brahe Hybrid Geostatic Heliocentric Model
Actually, well into the 17th century, many astronomers accepted Copernican heliocentric planetary motion, while rejecting the heliostatic feature of Copernicus’s specific model. Many traditional astrologers are familiar with Jean-Baptiste Morin, the famous 17th-century French astrologer, astronomer, and mathematician. His mammoth astrological work, Astrologia Gallica (“French Astrology”), continues to be influential. It is fairly well-known (I mean it’s on his Wikipedia entry at least) that he advocated a geostatic position (fixed Earth). What is less well known is that he did in fact accept heliocentric planetary motion, and sought to marry Kepler’s elliptic orbits to the geostatic heliocentric model of Tycho Brahe.
Why Geostatic?
Some of the issues with the Copernicus model included its use of planetary spheres to explain planetary motion, the implausibility of his rotation argument, and the lack of evidence for some things predicted by Earth’s movement. I already noted that Brahe’s cometary data called into question the idea of solid celestial spheres as a mechanism of planetary motion. One of Copernicus’s primary arguments for the Earth rotating rather than the sky was that “nothing infinite can be moved”, which was less than a compelling data-based argument for Brahe. Additionally, Brahe incorrectly thought that the Earth’s orbit would make comets retrogress (they move too fast for this to happen) and would cause parallax in the directions of the stars over time (it does but it is too small for Brahe to have detected it).
Backward Thinking?
The rejection of the heliostatic position by many astronomers was not due to some form of stubborn traditionalism in the face of compelling evidence. Rather, it was among methodical scientists who were attempting to radically remake the planetary model to accord with the best evidence available. Sufficiently compelling evidence that the Sun was fixed and the Earth was in motion was slow to come. Compelling evidence that actually neither the Sun nor the Earth was truly fixed, and all motion was relative, wouldn’t come until centuries later, far after the Copernican Revolution.
Heliostatic vs. Geostatic
So, who was correct, Brahe or Copernicus? Is the better model the geostatic one in which all motion is characterized relative to a stationary Earth, or a heliocentric one in which all motion is characterized relative to a stationary Sun? As it turns out, the question is not a scientific or an astronomical one at all. In modern astronomy, nothing is “static”.
We speak of motion around the Sun as a convenience. However, we also characterize the Sun as being in motion around the center of the Galaxy, and galaxies even move relative to each other. Therefore, it is meaningless in a scientific context to say anything is essentially fixed in space and at rest. Similarly, motions can be characterized relative to any given frame of reference.
An Astronomical Historian on the Essential Difference Between Geostatic and Heiliostatic Theories
“[W]e might say (details aside) that holding the sun still in Tycho’s system gives us Copernicus, while holding the earth still in Copernicus’s system gives us Tycho. […] All motion is relative. In fact, the difference between geostatic and heliostatic systems is not of great technical astronomical importance. Its importance, if any, is theological and philosophical. […] The important thing about Copernicus’s theory is not that it is heliostatic but that it is heliocentric. A system can be heliocentric without being heliostatic – Tycho’s system was.” (Thurston, 1994, 206-207)
The Rise of the Heliostatic Heliocentric Model
Kepler and Galileo furthered the Copernican Revolution by continuing in the work started by Copernicus and Brahe. Galileo continued the tradition of using precise observations to challenge long-held assumptions. His use of detailed observations from sophisticated instruments was firmly in the tradition of Tycho Brahe. He discovered the moons of Jupiter and the phases of Venus, lending support to the Copernican model in which all orbits are not around the Earth.
The Moon as drawn by Galileo Galilei and published in “Sidereus Nuncius” in 1610 plus a photographic image of the same view
Kepler brought together the best elements of the models of Copernicus and Brahe, and develop a much better theory of planetary motion based on Brahe’s observational data. He was able to improve Copernicus’s heliocentric system, replacing his circular orbits and epicycles with elliptical orbits that caused varying planetary speeds.
An animation of Kepler’s 2nd Law of Planetary Motion
The Copernican Revolution was essentially completed by Isaac Newton. His theory of gravity and the laws of motion filled in the missing details. Brahe had shown that planetary spheres were an inadequate explanation of planetary motion, while Newton supplied the new explanation, gravity.
Newton’s Cradle
Einstein vs. “Static Cling”
Absolute motion was posited by Newton. It fit well with a heliostatic basis for planetary motion. Therefore, historically, the heliostatic heliocentric system won the day, supplanting the geostatic one of Brahe. However, this occurred before scientists in the 19th century proved the Sun is just another star. It also occurred prior to Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity which showed that there is no absolute motion.
This goes back to the point made above by the historian of astronomy, Hugh Thurston. The heliostatic vs. geostatic debate is a philosophical one rather than a scientific one. Gravity-centric models explain celestial orbits with great accuracy. For instance, a heliocentric model of the solar system explains planetary motion in a cohesive way. A geocentric model of the Earth, the Moon, and the Earth’s satellites do the same for the earth system. Still, there is no absolute fixed point of reference we can observe and verify in a scientific sense. It appears that there is no absolute center of the universe whatsoever.
Astrology is Geo-Referential, Not Geocentric
I feel that this excursion into examining Brahe’s curious geostatic heliocentric system alerts astrologers to some important distinctions and ways of looking at things. Personally, I’ve been guilty of speaking of astrology as being essentially “geocentric”, as it concerns itself with the orientation of the heavens relative to the Earth. However, this common astrological usage is not consistent with the scientific sense, and that fosters some confusion.
In a scientific sense, geocentric and heliocentric pertain to models of planetary motion, not to frames of reference for observational utility. I don’t think I’ve ever met an astrologer, myself included, who didn’t think that the heliocentric model was the best model for explaining astronomical planetary motion in the solar system. In that sense, I, and all those other astrologers, are heliocentrists.
Astrology is not geocentric in the sense of planetary motion, but geo-referential, looking at the motion of the heavens relative to a given place and time on Earth. The thing is, much observational astronomy is similarly geo-referential. Whether it is naked-eye observational astronomy, or with an instrument, such as a telescope, astronomers are also often concerned with how things will “appear” in a given time and place on the Earth. There is not a geocentric vs. heliocentric divide between astronomy and astrology. Rather, the difference is just that for astrologers celestial phenomena have the ability to serve as “signs“.
Significance for Astrologers
Astrologers, myself included, are used to referring to the astrological perspective as geocentric. What we actually mean is that it uses the time and place on the earth as the reference point. There is even heliocentric astrology that can be contrasted with traditional geocentric astrology. However, heliocentric astrology is really helio-referential astrology. It judges signs from the observational vantage point of the Sun, examining configurations relative to it.
Heliocentric Astrology
Comically, I have heard some astrologers argue that this heliocentric astrology is intrinsically superior on account of being heliocentric . After all, history has shown that the heliocentric model is correct. Geocentricism is for the backward and ignorant. This line of reasoning is comical because it confuses the vantage point from which signs are judged with specific scientific models of planetary motion. They actually have nothing to do with each other.
The implication is that somehow by judging signs from the Sun’s vantage point one shows support for the correctness of the heliocentric model of planetary motion. Not only do they have nothing to do with each other but the Earth-centered reference makes more sense in terms of meaning. It uses as a point of reference the time and place on Earth of the thing being commented upon itself, such as the time and place of the person’s birth
An astronomer may give observational coordinates for observing something from your backyard. That does not entail that they reject heliocentric planetary motion. Similarly, An astrologer mapping signs from a similar vantage point need not reject centuries of astronomical progress to do so.
Is Heliocentric Astrology More Scientific?
Heliocentric astrology is not more scientific in any way. The difference lies in its claims as to what constitutes a meaningful astrological sign. As with any astrology, its evaluation rests on the ability of its signs to say something relevant. In other words, how well do established interpretations of its conventionalized signs accord with the realities they comment upon?
Heliocentric astrology seeks to assign meanings to new types of phenomena. These are things that were not traditional sings, such as angular aspects to the Sun from the Sun’s perspective. For this reason, it is actually most natural to treat it with greater suspicion than traditional astrology. After all, traditional astrology uses conventionalized celestial signs used over a couple thousand years. Those signs were traditionally judged relative to the time and place of the matter they comment upon.
Rethinking the Geocentric and Heliocentric Astrology Dichotomy
As astrologers, we should probably be more careful throwing around terms like geocentric and heliocentric without clarification. I don’t advocate policing anyone, just greater awareness. The terminology is confusing to the general public and many astrologers. Astrologers insist that celestial phenomena can serve as signs. That’s a big stretch in thinking for many people. Add the word geocentric into the mix and it sounds like astrology requires the rejection of modern science as well.
The truth is that astrology is not dependent on a specific scientific model of celestial motion. It does not depend upon Aristotelianism. Even traditional astrology does not even rely on the Ptolemaic model. In fact, there were key Hellenistic astrologers (such as Dorotheus and Vettius Valens) before Ptolemy ever proposed his model. The Copernican Revolution was largely spearheaded by astrologers, such as Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler. They continued doing astrology based on earthly points of reference while advocating heliocentric models of planetary motion – without contradiction.
Conclusion
So, is astrology geocentric? In the informal sense of using the Earth as the central reference point, it is. It is in the same sense that the astronomy website, EarthSky.org is geocentric. It’s concerned with celestial happenings from an earthly vantage point. However, in the more narrow astronomical sense pertaining to models of planetary motion, astrology is not at all geocentric. Astrology is not dependent upon any single specific theory of planetary motion. Astrologers probably accept the superiority of the heliocentric model of planetary motion just as readily as anyone else.
References
Thurston, H. (2012). Early Astronomy. Springer New York.
Image Attributions
The featured image is an illustration of the comet of 1577 which was seen by Brahe. It was clipped from the title page from Cometographia quaedam lampadis aeriae que 10. die Novemb. apparuit, anno a Virginto partu, 1577, London: 1578, by Laurence Johnson. STC 1416, Houghton Library, Harvard University (public domain)
Cellarius’s 1661 chart illustrating Copernicus’s heliocentric model of the Universe is in the public domain.
The Bartolomeu Velho illustration of Ptolemy’s model from 1568 is in the public domain.
Cellarius’s 1660 chart illustrating Tycho Brahe’s model of the Universe is in the public domain.
Recently, a reader asked about triplicity rulers. She noted that in an article on profession I attributed Venus as a triplicity lord of a Capricorn Ascendant in a night chart. In Chapter 15 of Demetra George’s book “Ancient Astrology” she dealt with triplicity lords. She appears to only consider one triplicity lord for the matters of sign rejoicing and rulership. Namely, she uses the first triplicity lord (that of the sect). Do the other two triplicity lords matter?
Triplicity Review
Triplicity is one of the most misunderstood and neglected types of rulership in traditional astrology. I have written on them in the past, so I don’t want to re-tread too much ground. Let’s briefly recap what triplicity lords signify.
Three Rulers
In the lesson on the signs, I introduced the triplicity lords. Please first familiarize yourself with the triplicity lords by way of that lesson. The triplicity lords are three planets which rule over a given triangle of three signs, or a given element (fire, earth, air, water). There is a day ruler, a night ruler, and a participating ruler.
The ruler of the sect is considered the main and initial influence. The triplicity rulers were often used in timing such that the ruler of sect showed support in the first period. That of the other sect showed support in the second period. Thus, there is an order to the triplicity lords, starting with the lord of sect.
Demetra noted the use of multiple triplicity lords for timing techniques. However, she emphasized only the triplicity lord of sect for assessing planetary condition. In this view, there is a planet that is THE triplicity lord. The other two lords are marginal, only to be used in certain techniques.
Support
Triplicity rulership is indicative of support, particularly reflective of relatives. For instance, a strong triplicity ruler can indicate significant support to what a planet or house indicates, and can make up for its deficiencies. An example might be a wealthy uncle who provides opportunities that one could not create for oneself out of one’s own abilities.
Sect
Triplicity is strongly associated with sect. Sect (day or night) is another significant factor that pertained to a relationship of affinity and support. I have explored the meaning of sign sect and its overlap with triplicity in the article on the sect and sex of the signs. Please refer to that article for information on that relationship. Sect and triplicity are two primary ways in which planets have a sense of kinship with each other and sense of support network in each other’s places.
Wind
As I noted in an early article on the subject, triplicity was originally associated with the directions of winds, rather than of the elements. Demetra, following Robert Schmidt, noted that this sense of triplicity as winds works nicely as a metaphor for support. A planet in its own triplicity has the wind at its back, and triplicity lords are like productive winds helping to move things forward.
One or Three in Hellenistic Literature
So now let’s return to the question of the use of the triplicity lords. These lords were strongly emphasized in the work of Dorotheus and Valens, two pivotal early Hellenistic astrologers. Would these men have considered Venus in Capricorn to be in triplicity by night? Also would they have considered Venus to be a significant triplicity lord (in terms of support) of Capricorn by night? After all, the Moon is the nocturnal lord of Earth by night, and Venus is the diurnal one. Is the diurnal lord significant in a nocturnal chart?
I caution against getting all of one’s ideas about Hellenistic astrology from secondary sources. There are many high quality English translations of Hellenistic texts available. Secondary sources are primarily useful as gateways to aid in approaching primary sources and for critical practical evaluation and comparison. I try to encourage the exploration of primary source material as much as possible. Don’t take my word for it, look at the texts. And that’s what we’ll do now.
Dorotheus of Sidon (1st century CE)
First, I’d like to say that Ben Dykes provided a great introduction to his translation of Dorotheus’s Carmen Astrologicum. This introduction includes a discussion of the meaning of triplicity (beginning at page 42). I highly recommend that one obtains a copy of that translation and reads the introduction. As he noted, triplicity lords in Carmen tend to signify increase/decrease, protection, and assistance.
Order Not Exclusion
“The triplicity of Aries: its lords by day are the Sun, then Jupiter, then Saturn; and by night Jupiter, then the Sun, then Saturn.” (Dorotheus, Book I, Ch. 1, #4, Dykes trans., 2017, p. 61-62)
The way that Dorotheus presented the triplicity lords is significant. Dorotheus did not say that the Sun is the triplicity lord of a fire sign by day, and Jupiter by night. No, he said that by day the lords of that triplicity are the Sun, then Jupiter, then Saturn, and by night they are Jupiter, then the Sun, then Saturn. He did this for each triplicity. This emphasizes that all three are important for either chart sect. Sect only pertains to their order.
More Strong Lords Equals More Strong Support
Dorotheus made it very clear that all three triplicity lords are to be used in the matter of support. This does not just apply to timing. For instance, in the matter of looking at the health of one’s upbringing he examines all three triplicity lords of the Ascendant.
“… you want to examine the first, second, and third lords of the triplicity of the Ascendant: for if you found of them in its own share and a stake (or in what is equivalent to that, of the places in which it becomes stronger), then that will increase him in life, by the permission of God, and protect him.” (Dorotheus, Book I, Ch. 4, #2, Dykes trans., 2017, p. 65)
But let’s be clear, Dorotheus went beyond this. Not only can any one of the three triplicity lords help to support a position, but more strong lords equals more support.
“Now if the three of them were all in strong places, then it is more excellent. And if two of them were in a strong position, then the strength in their indication will be complete, and preferable to that is if the first one of them is in an excellent place.” (Dorotheus, Book I, Ch. 4, #3-4, Dykes trans., 2017, p. 65)
Note that Dorotheus advised that it is most preferable if the first lord is strong. This suggests that this first lord was viewed as a first or preferred line of support.
Summary of Dorotheus on the Triplicity Lords
There are numerous passages in Carmen in which Dorotheus used the lords in this manner. Please see the introductory section by Dykes for a table of the sections in which Dorotheus used the triplicity lords. You will find that the passages above are representative of Dorotheus’s approach to triplicity. Namely, sect orders the lords in terms of first line of support, second, and third. It is not intended to indicate that only one planet is THE triplicity lord while the others are insignificant.
Therefore, here we get to the crux of the matter that so confuses people about triplicity lords. First, all of the triplicity lords rule a sign of that triplicity, by day or night. They are all significant. Second, the sect distinction is to order the lords of the triplicity. This ordering pertains to actual temporal ordering for timing techniques but also a sense of priority or preference. We might consider the first triplicity lord to be the preferred first line of support, wheres the third is the support of last resort.
Vettius Valens (2nd century CE)
Ordering Again
Valens is more ambiguous in his introduction to triplicity (the triangles). He introduced them in Book II, Ch. 1 of his Anthology. Triplicity is explicitly linked to sect in this passage. I have provided extensive quotes from the passage in my lesson on the signs.
He is more ambiguous in that he sometimes says things like “the moon, being near the earth, is allotted the houserulership of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn” but also says things like “[f]or day births Venus will lead; the moon will operate second; Mars, third” (Valens, Anthologies, Book II, Ch. 1, Riley trans., 2010, p. 25).
Next the moon, being near the earth, is allotted the houserulership of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, a triangle earthy in nature and the next in order. It has Venus and Mars as members of the same sect […]. Therefore for night births the moon has preeminence; in the second place is Venus; in the third is Mars. For day births Venus will lead; the moon will operate second; Mars, third. (Valens, Anthologies, Book II, Ch. 1, Riley trans., 2010, p. 25)
However, it is clear from Valens’s use of language pertaining to “preeminence” and second and third places, that all three are used. It is the order and relative importance that changes by day and night.
Support from All Three
In the next chapter of Book II, Valens laid out how to use the triplicity lords in delineation. He explicitly looked at all three rulers in much the same fashion as Dorotheus.
“If the sun is found in Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn (for day births), it will be necessary to investigate first how Venus is configured, second the moon, and third Mars, and to see what stars they have in aspect. In the same way, if the sun is in the next triangle, Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius (for day births), it will be necessary to look at Saturn, then Mercury, then Jupiter. The same for the triangle Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces: if the sun is there (for day births), it will be necessary to look at Venus, then Mars, then the moon, to see if they are at angles. Having determined all this, then make the prediction.” (Valens, Anthologies, Book II, Ch. 1, Riley trans., 2010, p. 25)
As a Rejoicing Condition
Valens also clarified that a planet is strengthened by being in a sign of its own sect or triangle. Again, this would include Venus in Capricorn in a night chart, for example.
“It is best if the stars of the day sect are found at angles in their own triangles or in operative places; the same is true for the stars of the night sect. If they are in other triangles or in the opposite sect, prosperity will be less and will be subject to anxiety.” (Valens, Anthologies, Book II, Ch. 2, Riley trans., 2010, p. 26)
I explore some of these constant references throughout Valens to sect and triangle as near synonyms in my article on sign sect. The terms are nearly synonymous because a sign of the same sect as a planet is with only a couple exceptions also a sign in which the planet is a triplicity lord. In any case, Valens sees some sort of intrinsic support pertaining to a planet in its own triplicity. This condition is not just applicable if the planet is the first triplicity lord of that triplicity.
Conclusion
As we’ve seen, there were three triplicity lords of every sign in Hellenistic astrology. Sect was used to order them. This ordering pertained to relative importance in terms of support, and in terms of temporal ordering (typically with just the first and second used in that matter as beginning and end). All three triplicity lords were relevant both in the sense of rulership and in terms of evaluating planetary condition. Additionally, a greater number of strong triplicity lords can act to multiply the degree of support shown through triplicity.
Triplicity was of great importance to astrologers like Dorotheus and Valens. It was often emphasized more than domicile rulership. The symobolism of triplicity lords reflects the fact that success and opportunities often pertain more to connections than inherent quality or condition. It’s about who you know.
References
Dorotheus of Sidon, & al-Tabari, U. (2017). Carmen Astrologicum: The ’Umar al-Tabari Translation. (B. N. Dykes, Trans.). Minneapolis, Minn.,: The Cazimi Press.
Featured image is Trinity + Triquetra (Tripod of Life, Borromean rings) Jerusalem by zeevveez from Jerusalem, Israel [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
The practice of astrology is riddled with contentious choices. Which one of the dozens of house systems should you use? Do chart factors essentially represent psychological or general real-life circumstances? Does astrology work according to a physical cause, for instance related to some ill-understood element of quantum mechanics? Or is it maybe linguistic, pertaining to a rational faculty of the cosmos which provides signs? Or could it be something else entirely?
Some issues can be resolved without much effort. Sometimes all that is needed is an open mind, a little chart work, and a brief exploration of astrology’s history and internal logic. However, other issues are more difficult. These issues can require a thorough familiarity with the principles of delineation and years of experience from hundreds of charts. Similarly, there are times when a superficial understanding of astrology’s history does not suffice and we have to deeply analyze particulars.
House System
I consider the choice of house system to be one of the easier issues to resolve, despite continued confusion in this area. Whole sign houses are the only house system that was used for topics in the first centuries of Hellenistic astrology (i.e. when the system came about). It also fits with the internal logic of the astrological system. The house issue is not a difficult one to address with some history, understanding of astrological principles, and work with chart examples. I’ve addressed the house issue at length, from multiple angles, in my article on the houses. Still, it continues to be one of the most vexing choices for beginners in astrology.
The Zodiac
Some contentious issues are more difficult to resolve. Among the most difficult and contentious is the matter of the zodiac. After more than 7 years of writing articles for Seven Stars Astrology, I’m still confronted by angry readers who attempt to convince me that I’ve made a grave error: I’m using the wrong zodiac!
I’ll explore the historical issues in more depth and with reference to relevant scholarship in the latter part of the article. However, before proceeding I’d like to briefly touch upon the main issues. The Babylonians created the zodiac as a means of measuring positions on the ecliptic. It was also intended to correlate their 12 month calendar, which began near the vernal equinox, with the twelve unequal constellations crossing the ecliptic. They do not appears to have known that the stars and calendar were actually drifting slowly away from each other and so they set the vernal equinox at a specific degree (at 8° or 10° Aries).
The Division
Knowledge of precession, the shift of the stars relative to the equinoxes, was taken two different ways in Indian astrology and western astrology. Indian astrologers accounted for the shift by arguing for various reference stars which could be used to keep the zodiac fixed with regards to its position relative to the constellations (sidereal zodiac) reflecting the original Babylonian intention and focus on the sidereal year. Western astrologers settled on a long-running Greek practice (from the late 5th century BCE) of starting the zodiac with the vernal equinox (tropical zodiac), fixing it to the calendar and seasonal cycle.
The Losers and The Losers
The sidereal zodiac can be accused of no longer coinciding with the calendar and seasons as the zodiac was intended. The tropical zodiac can be accused of no longer coinciding with the constellations for which the signs were named as was intended.
On only one issue did they agree, that the Babylonian standards were not sufficient. No one demonstrating knowledge of precession advocated to keep the zodiac fixed in such a way that the vernal equinox would always occur at 8° or 10° Aries.
The Babylonian Zodiac is Not Simply a Sidereal Zodiac
We should collectively refer to the two competing standards used by the Babylonians (from Systems A and B; vernal equinox at 10° or 8° Aries respectively), as “the Babylonian zodiac”. This serves to distinguish them from a tropical zodiac (vernal equinox at 0 Aries) and modern sidereal zodiac (distance to some explicit reference star determines 0° Aries).
The labeling of the Babylonian zodiac as “sidereal” accords with its original form and also with the Babylonian focus on sidereal periods and the constellations for observed phenomena. However, it was originally intended to be fixed with respect to both the stars (sidereal) and the calendar/equinox (equinox at 8° or 10° Aries). Additionally, it is not clear that all later adopters of the Babylonian zodiac used it sidereally (i.e. with respect to updated sidereal tables) vs. tropically (i.e. computing longitude relative to an 8° equinox). Referring to it simply as a sidereal zodiac confuses the Babylonian zodiac with today’s sidereal zodiacs (such as Lahiri or Fagan-Bradley). In such a way it obfuscates the circumstances of its development and subsequent history.
Hellenistic Context
The zodiac choice is particularly complex in the context of Hellenistic astrology. The zodiac was borrowed from the Babylonians but new Hellenistic doctrines, including sign associations, arose at a time when sidereal and tropical zodiacs nearly coincided. Sign qualities in the Hellenistic period pertained to the seasonal calendar as well as the images of the constellations. Furthermore, some Hellenistic astrologers, ignorant of precession, including Thrasyllus and Vettius Valens, used the Babylonian zodiac, sometimes even into the 4th century CE. Meanwhile, Claudius Ptolemy of the 2nd century CE, cognizant of precession, set the stage for the widespread adoption of the tropical zodiac.
The Babylonian Zodiac was No Longer “Sidereal” in the 1st and 2nd Centuries CE
Astrologers using the Babylonian zodiac apparently thought they were using one that was both sidereal (fixed to the stars) and tropical (fixed with respect to the position of the equinox), due to their ignorance regarding precession. As noted, this Babylonian zodiac had not been adjusted for precession (the shifting of the stars relative to the equinox) so it had actually lost its original correspondence with the stars. Further complicating matters, the late 2nd century was a time when the tropical and sidereal zodiacs coincided to about a degree of accuracy. Therefore, the Babylonian zodiac used by some early Hellenistic astrologers was much farther removed from the original and modern sidereal zodiacs than the tropical zodiac was in the same period. See Part III for details regarding this.
Two Zodiacs at the Same Time?
If you’ve read my article on the signs, you’ll know that at times I’ve felt that the sidereal zodiac may have a place in Hellenistic astrology. Since some sign associations pertain to the constellations, I’ve flirted with the idea of using a sidereal zodiac just for those indications. However, in recent years I’ve become less certain that using two zodiacs for western astrology will ever make sense. I believe that the tropical zodiac is the system of signs for western astrology, and that for a deeper dive into constellational symbolism, we should use the constellations themselves, not the sidereal zodiac.
With that said, I in no way imply that the tropical zodiac is more effective for Indian techniques. I cannot speak to that topic due to my lack of experience with Indian astrology. However, when it comes to the use of signs and their key features for traditional western astrology, including Hellenistic astrology, I find the tropical zodiac much more effective.
13 Signs?
I want to make a quick note about a further complicating factor. Unfortunately, there are popular astronomers putting out articles that confuse the notions of sign and constellation. These astronomers, who should know better, chide astrologers who “foolishly” use 12 signs when in fact 13 constellations cross the ecliptic. However, astrologers from even before the advent of Hellenistic astrology recognized the zodiac as 12 equal divisions of the 360 degree circle, not the 12 constellations from which they were named. Twelve is important not because of the number of constellations crossing the ecliptic but because there were 12 months in the lunisolar calendar. The division of the ecliptic into 12 signs followed from the calendar of 12 months, not from some long-standing tradition of using 12 constellations. The Babylonian tradition was actually to use 17-18 zodiacal constellations.
Divisions of time and circles into 360 degrees, 60 minutes, 60 seconds, 12 segments, and so forth should be familiar to anyone who has used a clock and a compass. These divisions originate from the Babylonians who came up with the zodiac and used a sexagesimal (base 60) number system. Signs are equal symbolic units of space-time, not the unequal constellations of stars. The initial importance of 12 came not from a number of constellations in the sky, but from the number of lunar months in the solar year. There are 12 New Moons in a given year. 360 is also interesting as it is the mean number of days between the mean solar year of approx. 365.24 days and the mean lunar year of approx. 354.37 days. The mean between the solar and lunar years is approx. 359.8 days, almost exactly 360 days.
Argument Structure
My rationale for using the tropical zodiac has always been primarily empirical. In other words, I find that the tropical zodiac works better for Hellenistic astrology. I don’t mean it works better in some amorphous, personal, “works better for me” sort of way. Given years of experience with applying Hellenistic techniques, I’m equipped to provide concrete examples of why the best results come with the tropical zodiac. As the empirical matter has been the most important matter to me, I present it first.
Historical matters are more complicated and can be quite confusing. A thorough understanding of the history is very important. I believe that logic and zodiacal history also support the use of a tropical zodiac. After I present my empirical examples, I examine some of the historical and logical facets of my decision. Those who want to dig into the nitty-gritty of the logic or history first can skip to Part II or III respectively. I conclude with my own story about how the tropical zodiac was responsible for turning me from a skeptic to an astrologer in the first place.
Part I: Example Charts
The following 7 examples illustrate the superiority of the tropical zodiac from an empirical standpoint for early traditional western principles and techniques. As the Fagan-Bradley ayanamsha is typically the one used by western siderealists, I will adopt that one in the sidereal charts of this article.
Ex. 1: Jimi Hendrix
I’ve previously pointed out that Hendrix’s chart works best with whole sign houses and a tropical zodiac. I addressed his chart at length in the article on the houses and also looked at it in terms of professional indications. See his chart below (natal chart of Jimi Hendrix, AA-rated).
Hendrix’s Tropical Birth Chart with twelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Hendrix’s Sidereal Natal Chart with twelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Career Indicator: Mercury-Venus Tropical; Mars Sidereal
Per Hellenistic techniques, the planets relevant to actions (i.e. career; skill-development; occupation) are Mercury, Venus, and Mars. We look to see if they are in eligible places. The planets that are most relevant are in the best of those places and/or have some additional special indications (e.g. phasis, station). I’ve discussed the technique in a prior article and have noted that I tend to follow Paulus Alexandrinus (4th century CE). Please review that article for details on the Hellenistic approach to this topic.
Tropical – Mercury-Venus and the Sun in the 1st
Mercury and Venus (as well as the Sun) are in the 1st house in the tropical chart. This makes them relevant as planets of actions, and also relevant for the identity and temperament. As I’ve noted, Mercury pertains to complexity, speech, composition, writing, and manual dexterity while Venus pertains to the arts, drugs, sexuality, and physical pleasure. One indication of Mercury with Venus is musical composition. Guitar playing is particularly relevant as stringed instruments played with one’s fingers are under the domain of Mercury (digits) and Venus (music).
Tropical
Mercury, Venus, and the Sun are all in the bound and sign of Jupiter, the sect benefic, connecting them with fortune. The twelfth-part of Jupiter is the 5th house of the chart, the Joy of Venus, which can pertain to the fruits of one’s labor and to material benefit (it is the house of good fortune). The twelfth-part of Mercury is in the 2nd house in the Mercury bound, connecting it with income, while that of Venus is in exaltation in the 4th. Both the 2nd and 4th are also eligible places, further emphasizing the importance of Mercury-Venus for the career.
Sidereal – Mars in the 11th
The sidereal chart still has Sagittarius rising and still has a Moon-Jupiter conjunction in Cancer, the 8th house. However, the career indications are completely different. Mercury and Venus are now in the 12th house. They are no longer in an eligible place for actions. They no longer pertain to the identity or character either as they are not in the 1st and do not rule the 1st house in any way. Now they are in the 12th house of the Bad Spirit, pertaining to secret enemies, imprisonment, and social ills. Mars is the clear planet of actions, as it is in the 11th place and has its twelfth-part in the 8th, both of them being eligible places. It also has its twelfth-part closely conjunct Jupiter’s twelfth-part, with the Moon and Jupiter in the 8th.
Sidereal
Mars is insufficient here as an answer. Yes, Hendrix was in the army for a time, but Mars was not the operative planet for his actions, skill-development, and occupation. Hendrix is not known for his manual labor, his competitive leadership, his political acumen, brawn, ferocity, or military prowess. Hendrix is known for his rich dexterity and complex compositions, his guitar playing, his singing, and his identity itself. All of those fall under the purview of a Mercury-Sun-Venus conjunction in the Jupiter bound of Sagittarius in the 1st house. The sidereal zodiac falls woefully short here when looking at Hendrix’s career and character.
Ex. 2: OJ Simpson
In this second example, I look at another chart I’ve addressed previously in terms of profession. In a prior article, I noted how the Hellenistic technique for professional significator correctly indicates Mars for OJ Simpson. His chart is birth information is rated AA for accuracy. To keep things brief, I refer you to my article for details on the analysis. Let’s see what the indications are when using the technique with the sidereal zodiac.
Tropical – Actions: Mars in XI; tpMars in I; Mars rules Asc bound
Mercury and Venus are in XII so are not particularly relevant for profession. Mars is in XI which is a relevant place and Mars advances toward the MC. Significantly, Mars rules the bound of the Ascendant, has triplicity at X and the MC, and its twelfth-part is in the 1st house. The twelfth-parts of Venus and Mercury are in XII and IX respectively, emphasizing that they are not as significant for actions. Therefore, we see lots of reinforcement to Mars as significator of actions, and also that it is relevant for character. Mars is in the fortunate 11th house, with twelfth-part Jupiter and in Jupiter’s bound, while Jupiter is ruled by Mars, connecting immense fortune to Mars (athletic star).
Simpson’s Tropical Natal Chart with twelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Tropical – Character pertains to XII, Saturn, Mars
Additionally, let’s look at some indications about character and life circumstances. The Sun which rules the 1st is in the 12th, one of the dark or bad places. This connects the character with the 12th house and its themes of undoing, imprisonment, and secret harm. Mercury, also relevant for character and intentions is additionally in the 12th. Both Venus and her twelfth-part are in the 12th, connecting her strongly to the themes of undoing, imprisonment, and secret harm. Furthermore, Saturn is in the 1st house of self as is the twelfth-part of Mars, indicating that both malefics are operative in the house of the self and character. See this article for more analysis of the character indications in OJ’s chart.
Sidereal – Actions: Mars in X and Ruling MC
Mars is also the professional indicator using the sidereal zodiac. In fact, its relevance for profession is just as striking. Mars is in X and rules the MC. However, what is lacking is a connection between Mars and self-identification. Mars has no rulership at the Ascendant and its twelfth-part is not in the 1st or a stake. Additionally, Mars is missing the Jupiter connection. Mars is not ruled in any way by Jupiter, is not with Jupiter’s twelfth-part, and Jupiter is not in a sign of Mars. We get Mars as career significator but not as relevant to the character nor necessarily associated with luck or fortune.
Simpson’s Sidereal Natal Chart with twelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Sidereal – Character pertains to Sun and Venus in XI and Jupiter in III
Most strikingly, the malefic connections to character are largely absent in the sidereal chart. The character is dominated by the Sun which is in the fortunate 11th house and with the benefic Venus. Venus also has her twelfth-part in the 1st. This suggests a very solar and Venusian character. Jupiter rules the bound of the Ascendant and Jupiter is in Libra, a house of Venus. The twelfth-part of the Ascendant is also ruled by Venus (by bound). Again, we are getting the sense of a very magnanimous and positive individual with a sweet artistic or feminine temperament. Gone are the negative associations with Venus, the malefics in the 1st house, the ruler of the 1st in XII, and the identification with the out of sect Mars. These are not trivial losses when it comes to character delineation.
Tropical – Venus-Mercury Actions; Venus-Jupiter Attended by Difficulties for Character
Whitney Houston’s tropical chart has the Venus bound of Pisces rising. Venus (arts) is in the 6th (a relevant place to actions) and her twelfth-part is in the 10th (actions) in her own bound of Sagittarius. Mercury (vocals) is also prominent for actions, being in Virgo (exaltation), the 7th house, in the bound of Venus. Mercury’s twelfth-part in its own bound of the 11th house of Good Spirit.
Therefore, Venus and Mercury prevail in the chart when it comes to actions. They are connected with fortune (Jupiter and XI) as well as brilliance and acclaim (Sun and X).
The character is particularly jovial and venusian (Pisces). However, it is also marked by some of the more troublesome manifestations of both (over-indulgence, escapism, pleasure-seeking) as they are both in dark places and afflicted by malefics.
Whitney Houston’s Tropical Natal Chart with twelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Sidereal – Mercurial Actions; Saturn-Mercury Character
In the sidereal zodiac, Houston’s Ascendant changes to Aquarius. It goes from a mutable water sign ruled by benefics (pleasant character but unstable or vacillating and putting a premium on the subjective) to a fixed air sign ruled by Saturn (cooler temperament, serious, idea-oriented, stubborn). The twelfth-part of Mercury in the 1st house further emphasizes and intellectualism. The twelfth-part of Mars in the 1st shows a hot competitiveness. Venus has no rulership of the 1st.
Mercury is the most important planet for actions, as its twelfth-part in the 1st reinforces its advancing position in the 7th. Mercury has the strongest connections to to actions (and the personality) of the 3 planets of actions. Saturn’s twelfth-part is in the 10th, so overall we see a particularly Mercury-Saturn orientation for career and personality. She could possibly be an appraiser or tax assessor. Venus is relevant for actions but she has only triplicity at X, no rulership at I, and a twelfth-part in XII. Therefore, Venus is much less relevant than Mercury.
Summary
In short, the character and career indications for Houston are very different in the sidereal zodiac and much less compelling. Note that some of the predictive examples I gave in my other articles also don’t hold because of the different house and rulership arrangements.
Whitney Houston’s Sidereal Natal Chart with twelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Death and Directions
Directing through the bounds is a zodiac-dependent predictive technique. It is one of the oldest and most popular uses of primary directions. I have noted in past articles the importance of the Sun-Saturn opposition in the timing of Houston’s death at age 48. It was activated by planetary years, profections, and more. I have also looked at the death in terms of primary directions, including those through the bounds of the tropical zodiac.
Tropical Distributor: Ascendant -> Saturn
The distributor of the Ascendant, pertaining to personal circumstances, during the period of her death (on Feb. 11, 2012) was Saturn. It would have been followed by a Mars period. The two final malefic bounds was considered particularly challenging. Saturn as distributor is particularly relevant given the other predictive indications concerning Saturn at death.
Houston’s Tropical Ascendant Distributors – Death at Age 48
Sidereal Distributor: Ascendant -> Venus
By contrast, the distributor of the Ascendant in the sidereal zodiac is Venus. This fails to adequately capture the role of Saturn in the death.
Houston’s Sidereal Ascendant Distributors – Death at Age 48
Ex. 4: Karl Marx
I’ve previously addressed Karl Marx’s natal chart in terms of career, character, atheism, and some additional topics. Please see my article on him. The birth time of Karl Marx is from his official birth record (given a Rodden Rating of AA for accuracy). His rising sign is Aquarius in both tropical and sidereal astrology. Therefore, Saturn rules the 1st house either way. However, every planet except Venus occupies a different house of the chart sidereally than tropically. Therefore, the zodiac choice largely determines their topical associations.
Tropical – Focus on Money’s Dark Side
The Ascendant lord, Saturn, is in II, the house of money. This puts a personal focus on identifying with this out of sect Saturn in the house of money. Additionally, the bound of Mars rises and the twelfth-part of Mars is also in II, reinforcing the aforesaid indication. Mars itself is in the 6th of labor. Additionally, Jupiter rules the 2nd and naturally rules money (and spirituality), and Jupiter is in the 12, a dark place, ruled by Saturn. Therefore, we see a personal focus on money matters (2nd and Jupiter) with strongly malefic associations.
I noted this strong back and forth relationship between Jupiter and Saturn over money matters in my article on Marx. Another consequence of Jupiter in the 12th and malefics in a sign of Jupiter is the lack of spiritual faith. However, the identification with Saturn in both tropical and sidereal charts tends toward doubt anyway.
Karl Marx’s Tropical Natal Chart with twelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Sidereal – Focus on Self and Career but Positive Money Associations
In the sidereal chart there is a still a strong identification with Saturn, as well as Mercury. Saturn is in the 1st house, as is the twelfth-part of the Ascendant. Therefore, there is a strong emphasis on the self, body, or identity, and difficulty associated with these things (out of sect Saturn).
As in the tropical chart, there is an association between friends and benefits (11th ruled by Jupiter). However, in the sidereal chart we find immense positive indication regarding Jupiter in terms of both natural significations and those concerning money. Jupiter is in its joy in the 11th, with the twelfth-part of the Sun, and dominating the 2nd house which it rules. Jupiter’s twelfth-part is in the 7th house, signifying fortune in partnership.
Identification is still primarily with Saturn and Mercury so we wouldn’t necessarily expect spiritual faith. However, Mars no longer dominates the 9th and Jupiter is overall more benefic, so it less pronounced.
Money Matters
We especially wouldn’t expect negative associations with money. The house of money is brimming with positive indications in Marx’s sidereal chart. Marx was notoriously critical of the wealthy and capitalism in his lifetime and notoriously bad with money. He actually lived in very impoverished circumstances through much of his later life despite a wealthy upbringing and frequent loans from wealthy friends. The sidereal chart doesn’t adequately capture these facets of his life.
Karl Marx’s Sidereal Natal Chart with twelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Note on Twelfth-Parts
As we are more than halfway through the chart examples, I want to point out something about the efficacy of the twelfth-parts. I have noted previously the importance of the twelfth-parts. On the site, they have been used them in a variety of contexts to show that they are useful in all chart work. Interestingly, I’ve also pointed out that the twelfth-parts are almost as old as the zodiac itself, being used in Babylonian astrology prior to their use in Hellenistic astrology. A couple readers have questioned the use of the twelfth-parts with the tropical zodiac given that they were initially used with the Babylonian zodiac.
In the chart examples, I have consistently shown how the tropical zodiac and its twelfth-parts provide superior information when compared with the sidereal chart and its twelfth-parts. Hellenistic and medieval astrologers who used the tropical zodiac extolled the virtues of the twelfth-parts. On empirical grounds alone, they are a necessity for accurate chart work.
Divisions of Space-Time Not of Stars or Seasons
The twelfth-parts are a symbolic division much like the zodiac itself. The zodiac was not designed to exactly correspond to the constellations of stars nor to the seasons, but to roughly correlate both (see Part III). It corresponds to regular periods of space-time which have associations derived from the constellations and seasons roughly coinciding with them at its inception. The division of the ecliptic circle into 12 equal signs and the division of those signs into a micro zodiac of 12 equal signs are not dependent on either constellations or seasons as a basis. Constellations vary dramatically in size and seasons vary by locale. Conceptually, the twelfth-parts, as microcosmic divisions, fit equally well in either zodiac.
Bounds
It is similar with the bounds. In recent decades, it has become clear that the so-called Egyptian bounds are actually of Babylonian origin. The bounds are also symbolic divisions of the zodiac. They are not dependent upon or based upon star clusters, nor on subdivision of the seasonal calendar. As signs are houses, bounds are like rooms. Each of the five non-luminaries rules a bound in each sign with a malefic always ruling the final bound. Additionally, each planet rules the same number of degrees as its Greater Years. Despite the fact that the logic behind the exact assignment of bounds has been lost, there appear to be some other internal consistencies to the bound ordering. A rationale based on specific stars of the natures of the bound rulers, akin to Indian Nakshatras, has not been argued.
Ex. 5: Dalai Lama XIV
I’m going to switch gears and look at a couple religious charts. I’ve previously analyzed 12 charts in terms of religious belief, using Hellenistic principles, working toward a special technique. One of the most important things noted when it comes to skepticism is identification with Mercury and/or Saturn, as well as unpleasant associations with Jupiter. On the other hand, religious charts tend to have Jupiter prominent in some way, some identification with Jupiter, and some strong connections between self and 9th house matters.
While a Saturnine 9th house associates religion with weight, burden, obligation, and even exile. we have found that with religious leaders it is not that unusual if it also has strong ties to the self and Jupiter. I’ve previously analyzed the Dalai Lama’s chart in this regard.
Note on Questionable Birth Data
The Dalai Lama’s birth information had been given a Rodden Rating of A (from biographical account) at the time that the initial article on him was written. However, it has been revised to a C rating more recently due to some conflicting accounts. Therefore, caution should be taken with the chart and this example can be skipped by those who disregard C-rated data.
Tropical – Strong Jupiter Water Emphasis connected to Self and 9th House
The Dalai Lama has a tricky chart for belief because of the position of Saturn, planet of doubt, in the 9th house (both tropically and sidereally). Also, the Moon applies an opposition to Saturn. However, in the tropical chart we see Jupiter playing a major role.
Jupiter
Jupiter is exalted in the 1st house of self, showing an identification with Jupiter. It rules the 9th house so it has a strong influence over matters of belief. Additionally, Jupiter’s twelfth-part is with that of Mercury in the 10th house of authority and actions, connecting it to the profession, teaching/lecturing, and recognition. Jupiter is very prominent. It is advancing in the fortunate 5th house and stationing direct within days of birth. Therefore, Jupiter pervasively characterizes life circumstances.
Jupiter overcomes Saturn and the 9th house by trine, and is itself overcome by the Sun which applies a trine from the first house within a degree. In this it has an ameliorating influence upon the adversity of Saturn and is fortunately influenced by the Sun, indicating recognition and leadership.
Summary
The negative indications associated with belief and foreign powers are apparent in the chart. They pertain to exile and issues with his homeland. However, the identification with the Moon and Jupiter put a strong focus on the 9th and 3rd houses as well as the pervasive role of Jupiter.
Dalai Lama XIV’s Tropical Natal Chart with twelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Sidereal – Mercurial Air Emphasis
The sidereal chart shifts the emphasis to Mercury, Mars, the Sun, and air signs. We lose the identification with Jupiter and the connection of Jupiter to the 9th. Jupiter is still prominent in the 5th house. However, Jupiter is no longer associated with the self (1st house) nor the 9th house. Jupiter’s twelfth-part is in the dark 12th house while Saturn is in the 9th house of God and rules there. The primary identification is with intellectual Mercury.
Dalai Lama XIV’s Sidereal Natal Chart with twelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Rational and Critical Outlook on Spirituality
All of this implies immense focus on rationality and a much more critical view of religion and spirituality. The Ascendant is an idea-oriented air sign, ruled by Mercury, occupied by Mercury and its twelfth-part. Rationality overload! The Sun and twelfth-part Mars are also both there showing a tendency toward a choleric belligerence. Venus rules the rising bound and is in the 3rd with the Moon but so is the twelfth-part of Saturn. Again, the stress is on doubt and materiality.
The sidereal chart fails to capture the fact that this person’s identity is tied up with religion and spirituality.
Ex. 6: Pope Francis I
The birth information for Pope Francis I is AA-rated for accuracy. The Pope’s chart is very similar to that of the Dalai Lama (above). Both have the Venus bound of Cancer rising, Saturn in the 9th ruled by Jupiter, and a prominent Jupiter (in VII).
Pope Francis I’s Tropical Natal Chart with twelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Note on Southern Hemisphere
I’ve been told by a critic that the tropical zodiac does not work for the southern hemisphere. The logic is that some of the sign associations derive from the seasonal cycle of the northern mid-latitudes where Hellenistic astrology originated. Therefore, one might conclude that the sign meanings are dependent upon the seasons of a given place. By that logic, the tropical zodiac should be flipped when working in the southern hemisphere, at least in terms of things like domicile and exaltation relationships that reflect the seasons.
However, the seasonal associations are symbolic metaphors, not dependencies. Astrologers from Australia, South America, and the rest of the southern hemisphere regularly use the tropical zodiac with great results.
Note on Dignity
One reader, Theo, argued that Pope Francis’ chart convincingly shows that the tropical zodiac is inferior. He argued this because Jupiter is in Capricorn, its fall. By contrast, in the sidereal chart, it is in Sagittarius, its domicile, and with the Sun, which promises honors.
However, I have long argued that astrologers over rely on sign dignity. Sign dignity is a common factor rather than a particularizing one. Everyone born within about a one year period will have Jupiter in the same sign. It does not serve to define them as such. For instance, it doesn’t make everyone born with Jupiter in Capricorn a cynic. The problems with over-reliance on dignity do not magically go away by switching to the sidereal zodiac.
Sun-Jupiter Antiscia
Jupiter is actually very strongly connected to the Sun in the tropical chart. Jupiter and the Sun are antiscia each other within a degree, which has the force of a conjunction. Additionally, Jupiter rules the Sun. These indications connect Jupiter with the recognition and leadership significations of the Sun. Antiscia by degree is a symmetry relationship about defining points of the tropical zodiac (solstices for antiscia and equinoxes for contra-antiscia). As such it is not a relationship that is typically apparent to siderealists.
Pope Francis I’s Tropical Natal Chart with Antiscia Positions (outside wheel)
Tropical – Mercury-Jupiter 9th and 7th House Emphasis for Actions
Let’s turn back to the tropical chart with twelfth-parts. We find Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter as pertinent to actions or occupation. Mercury is particularly relevant because it is strongly advancing (conjunct the Dsc), in phasis, and in an eligible place. Jupiter and Mercury are angular and together, as well as in each other’s bounds, connecting them strongly with the profession and with each other. This pertains to religious teaching, religious thought, and the like.
Mercury and Jupiter are both ruled by Saturn which is in the 9th house, Pisces, ruled by Jupiter. Therefore, there is a strong relationship indicated between the roles of Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, and the 9th house in the profession.
Mars is in the 4th, an angle or stake, and is in sect. It rules the 10th and has its twelfth-part in the 11th house, closely with Mercury. I have noted that Mars is rather common as one professional indicator in charts of popes. Mars shows a competitiveness and its connection with Mercury connects it with thought, writing, and analysis.
Pope Francis I’s Tropical Natal Chart with twelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Sidereal – Mercury-Jupiter 7th House Emphasis for Actions
For the tropical chart, I noted how there is a strong relationship between Jupiter in the 7th and Saturn in the 9th, as they rule each other. This linked the career to the 9th house of God more specifically. In the sidereal chart the link to the 9th house is tenuous.
Pope Francis I’s Sidereal Natal Chart with twelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Mercury is far and away the most relevant planet of actions, with even stronger indications than in the tropical chart. Mercury is also very strongly linked with Jupiter and the Sun due to being with them and their twelfth-parts while ruled by Jupiter. However, the 9th house and Saturn are not strongly associated with those indications. Additionally, the twelfth-part of Mars is in the 9th house.
Hater of Religion?
As Saturn is in the 9th with the twelfth-part of Mars, and Saturn rules the 9th, there is little suggestion of anything other than dislike (negative associations) for spiritual aspects of the 9th house. The 9th is characterized by Saturn and Mars (oppression and aggression). By contrast, Jupiter’s benefits are focused especially on the 7th house (partners, sexuality), and also the 10th house (career), and 2nd house (money). Jupiter suggests marriage and career related benefits. The association with Mercury without a strong connection to a search for truth (9th) makes commerce particularly relevant.
The 9th House and Jupiter-Saturn
Does Saturn in the 9th reflect this Pope’s belief system? The strong interplay between Jupiter-Saturn, the 7th and the 9th, is not just appropriate to the Pope’s circumstances, it is spot-on. Not only do these things connect the 9th with the more spiritual indications of Jupiter, they also pertain to poverty, asceticism, and challenges that arise in relation to marriage and sexuality.
Pope of the Poor
This Pope has been active in fighting poverty and economic inequality as key issues to the point that many have accused him of being Marxist (see Marx’s own Saturn in Pisces in the 2nd above). He has stated that the Christian flag is that of the poor and that poverty is central to the gospel. Francis has embraced asceticism and like all popes has renounced marriage. Pope Francis is also sympathetic to atheists and those that believe in other faiths. He has stated that good deeds, particularly those that help the less fortunate, redeem one through Jesus, even if one is a nonbeliever or of another faith.
Challenges Pertaining to Sex and Marriage
Additionally, a Saturn ruled 7th in the 9th suggests religious difficulty (9th Saturn) associated with sexuality and marriage (7th). Sexual scandals involving pedophilia continue to plague the Catholic church under the Pope’s watch. Criticism of priestly vows of celibacy has also come to the fore. The Pope’s greatest challenges are likely to pertain to his handling of issues of sex and marriage. These associations are lost in the sidereal chart which does not strongly link Jupiter and Saturn together for 9th house matters.
Pope Francis I’s Tropical Natal Chart with twelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Self-Identification, Water, the Moon, and Jupiter
The Pope also has some identification with Jupiter in the tropical chart as Jupiter is exalted at the Ascendant. By contrast, in the sidereal chart the main identification is with Mercury, planet of rationality. The Moon and water signs are also pivotal for temperament and character in the tropical chart. She rules the 1st house and has her twelfth-part there. The Moon is the Sect Light and is itself conjunct the twelfth-part of Jupiter, further linking it to Jupiter’s indications. The watery, lunar, jovial temperament is humane, sensitive, cheerful, and popular. By contrast, the sidereal temperament indications are for one who is airy and mercurial; a consummate aloof intellectual.
Pope Francis I’s Sidereal Natal Chart with twelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Recap
With the chart of Pope Francis I, we see that even in the southern hemisphere the tropical zodiac is the most effective. The tropical zodiac not only shows us the role of a Mercury-Jupiter combination in the career, as the sidereal zodiac does, but it also connects that career with the self and the search for truth (9th house). Importantly, it also helps to describe the nature of belief in a more nuanced manner and its relation to other areas of life.
Ex. 7: Kurt Cobain
My final example is that of Kurt Cobain. His birth data is AA-rated for accuracy. I’ll be comparing career and character indications again. He has Virgo rising in the tropical zodiac, with 4 planets in Pisces in VII. In the sidereal zodiac he has Leo rising with only Mercury and the Sun in Aquarius in VII.
Character – Tropical: Earthy Temperament with Watery Mercury-Venus Complexity
In the tropical zodiac, Kurt’s Ascendant is in the Jupiter bound of Virgo, a relatively down-to-earth (earth sign) but playful (Mercury-Jupiter) position. Mercury, the Ascendant lord, is in Pisces, most closely with Venus, but also with Saturn and the Sun (and the Sun’s twelfth-part). This connects the identity as a mouthpiece (Mercury) but subjective and emotive (water) with the arts strongly tied to the identity (Venus co-present and the exalted ruler), and with close associations with hardship and depression (Saturn) as well as fame, recognition, and the “lyre” (the Sun).
Kurt Cobain’s Tropical Natal Chart twelfth parts (outside wheel)
Character – Sidereal: Fiery-Airy Mercurial Temperament
In the sidereal zodiac, the Mars bound of Leo rises. Mars and the Sun bring a choleric or pushy temperament. However, the Sun is in Aquarius and with a very strong Mercury so the overall tendency is toward more intellectualism. There is no doubt that Kurt was very Mercurial, and this shows in both charts. Though the sidereal shows much more focus, direction, and clarity than the tropical, suggesting a more intellectual orientation. Fixed signs tend to linearly focused, and Aquarius, ruled by Saturn, is rather detached, while Leo is showy.
Kurt Cobain’s Sidereal Natal Chart with rwelfth-parts (outside wheel)
Venus is no longer tied strongly to the identity, nor is water. So we don’t get the same sense of confusion and synthesis (mutability), the arts (Venus), and the personal or emotional (water).
Profession – Tropical: Mercury with Venus-Saturn-Sun
In the tropical chart, Mercury is the most relevant of the planets of actions. It is in the eligible 7th place, it rules the 1st and 10th, and it is conjunct the Descendant (strongly advancing). Mercury is also with the Sun and receiving the application of the Moon. However, Venus is with Mercury and she also very relevant for actions as she strongly advances in the eligible 7th and has her twelfth-part in the 5th. Mars and its twelfth-part are in the 3rd so they are not so relevant.
Kurt Cobain’s Tropical Natal Chart twelfth parts (outside wheel)
The Mercury-Venus combination was discussed already with Jimi Hendrix (above). It combines vocals and composition (Mercury) with art (Venus). With the Sun present it can pertain also to guitar and to recognition or fame. In the tropical zodiac we see a close link with Venus (arts, love) and Saturn (struggle, depression). These themes and the Piscean mutability, water, and link with fame (ruled by Jupiter in XI, Sun present) all strongly express career circumstances.
Profession – Sidereal: Mercury with Sun
Mercury is the planet of actions in the sidereal chart as well. Venus still has relevance to actions as she is in the 8th and she rules the 10th. The strong link between Mercury and Venus is lacking though so their significations don’t readily combine. The solar link with Mercury is more pronounced as the Sun rules the Ascendant signifying identification with the heroic Sun. Mercury with the Sun represents a strong skill linked with that solar mission. A visionary solar-Mercurial quality to the profession is possible, though things appear more intellectual or political (Mercury-Sun, airy and fiery) than pertaining to emotional expressive arts.
Kurt Cobain’s Sidereal Natal Chart with rwelfth-parts (outside wheel)
The tropical chart reveals more of the emotional and artistic quality as well as many of the contradictions. From the vacillating mutability to the contrast between a self-deprecating earth-water temperament and an immense drive for fame (Sun with personal and career factors). Saturn (hardship, depression) is connected to Venus in both charts but Saturn’s connection to the personality and main planet of actions (Mercury) is more direct in the tropical chart.
Part II: Logic
The Geocentric Logic of the Tropical Zodiac
Upon meditating on this matter for some time, I’ve come to understand the greater logic of the tropical zodiac. Astrological symbolism is geocentric. The indications of the chart are always relative to a specific time and place on Earth.
The ecliptic is the road or path of the wandering stars. A twelve sign zodiac is a regular meaningful way of dividing this road symbolically in accordance with numerical symbolism and the twelve month calendar. We can slice such that a certain star or stars coincide with a key spot in this division and that will produce the sidereal zodiac. However, a more geocentric strategy is to divide the road of the planets according to its intersection with the road of the Earth, the equator.
Equator as the Road of the Earth
From a common perspective we think of the Earth as a top, spinning with the south side down. However, there is no intrinsic up or down. The assigning of up to north is relatively arbitrary. The Earth is just as much rolling like a ball as spinning like a top, depending on perspective.
It is rolls on a path marked out by the plane of the celestial equator. The equator is the path or road of the Earth, much like the ecliptic is that of the wandering stars. The intersection of these roads marks the equinoctial points. Their maximum divergence marks the solstitial points. If we are to divide the space-time of the planetary road, then from a geocentric perspective there is no more perfect set of reference points than its intersection with the the equatorial road of the Earth.
Intersection of the Equator and Ecliptic (public domain)
The Sidereal Zodiac Disregards the Earth-Ecliptic Relationship
By contrast, the sidereal zodiac much more arbitrarily divides the road of the planets into regular sections to overlay irregular groupings of stars. The division is divorced from the path of the Earth (equator). Understandably, there is controversy regarding where the slices should be made in the sidereal zodiac as different stars can be used as the key reference star. Additionally, the sidereal zodiac is superfluous when it comes to studying the direct interaction of planets with stars and constellations. We can study the motion of the planets against the stars independently from the zodiac.
Origins and Feature-Bundles
The zodiacal signs are associated with the characteristics of the constellations and seasonal periods which coincided with them around the time and locale of its birth. In my article on the signs, I’ve referred to these characteristics as the “feature bundles” of the signs. I’ve also pointed out that the more critical of those features are derived from the seasonal or tropical cycle than the constellations themselves.
However, the zodiac doesn’t depend on the constellations or seasons for its meaning. It derived associations from constellations and seasons from the time and place of the assigning of those associations. The origin of the zodiac’s associations lies in the northern hemisphere at a time when both tropical and sidereal zodiacs roughly coincided. These original symbolic roots are still embedded in its meanings. This parallels how our own origins (birth chart) are embedded in the associations which pertain to the circumstances of our lives.
Part III: History
Hellenistic astrology arose at a time when both zodiacs nearly approximated each other. The zodiacs coincided exactly in the early 3rd century CE (about 220 CE per the Fagan-Bradley ayanamsha). The bulk of Hellenistic material on the qualities of the signs is from the first few centuries CE. There is evidence that in some locales a shift to a tropical standard was already underway by the 5th century BCE. Additionally, Geminos advocated for the tropical zodiac in the 1st century BCE for reasons independent of precession. He made no mention of precession in his arguments.
Despite awareness of the sidereal zodiac and the shifting of the constellations, Ptolemy advocated for a switch to a tropical standard in the 2nd century CE. This was very early on in the western tradition. His arguments were successful. The tropical zodiac became the de facto standard for most traditional western astrology thereafter.
Babylonian Zodiac Origins
The twelve sign zodiac is a Babylonian innovation, though much of its associative meanings (feature-bundles) came about during the Hellenistic period. In approximately the 5th century BCE we see our first evidence of a standard zodiac with twelve signs of 30 degrees.
The Babylonian regular zodiac was undoubtedly intended to be sidereal. Two competing Babylonian standards for fixing the zodiac arose around that time. From System A, one standard put the vernal equinox at 10° Aries. From System B, the other standard put the vernal equinox at 8° Aries. These standards arose at about the same time (System B shortly after System A) and were both used throughout the whole of the use of the regular zodiac in Babylonian astrology. However, the Babylonian zodiac was sidereally fixed such that updated tables of computed planetary positions tended to account for precession, despite lack of knowledge of precession.
Development of the Babylonian Zodiac
The development of the zodiac was preceded by the long-standing use of zodiacal constellations and their boundaries. This was the original zodiac of the constellations. There was also a long-standing use of stars in the belt of the ecliptic as points of reference (Normal Stars).
However, the the Babylonian constellations of the ecliptic numbered 18 (occasionally two are combined to make 17) and were irregular in size. The regularizing of the zodiac into 12 equal segmets was preceded by the development of an “ideal” 12 month calendar of 30 days per month. This calendar was correlated with the twelve sets of (the more than twelve) constellations which the Sun traveled through during various months. As the vernal equinox was significant for the beginning of the Babylonian year, the first month was assigned to when the Sun was in the constellation now known as Aries (then known as the hired man).
Therefore, there was from the beginning a consideration for correlating the ideal seasonal calendar with twelve groupings of constellations. Also, note that the zodiacal constellations of the Babylonians included many familiar ones but also some that were different. The Greek astronomers, particularly Eudoxus in the 4th century BCE, gave them their familiar twelve forms.
Calendar to Zodiac
One can posit the following steps in the development of the zodiac, although it must be said that our knowledge of how the zodiac was first devised is provisional. The division of the schematic calendar into 12 months of 30 days each […] could be correlated with twelve constellations through which the sun was found to travel in a one ideal “year” of twelve 30-day months. Because the spring equinox, which was always close to the beginning of the Babylonian year, was to occur in Nisannu (I.15 according to the tradition of MUL.APIN), then Nisannu, or month I, was when the sun was in the constellation Aries […] (Rochberg, 2004, p. 129)
Note the much older association between the spring equinox and the 15th day of the first month. This association predates the actual creation of the regular 12 sign zodiac. However, this association may be the source for the Alexandrian scheme that I mentioned in my article on sign symmetry. This is an older Babylonian association of the equinox with the mid-point of the first month, at a time when the Sun would be in the constellation Aries.
Importance of the Equinox
As noted, even before the advent of the regular zodiac, the equinox was significant in the Babylonian calendar (marking the 15th day of the 1st month). The position of the equinoxes and solstices continued to be a matter of central importance in late Babylonian horoscopy as well.
Solar phenomena incorporated within horoscopes are the longitude of the sun at the time of birth, the date of either solstice or equinox within a month or two of the birth date, and the occurrence of a solar eclipse within the year of birth. (Rochberg, 2004, p. 133)
Earliest Appearance of the Zodiac
The earliest direct evidence for the existence of the zodiac comes from fifth-century astronomical texts […] in which positions of the planets are cited with terminology used with respect to zodiacal signs as opposed to zodiacal constellations. (Rochberg, 2004, p. 130)
Rochberg noted that there is also some indirect evidence of the use of zodiacal signs in the early 5th century BCE.
The phenomena computed in these texts can be dated with relative certainty to 475 B.C., although the writing of the tablets was certainly much later. (Rochberg, 2004, p. 130)
Names Not Constellations
The segments of longitude were given the names of the constellations but the real purpose of this sidereal zodiac was to compute exact positions. The signs were not simply the constellations. Constellations greatly vary in terms of size on the ecliptic with some encroaching on signs named for different constellations.
Although the names of the zodiacal signs derived from an original relation to the zodiacal constellations, once the signs were defined by longitude rather than the constellation they ceased to have any real relation to the constellations and became a mathematical reference system, representing the 360 of the ecliptic, counted from some defined starting point. (Rochberg, 2004, p. 128)
Lack of Recognition of Precession
Furthermore, there were two standards for the whole of Babylonian use of the zodiac over multiple centuries; the 8 and 10 degree Aries standards. This shows that the Babylonians didn’t recognize precession.
In mathematical astronomical texts, the equinoxes and solstices were also normed sidereally at 10 Aries in System A and 8 Aries in System B. That the cardinal points of the year do not correspond to the zero points of the appropriate signs in the Babylonian zodiac is a result of the sidereal (rather than the tropical) construction of the zodiac. The two systems of Babylonian mathematical astronomy maintained the two norming points throughout the period of their use. As Neugebauer pointed out, neither the chronological relation between Systems A and B norms nor the reason for their difference is understood. That both vernal-point longitudes remained sidereally fixed, however, proves precession was not recognized. (Rochberg, 2004, p. 132)
Where to Start
Many have sought to identify the key original reference stars for the Babylonian zodiac. However, most attempts to do so are based on evidence that precedes the actual creation of the twelve sign regular zodiac. There were certainly reference stars used in other contexts for observational data that preceded the signs by many centuries. Computing relationships between those reference stars and other observed phenomena such as an equinox, one can construct a pseudo twelve sign zodiac as it might have hypothetically appeared if the zodiac had existed then.
Indirect evidence has also been used, but not often very credibly. For instance, correspondences between calendrics and the stars can be used, or calendrics and the equinox. For instance, the equinox on the 15th day of the first month in a given age may be taken as similar to putting the equinox at the mid-point of the first sign in that age. However, such inferences can be only hypothetical when there is no evidence for the use of regular sign-based zodiac in that age.
No Clear Ayanamsha
Unfortunately, when it comes to the regular twelve sign zodiac and the two Babylonian standards, scholars have been clear that no norming star has yet been found. Claims have been made but refuted by leading scholars.
More precisely, however, we still cannot establish the star that originally served as norming point for the ecliptic. Even were we to assume the vernal point was determined correctly when it was assigned to 10° then 8° Aries, the corresponding dates of these zodiacal norming points cannot be pinpointed, as we do not sufficiently understand the ancient methods to obtain those values. Comparison against modern values for the longitudes of equinoxes is therefore uninformative for this purpose. (Rochberg, 2004, p. 133)
Hellenistic Use of System B
System B was influential upon early Hellenistic astrologers. Some early Hellenistic astrologers, like Thrasyllus (late 1st century BCE to early 1st century CE) used Babylonian System B. These astrologers explicitly advocated for placing the equinox at 8° Aries. For instance, see the doctrines attributed to Thrasyllus in Vol. X of the Hellenistic Track by Project Hindsight p. 57-58. It is said that Thrasyllus advocated placing the equinox at 8° Aries rather than 0° Aries. This suggests there were astrologers in his time that used the tropical zodiac.
Furthermore, it is unclear whether some of the astrologers like Thrasyllus who set the equinox at 8° Aries were truly using a sidereal or tropical reference point. The Babylonian norming point is lost to history, and the strong reference to the equinox at 8° Aries suggests that the equinox was taken up as a norming point by some astrologers (a type of tropical zodiac). Updated Babylonian tables might have reflected positions with greater sidereal accuracy if available to the astrologer. However, computations from the equinox common among Greek astronomers, would result in a tropical zodiac, defined with respect to the equinox, albeit with the equinox set at 8° Aries.
The tropical zodiac was within only a few degrees of the sidereal zodiac during this time period. By contrast, an offset tropical zodiac in which the System B value for the equinox (8 Aries) was used to compute positions would be 5-8 degrees from the sidereal zodiac of the 5th century BCE Babylonians, as well as most major sidereal zodiacs advocated today (including Fagan-Bradley).
Valens
It is well known that Vettius Valens was one of the Hellenistic astrologers who adopted an 8° Aries vernal equinox from System B (and rising times from System A). However, Valens appears to have had access to updated Babylonian tables as his values are typically only a few degrees error (few degrees greater) than modern computed tropical values. Valens operated in the late 2nd century CE when the tropical and sidereal zodiacs almost exactly coincided. At that time a siderealist would’ve been better off starting the zodiac with the vernal equinox, as the two matched up within a degree in his time. However, astrologers were not aware of precession and simply used whatever tables were available for finding planetary positions, while assuming the equinox was at 8° Aries. By consequence, many of his positions are in the wrong sign by today’s tropical and sidereal standards.
Precession
A sidereal zodiac must be referenced by a star rather than the equinox, or it will accumulate error due to precession. Hipparchus is known to have discovered precession in the 2nd century BCE, after the advent of the zodiac. Hipparchus estimated precession to be at least 1 degree every 100 years (now known to be a degree very 72 years). Therefore, if System B put the vernal equinox at sidereal 8° Aries in say 432 BCE, it would correspond to 2 Aries in 0 CE. This is because 360 years is equivalent to 72 times 6, representing a 6 degree shift relative to the equinox. Therefore, Hellenistic astrologers of the 1st through 4th centuries using a standard from System B but withthe equinox as norming point would be using a zodiac with a huge error of 5-10 degrees.
A Matter of Convenience
The finding that some Hellenistic astrologers thought they were using a sidereal zodiac does not strongly support the position that we should use a sidereal zodiac for Hellenistic astrology. Those astrologers likely thought they were using a zodiac that was both sidereal and tropical. They used an outdated Babylonian standard without knowledge of precession. Some astrologers with access to them used updated Babylonian tables which would over time account for some of the effect of precession.
It is also likely that some astrologers simply used the equinox at 8° Aries as a norming point resulting in a type of tropical zodiac, though one offset 8 degrees from the familiar one. That appears to be the implication in the Thrasyllus fragments and the account of Geminos (see below). In conclusion, for Hellenistic astrologers unaware of precession the zodiac was fixed both tropically and sidereally. The matter of computing zodiacal position was one of convenience owing to the mathematical sophistication involved and the availability of tables.
Tropical Zodiac Origins
It is often believed that Ptolemy came up with the tropical zodiac in the 2nd century CE. The tropical zodiac has actually been around since the 5th century BCE. Furthermore, Geminos of the 1st century BCE, whose work contained some limited astrological doctrines, explicitly and vehemently advocated for the use of a tropical zodiac and against the 8° Aries standard in no uncertain terms.
Geminos
The two solstices and the two equinoxes occur, in the way of thinking of the Greek astronomers, in the first degrees of these signs; but in the way of thinking of the Chaldeans, they occur in the eighth degrees of these signs. The days on which the two solstices and the two equinoxes occur are the same days in all places, because the equinox occurs in all places at one time, and similarly the solstice. An again, the points on the circle of the signs at which the two solstices and the two equinoxes occur are exactly the same points for all astronomers. There is no difference between the Greeks and the Chaldeans except in the division of the signs, since the first points of the signs are not subject to the same convention for them; among the Chaldeans, they precede by 8 degrees. Thus, the summer solstitial point, according to the practice of the Greeks, is in the first part of Cancer; but according to the practice of the Chaldeans, in the eighth degree. the case goes similarly for the remaining points. (Geminos, Ch. I, #9, Evans & Berggren trans., 2006, p. 115)
Almost as Old as the Sidereal Zodiac
It has been attested that the Babylonian regular zodiac of twelve signs entered into Greece very soon after it appeared in Babylon in the 5th century BCE. There is in fact evidence for the use of the tropical zodiac among the Greeks as early as the late 5th century according to renowned historian of science, Otto Neugebauer. Please note that the early 5th century provides the first evidence for the Babylonian regular sidereal zodiac, less than a century earlier.
We know from Hipparchus that the majority of the “old” mathematicians divided the ecliptic in this form. This statement agrees with sources still available to us; Euctemon (about -430) placed all four cardinal points on the “first day” of the respective signs. The same norm holds for Callippus (about -330) and is underlying the era of Dionysius (beginning -284/3). As far as we know this norm is attested nowhere in Babylonian astronomy. (Neugebauer, 2012, p. 600)
Almagest
The tropical zodiac became the de facto standard for western traditional astrology as a result of Ptolemy’s Almagest (2nd century CE). Ptolemy’s work was the state-of-the-art for astronomy of the day, and he was also an astrologer. Building upon Babylonian records, work done by Hipparchus (2nd century BCE) on precession, and a thorough understanding of the relevant math, Ptolemy constructed the most advance geocentric model of the heavens of the ancient world. Most later Hellenistic astrologers familiar with his work were confronted by the realities of precession and found his arguments for the adoption of the tropical zodiac to be compelling. However, in the Perso-Arabic period, noted for both Hellenistic, Indian, and Persian influences, there continued to be some back-and-forth between astrologers using tropical and sidereal calculations.
Further Reading
For further reading on the historical matters of the zodiac in early Hellenistic astrology, please see Rob Hand’s excellent article, “On the Invariance of the Tropical Zodiac“. I also recommend Francesca Rochberg’s book, The Heavenly Writing. for details regarding Mesopotamian astrology. For a really deep dive into the history of astrology and astronomy, see the History of Ancient Mathematical Astronomy by Otto Neugebauer. Also see the Almagest by Ptolemy for a look at his arguments regarding precession and the tropical zodiac.
Part IV: Epilogue
Skepticism and Experimentation
Arguably, if it weren’t for the tropical zodiac, I would’ve never studied astrology. I’m a skeptical individual. When I was about 15 years old, I had a running joke of asking new people I’d meet their Sun sign. It was a joke because I didn’t believe in astrology at all. I thought people who believed in astrology were ridiculously naive. However, I was a bit of an oddball with a dark sense of humor. Somehow I found it perversely amusing to collect this strange information from people and observe their reactions to the question.
Women Under Watery Suns
Fast forward one year and things started to get weird, particularly as concerns women who had their Sun in a water sign. Maybe it has to do with my own Moon-Venus conjunction in water, but I started to notice a common “vibe” among women with a water sign Sun. I could also often pick up on the subtle ways the water signs differed. When I correctly guessed the Sun signs of two Scorpios and one Cancer on first encounter with them the damage was done. I knew there was something there that I was picking up on and that there was some validity to astrology. My world has not been the same since.
Astro-Junky #7
Being a thinking person, I constructed my own elaborate theories on the meanings of Sun signs and how astrology worked. I also read everything I could on it. Books on Sun-Moon combinations were consumed, then ones on the rising sign, then those on the whole chart. I even took a cassette audio course on natal astrology. With every volume of Noel Tyl’s “The Principles and Practice of Astrology”, I made flash cards for every configuration.
Unfortunately, like many who come to modern astrology, I began uncritically adopting all of the common metaphysical assumptions. The chart was a map of the soul. Transits and progressions represented actual movements and events in the soul, whether or not we were aware of them or they actually manifested. Jungian psychology provided the key to understanding the chart. Meditation, psychedelics, and the law of attraction provided the keys to cleaning up the opaque psychic machinery so it could become a sparkling jewel of bliss.
Energies vs. Personalities
So, what’s the point of this long discussion of my juvenile obsession with psychological astrology? Yes, I was naive, and my path was cliched, but that’s not the point. The point is that I’m not alone. Many come to astrology due to some subtle direct encounter with the “vibe” or “energy” of the tropical signs of the zodiac. Those who pay attention can pick up on these “vibes” particularly as they concern the tropical sign rising and that of the sect light (Sun by day; Moon by night). Intuitive encounters with the “energies” of these signs has helped immensely with the popularity of modern western astrology. This is especially so when it comes to the popularity of Sun, Moon, and Ascendant sign astrology.
Where Modern Astrology Gets It Wrong
Hold up. I’m not saying that modern western astrology has things right. I strongly believe that the chart is not a map of the psyche with planets as its functions. In hindsight, all these water sign women had day charts with a water sign Sun as Sect Light. They also had very different personalities even when they shared the same Sun sign and its vibe. Things like introversion vs. extroversion, level of aggression, intellectualism, professional inclinations, preferences, and moral compasses were often vastly different. An amorphous “vibe” and a core personality are not the same thing.
Narrative Elements vs. Mapped Landmarks
I actually believe it is reckless to confuse the Sun in a chart for the ego, or even a personality “center”. This is not to say that the Sun doesn’t pertain to egotism nor that the Sun can’t be a powerful factor for symbolizing a person’s personality. It can symbolize such things in a systematic manner and ancient astrology tells us when and how. However, a “vibe” that is occasionally apparent with some people does not entail a thing that is always there but deeply repressed when that “vibe” is not apparent. I could go on but this is a topic for another time and another article.
Conclusion
The primary reason to use the tropical zodiac is that it produces better results. When applying Hellenistic and early medieval techniques, we get more information out of the tropical signs and their divisions, including the bounds and twelfth-parts. This holds whether we are finding significators of special topics, such as character or profession, as well as when looking at associated themes. Furthermore, its is effective in the southern hemisphere, so indications are not dependent on the specific nature of the seasons as some have claimed.
The tropical zodiac is also the more logical choice for dividing up the space-time of planetary travel. It captures the geocentric nature of astrology and the central importance of the equinoxes and solstices. History also supports the use of the tropical zodiac. The tropical zodiac no longer corresponds to the constellations but it did in the Hellenistic period when its key associations came about. It derived those associations from the stellar and seasonal characteristics of that time and place. The persistent symbolism of a foundational time and place is something with which all astrologers should be able to relate.
References
Geminos (2006). Introduction to the Phenomena. (J. Evans & J. L. Berggren, Trans.). Princeton, NJ. Princeton University Press.
Rochberg, F. (2004). The Heavenly Writing: Divination, Horoscopy, and Astronomy in Mesopotamian Culture. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=TjiVXdSMRu4C
Featured Image (cropped) is in the public domain. It is from Andreas Cellarius Harmonia Macrocosmica, 1660/61. Chart showing signs of the zodiac and the solar system with world at centre.
Update 01/12/2019
This article was updated as the prior sections on Valens concerning the degree of error in his calculations were incorrect. I discovered this upon reading Greek Horoscopes by Neugebuaer and Van Hoesen (p. 171-172) where they discuss how the shifting error in his work is typically of 2-3 degrees and is consistent with calculations that are sidereally-based.
In the fourth lesson, we discussed the houses of the planets (their domiciles). The houses of the planets are the signs of the zodiac. Additionally, we looked at the notion of “stakes”. The stakes are the 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th houses of the chart. You’ll recall that planets in a house, ruling a house, or in the stakes of a house have a strong influence on the house. In the last lesson, we looked at relationships that planets and houses have with each other based on angular distances. We also discussed how these configurations interact with rulership. In this lesson, we will look at the most important and common method of assigning life topics to houses, the places.
Finding Your Place
The Primacy of the Rising Sign
Planets signify whole categories of things in themselves. Signs signify in relation to their feature bundles and the planets ruling and regarding them. However, there is still more to the significations in a chart. Ancient astrologers had ways of associating the affairs of earthly life to signs and planets. This was done by a system of places and by special assignments called lots. The most important system assigned topics to the signs themselves based on their place in order from the rising sign.
The rising sign was the most important sign of the chart in ancient astrology. The system of places is based on the rising sign and the order in which signs rise. The rising sign is the 1st place. The next sign to rise is the 2nd place, the third sign to rise is the 3rd place, and so on.
The rising sign is relevant to the topic of the individual person, including their body, character, temperament, and preferences. The other signs are assigned topics to represent other matters or circumstances in the life of the person based on their relationship to this 1st place of the individual.
Order
The places of the chart are numbered in a counter-clockwise manner. It is as if the signs are runners and the Ascendant is the finish line. For instance, if Pisces is rising, then it is the first place (first to rise). The next sign, Aries, would be the second place, and so on until we get to the twelfth place (Aquarius).
I usually won’t number the places in the charts. They are obvious enough after some use. Beginners should count forward or backward from the 1st house (rising sign; left side of the chart) and the 7th house (the setting sign; right side of the chart).
First House Example: Jimi Hendrix
For instance, see the chart below (natal chart of Jimi Hendrix, AA-rated). We see that Sagittarius is rising, as it is on the left side of the chart straddling the boldline (i.e. the Ascendant). Therefore, Sagittarius is the first place, or first house, signifying the self.
We look to Sagittarius, the planets in Sagittarius, the ruler of Sagittarius, and those planets regarding Sagittarius (especially those in its stakes). These are particularly relevant to Jimi’s appearance, character, preferences, basic skills, etc. (i.e. “who he is”). Consider the significations of Sagittarius, Venus, the Sun, and Mercury. These directly characterize Hendrix’s self. Also, consider Jupiter (ruler; conjunct the Moon in Cancer) and Saturn (in a stake in Gemini) as characterizing more indirect but important influences on the nature of the self.
Jimi Hendrix’s Natal Chart
Quadrant Houses = Different First House
Note that with quadrant houses (as in the chart on the Astrodatabank site) Venus, the Sun, Mercury, and Saturn all become relatively insignificant to the matter of the self. This is because they fall into the 6th and 12th houses in that system (because they are retreating). In whole sign houses a planet may be extremely prominent for the topic of the self (such as a planet in the first), or over some other specific topics (through occupation, rulership, or regard of a place) while not prominent over life circumstances in a more general way (i.e. it may be retreating). This is very apparent in assessing career significators (Jimi’s career significators are dealt with here in another article).
Sidereal Zodiac = Different First House
Hendrix’s natal chart in the sidereal zodiac is below.
Hendrix – Sidereal Natal Chart
Notice that Sagittarius is still the 1st house using the sidereal zodiac. However, Venus, the Sun, Mercury, and Saturn become much less significant in relation to the individual as they are now in Scorpio, the 12th house.
Find the Remaining Places
Let’s return to Hendrix’s chart in the tropical zodiac. The next house after the 1st would be Capricorn (2nd house), then Aquarius (3rd house), then Pisces (4th house), then Aries (5th house), then Taurus (6th house), then Gemini (7th house). I want to pause here because it should be pointed out that the 7th house is always opposite the 1st house, and is always straddling the setting point (Descendant or western horizon; shown by the bold line on the right). After Gemini, there is Cancer (8th house), then Leo (9th house), then Virgo (10th house), then Libra (11th house), then Scorpio (12th house).
Hendrix – Natal Chart with the places labeled.
Topics Associated with the Places
The places above the horizon (upper half of the chart; above the earth, in the sky) pertain particularly to matters of “spirit”. These are mental and social matters, such as friends, religion, and career. Those below the horizon (lower half of the circle; below the earth) pertain particularly to matters of “fortune”. These are more physical circumstances like family, wealth, and health.
Stakes of the Chart
The 1st house (rising sign) straddles both worlds, as does the 7th house (marriage, partnership; which symbolically stands directly across from the self). The 10th is in the social realm above the earth. It pertains to career, goals, authority, and recognition. The 4th is in the material realm below the earth. It pertains to father, family, home, and ancestry. These four signs (1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th) form the main cross of the chart (the stakes), encompassing matters of the self, family, partner, and social standing. They are the most personally significant life areas.
The Four Aristotelian Causes
I personally associate the four stakes of the chart with the four Aristotelian causes. For instance, in a natal chart, what causes or defines the identity of the self? The effective cause (agent) is the character and will (1st place). The material cause is the family and origins (4th place). The formal cause is the close relationships and partnerships with other people (7th house). The final cause is our calling and achievements (10th place). There is no evidence that the Hellenistic astrologers thought of the stakes this way, but I find it helpful. If it works for you, use it. If not, don’t worry about it.
Topics of the 12 Places
According to Valens
Vettius Valens (2nd century CE) noted numerous significations of the places so we will follow his lead in this (from Anthology, Book IV, Ch. 12, Riley trans., 2011, p. 80):
I the Ascendant, life, steering-oar, body, breath.
II Life, the Gate of Hades, shadowy, giving and receiving, association.
III Brothers, travel abroad, kingship, authority, friends, relatives, rents/revenue, slaves.
IV Rank, children, one’s own wife and older individuals, activity, city, home, possessions, lodgings, alterations, change of place, dangers, death, confinement, religious matters.
V The Place of Children, friendship, association, slaves, freedmen, the completion of some good deed or benefaction.
VI Slaves, injuries, hostility, disease, sickness.
VII The Descendant, marriage, success, an affair with a woman, friendship, travel.
VIII Death, benefits from the deceased, the Inactive Place, law, sickness.
IX Friendship, travel, benefits from foreigners, God, king, magnates, astrology, oracles, appearances of the gods, mystic and occult matters, associations.
X Occupation, rank, success, children, women, change, innovation in business.
XI Friends, hopes, gifts, children, slaves, freedmen.
XII Foreign lands, hostility, slaves, injuries, dangers, tribunals, disease, death, sickness.
My Take on Key Significations
I would summarize the key significations of the places in a few words as follows:
I – body, skill, temperament
II – finances, personal property, income
III – siblings, neighbors, trips
IV – family, home, elders
V – children, works, philanthropy
VI – illness, injury, labor
VII – marriage, sexuality, partners
VIII – death, stagnation (wasted time), inheritance
IX – religion/mysticism, advanced learning, travel/foreigners
X – occupation, achievements, status
XI – friends, assistance, rewards
XII – enemies, dangers, exile
Good and Bad Places
The Relationship of Places and Regards
The positive and negative associations of the places are consistent with the Hellenistic aspect system. Those places signifying the greatest difficulty are the houses that the self (Ascendant) does not see (regard). These places are also called the “dark” places. By contrast, fortunate places regard the Ascendant.
Cadent Houses
Additionally, houses retreating from the stakes (places 3, 6, 9, and 12) have a sense of weakness and removal associated with them. They are called the cadent places.
Ordering the Places in Terms of Benefit
Dorotheus (1976, Pingree trans., I.5, p. 164) noted the following (emphasis and bracketed info are my additions):
“…the best of the places is the ascendent [1st house], then the midheaven [10th house], then what follows the midheaven [11th house], which is the eleventh from the ascendent, then the opposite to this eleventh place from the ascendent [5th house], which is the fifth from the ascendent which is called the house of the child, then the opposite to the ascendant [7th house], which is the sign of marriage, then the cardine of the earth [4th house], then the ninth place from the ascendent [9th house]. Thus these are the seven places which are preferred to the places which are not recognized as good [good places in order from best are 1, 10, 11, 5, 7, 4, 9]: the third from the ascendent [3rd house] because it is said that it is the place of the joy of the Moon, and the second from the ascendent [2nd house], then the eight from the ascendent, which is the sign of death [8th house]. Of these places which I told you, the first is the strongest [mediocre places in order from best are 3, 2, 8]. There remain equal to this two places which are the worst of the worst, and they are the sixth and the twelfth [6 and 12 are the “bad” houses].”
Notice the combination of the ideas of regard and the stakes in the above schema. All of the stakes are good houses. The two worst houses don’t regard the Ascendant and are cadent from the stakes. Astrologers differ in terms of how they order the houses in between, but the 4 houses that don’t regard the ascendant are most associated with unfortunate matters.
Understanding Dark Houses
The symbolism connected with the dark houses (places 2, 6, 8, and 12) is that of something disconnected from the person and in the dark or shade. This comes through in their symbolism as they tend to pertain to things which can impair our ability to live our lives (money, illness, death, imprisonment). When they crop up in a configuration they can point to hostile or secret things. The dark places tend to symbolize things we worry over and may try to keep suppressed or secret.
Together with natural planetary signification and sect, the symbolism of good and bad places points to fortunate and unfortunate states of affairs. As in life, there is room in ancient astrological symbolism for a whole lot of nuanced grey area and mixed sentiments. This is part of the expressive power of ancient astrology.
The Joys of the Planets
Each planet is said to rejoice in a place in the chart. These are called the “joys of the planets”. The joys of the diurnal planets are above the horizon while those of the nocturnal planets are below the horizon, opposite those of their diurnal counterparts. Here is a diagram of the joys. For further reading, I recommend the article by Chris Brennan, The Planetary Joys and the Origins of the Significations of the Houses and Triplicities.
Mercury’s Joy: 1st Place
We have previously looked at Mercury’s association with the self and the mind. Additionally, Mercury is neither diurnal nor nocturnal, so it has its joy in a house that is on the horizon, both above and below it. Its joy is the first house of the self.
Diurnal Joys: Sun, Jupiter, Saturn
The diurnal planets have their joys above the horizon. The Sun, the sect light, has its joy in the 9th place, that of God and revelation. Jupiter, the sect benefic, has its joy in a good place, the 11th place, that of friendship and reward. Saturn, the sect malefic, has its joy in a bad place, the 12th place, that of enemies and exile.
Nocturnal Joys: Moon, Venus, Mars
The nocturnal planets have their joys below the horizon. The Moon, the sect light, has its joy in the 3rd place, that of Goddess and siblings. Venus, the sect benefic, has its joy in a good place, the 5th place, that of children and works. Mars, the sect malefic, has its joy in a bad place, the 6th place, that of labor and injury.
Interpreting Planetary Joy
Planetary joy is a type of strength condition. The planet’s significations are made stronger by way of analogy with what is signified by the house. This is not a condition in which the planets are made more benefic, as is clear from the interpretations given for a malefic in the 6th or 12th (where they have their joys).
Rhetorius on the 6th house (Ch. 57, 2009, Holden trans., p. 75):
“The malefics there make sicknesses or injuries involving the feet and the loss of money.”
Valens on the 12th house (Book II, Ch. 5, 2010, Riley trans., p. 27):
“If the malefics happen to be in this place, they will cause great wounds and traumas […]”
I give these examples to illustrate that a malefic in its joy is not expected to provide benefit. Rather its natural significations are reinforced. However, note that you should not interpret a chart based on stray factors such as these. These indications are given by the Hellenistic astrologers, and shared by me, to illustrate the type of thing symbolized by the isolated factor. In an actual chart, there are other factors that can mitigate and modify the indication.
Character Analysis with Places
As you might suppose by its significations, the 1st place is the most important place for character analysis. Planets in or ruling the sign are very important for the character. I personally consider planets ruling the 1st house to be ones for which there is a personal identification. Those planets in or regarding the 1st place are those with the most direct signification describing character, skill, body, temperament, and influences on the self.
Character Analysis in Persian Astrology
I recommend the study of medieval Persian astrology because the Persian astrologers were like us. They were looking at a variety of Hellenistic principles and techniques but coming away with their own preferences and approaches.
There are two main approaches to character analysis in medieval Persian natal astrology. The prominent planet approach of Abu Bakr and the Lord of the Ascendant approach of Masha’allah and Abu’Ali Al-Khayyat.
Prominent Planet Approach
The approach of Abu Bakr (On Nativities, Book II) is to examine the most prominent or dominant planets in the chart, especially those occurring in the 1st or 10th places. By this approach, Saturn strongly advancing in the 10th place would signify Saturnine character traits, whether or not it had rulership at the Ascendant.
I don’t recommend this approach. While prominent planets say much about the life circumstances, it is too often the case that a very prominent planet in the chart has little to say about the character of the individual. However, a prominent planet that also has rulership at the Ascendant is a planet that is very influential and connected to the individual’s character.
Lord of Ascendant Approach
In the approach Masha’allah (On Nativities, Section 5) and Abu’Ali Al-Khayyat (The Judgment of Nativities, Chs. 5 and 34), the Lord of the Ascendant and Mercury are the two primary significators of the quality of mind.
“If you wished to know the character of the native’s mind, look at [1] the Lord of the Ascendant and [2] Mercury (who is the significator of the intellective power, speech and oration). […] And these signify the matters of the soul, and the morals of the native, just as the Moon and the Ascendant signify the body.” (Abu’Ali Al-Khayatt, Ch. 5, 2009, Dykes trans., p. 236)
Abu’Ali’s approach appears to come straight from Masha’allah who recommended the same in his On Nativities. As mentioned previously, the use of Mercury for the rational mind comes from Ptolemy. Mercury also has natural significations related to the intellect and speech which make it an important planet to look at in regards to skill in those areas.
The Lord of the Ascendant is the dominant ruler of the 1st place. The 1st place signifies the body, skill, and temperament. Its rulers direct the affairs of the house, so it follows that its main ruler symbolizes the mind, that which directs the body and temperament.
Example Charts
Let’s review a number of the principles we’ve learned so far by briefly analyzing some charts. Many articles could be written on any one of these charts, so we’ll just look at a few salient factors. Note that I’m going to be looking at the zodiacal twelfth-parts, as it is important to take a look at them in every chart. I mentioned them in the lesson on the signs as being a twelve-fold division of each sign into a micro zodiac. I use them as projections of the planets into other signs and houses. Their position shown in the following charts is from placing the planetary position in the micro zodiac on the outside of the chart.
Jimi Hendrix
First Place
Hendrix was born during the day, so the chart is diurnal. The Sun is the sect light and is in the 1st house, signifying a very powerful and dynamic persona. There is a strong sense of the hero and leader tied with the persona (Sun in 1st). The Sun is in its own triplicity (it rules fire signs by day). Overall, the Sun plus the fire element of Sagittarius makes for a persona that is driven to influence.
The Sun is joined by Mercury (dexterity, voice, ingenuity) and Venus (arts, sensuality, drugs) in the same bound, so they have their significations mixed together. Note that Mercury-Venus has associations with fingered string instruments (Mercury pertains to digits). The Sun is also associated with stringed instruments (see Apollo). All three are in the bound of Jupiter, pertaining to fortune, benefit, and faith.
Hendrix’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts (outer wheel)
Prominence
There were no appearances, disappearances, or stations within a week of birth.
Jupiter is the most advancing planet in the chart and is a lord of the Ascendant (house ruler, second triplicity ruler). So there is a sense in which Jupiter is met in many spheres of life and many forms. Jupiter is also identified with due to its rulership of the 1st. This two things together can convey profound faith and spiritual experience. Jupiter’s prominence and the fact that it is in sect and exalted connect it with good fortune and opportunity. Note also that the twelfth-part of the MC is conjunct Jupiter, symbolic of elevated status.
Jupiter with the Moon in the 8th
Jupiter is with the Moon and in her house (Cancer), so their significations can be blended. The Moon signifies the mother, the body, the irrational mind, and audiences, among other things. However, they are both in the 8th place of death and stagnation, so the benefits are attended with difficulties. They are in a cardinal sign so changes come in bold and sweeping ways. Hendrix’s mother died when he was 15. Interestingly, he acquired his first guitar the same year.
Saturn and the Twelfth-Part of Mars
The Ascendant is in the bound of Saturn and Saturn opposes the 1st house. Saturn rules the 2nd of money and the 3rd of siblings. Hendrix grew up in poverty (ruled by Saturn) and was deeply affected by it. All of his younger siblings were given into foster care. Saturn very closely opposes the 1st house Venus, and Saturn is in the 7th of sexuality. Saturn is in sect and in a good place, but the out of sect malefic (Mars) also has its twelfth-part in Gemini (7th place). So there are multiple indications of sexual difficulty. Hendrix was reportedly sexually assaulted by someone in uniform at a young age.
Out of Sect Malefic
Typically, the greatest difficulties will be symbolized by the out of sect malefic. In this case, it is Mars. Mars is not only out of sect but also in the dark 12th house which it additionally rules. Therefore, Mars, while not prominent in the life in general, rears its head in terms of difficulties with enemies and undoings. Mars has its twelfth-part in the 7th house so it can pertain to relationship and sexual problems. As the ruler of the 5th of children and works and the exalted lord of the 2nd of money Mars may show problems with children and works, as well as monetary issues.
Mars, Jupiter, and Age 15
Rather than coming up with blanket conclusions, such as Jupiter is good and Mars is bad, we need to examine the good and difficult possibilities. Life is mixed. Indications from any given planet will also be mixed. When we recognize this then we can determine what type of indications are forecasted by predictive techniques. For instance, Jupiter has the immense symbolism of success, fortune, and expansiveness in the chart. However, it is also in the 8th place of death which is a vulnerable place, one in which benefits can stagnate and be attended by difficulty. Additionally, the twelfth-part of Jupiter is in Aries, which is ruled by Mars, the out of sect malefic.
Volumes can be written on Mars and Jupiter in the chart, but I just wish to point out some interesting activations at age 15. The twelfth-parts of Mars and that of the Moon are together in the 7th place. Additionally, the Moon and Jupiter overcome Mars from the 8th place. One activation of Mars is at age 15, due to the fact that the planetary years of Mars are 15. Age 15 is also the activation of the 4th house by the annual profection, which is Pisces, making Jupiter the lord of the year for that year. As noted, at age 15, Hendrix’s mother died (Moon in 8th; Mars twelfth-part with Moon twelfth-part) and Hendrix bought his first guitar (Jupiter overcoming Mars; twelfth-part of Jupiter in the 5th of performance ruled by Mars; Jupiter rules the 1st place of self). This is a life-changing year with negative and positive developments.
A Note on the 8th
Elements of Hendrix’s death are symbolized vividly in the chart. The cause of death was asphyxiation from vomiting while intoxicated on sleeping pills. The ruler of the 1st is in the 8th possibly signifying being the cause of one’s own death. Jupiter signifying abundance both pertains to the fact that he took 18 times the recommended dose of sleeping pills and the fact that he had probably been lucky in the past with overconsumption of drugs. The Moon in the 8th is interesting given that sleeping pills were the cause of death. The cardinality of the sign indicates suddenness. Water can symbolize drowning (asphyxiation). Additionally, Hendrix was buried in the same cemetery as his mother (lord of 1st in 8th with the Moon).
Hendrix died at age 27. The annual profection comes to the same sign every 12 years, so he also died during an annual profection to Pisces, with Jupiter as lord of the year. In fact, it was the first profection back to Pisces since his mother died and he bought his first guitar. Additionally, Jupiter was transiting in Scorpio (Jimi’s 12th house, ruled and occupied by Mars) both when his mother died and when he himself died. Age 27 involves the sum of the planetary years of Mars (15) and those of Jupiter (12), so it is yet another activation of their combination.
Trump’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts (outer wheel)
First Place
How many ways can one have an out of sect Mars as a character factor? Let’s count the ways in Donald Trump’s chart. Trump was born with the last degree of Leo rising. Mars is with the Ascendant closely within 5 degrees so it has a very big direct influence on temperament. The Ascendant is also in the bound of Mars, so there is an identification with Mars’s significations in the chart. The Sun is the main lord of the Ascendant (by house and triplicity) and it is in the bound of Mars and closely with the twelfth-part of Mars, so Mars combines its significations with those of the Sun. The Sun is applying a sextile to Mars as well, with the Sun overcoming.
Thus repeatedly we find the Sun and Mars to dominate the character. Additionally, a fire sign rises. These planets make for a very fiery and choleric temperament that aims to influence and dominate. The Sun is the sect light and is in the fortunate 11th house of friendship in Gemini a mutable air sign. Therefore, the Sun orients the personality toward social and cultural power, influence, and popularity (11th place and mutable sign and air sign).
The strong influence and identification with the out of sect malefic, Mars, make for aggressiveness and competitiveness of an unpleasant sort. This can make him his own worst enemy. Additionally, the twelfth-part of the Ascendant and Mercury, the ruler of the lord of the Ascendant, are both in the 12th house of enemies; additional indications of causing oneself trouble.
A fixed sign rises so the temperament is persistent and the character can be stubborn. The twelfth-part of the Moon in the 1st place may be showing a more off-the-cuff, emotionally-driven, and informal element of the persona also.
Prominence
Mercury made an appearance just before birth and Jupiter stationed direct after birth, so both are prominent. Mars is prominent because it is so close to the Ascendant in the 1st house. The Sun and Moon are also prominent by advancement. Additionally, the twelfth parts of the Lights are prominent, as the Sun is near the Descendant within 10 degrees and the Moon is in the 1st house. The fact that the Lights are prominent can indicate power and influence.
The prominence of Jupiter and Mercury both can relate to income, as Jupiter naturally signifies wealth and Mercury rules the 2nd house and naturally signifies commerce. Jupiter is in the 3rd place and is in its own bound. The twelfth-part of Mercury is closely with Jupiter linking their significations.
Difficulties
The out of sect malefic, Mars, symbolizes plenty of difficulties. As a ruler of the Ascendant and located in the 1st house it makes his own character a big cause of such difficulties. Mars connects strongly with the 4th of home and family (as well as country) and the 9th of religion and travel (as well as foreign countries). Additionally, Mars is the exalted ruler of the 6th place so can pertain to health difficulties of that type and difficulties with servants (employees).
In this chart, the malefic in sect, Saturn, has just as many ties to difficulties but is less associated with his self and character. Saturn is in the dark 12th house of enemies and undoing. Cancer is the sign so Saturn symbolizes in very sudden and dramatic ways. Venus is close with Saturn, signifying problems with women and sexuality. Saturn is also with Mercury which can symbolize communication issues. As the ruler of the 6th of illness, injury, and servants, Saturn can pertain to health and employee problems. Saturn also rules the 7th, another indication of difficulty with relationships or sexuality. The twelfth-part of Saturn is in the 9th place, further emphasizing the potential for issues with foreign countries and with religion and spirituality in general.
The Name Game
In your studies, you will undoubtedly encounter the confusion that exists in relation to “house systems”. The more dominant house systems of the past 1,000 years in the western world have involved dividing (trisecting) the four regions of the sky between the horizons and meridians of the chart (i.e. the “quadrants”). These are the quadrant houses.
Advancement vs. Topics
There are many passages in ancient Hellenistic texts, especially in Ptolemy and Valens, which appear to imply the use of a quadrant system. These may have inspired the actual eventual adoption of the quadrant approach in the west. In India, the whole sign house system is still dominant. In the second lesson, we dealt with some of these passages and how these quadrant divisions were initially used in the context of the length of life technique to assess a type of planetary strength (advancement), rather than for topics.
Signs are Houses
Most of the confusion about early house division pertains to the term “house”. The terminology changed meanings over time. In Hellenistic astrology, a “house” is a sign of the zodiac, as every sign is a planet’s house (domicile). For instance, the houses of Jupiter are the signs Pisces and Sagittarius (i.e. the domiciles of Jupiter). Interestingly, modern astrologers still use the term “domicile” but the fact that it means “house” is overlooked. Hellenistic astrologers used the terms “2nd house” and “2nd sign” interchangeably.
Ancient Astrologers on the Equivalency of Sign and House
Porphyry (Porphyry, Ch. 5, 2009, Holden trans., p. 9):
Houses and zones of the stars [are what] they term the 12 twelfths of the zodiac, which they also call signs.
Ptolemy (Ptolemy, Book I, Ch. 17, 1940, Robbins trans., p. 80):
The system of houses is of the following nature. Since of the twelve signs the most northern, which are closer than the others to our zenith and therefore most productive of heat and of warmth are Cancer and Leo, they assigned these to the greatest and most powerful heavenly bodies, that is, to the luminaries, as houses, Leo, which is masculine, to the sun and Cancer, feminine, to the moon.
Dorotheus (Dorotheus, Book I, Ch. 1, 2005, Pingree trans., p. 162):
Know the houses of the planets: Cancer is the house of the Moon, Leo the house of the Sun, Capricorn and Aquarius the houses of Saturn, Sagittarius and Pisces the houses of Jupiter, Aries and Scorpio the houses of Mars, Taurus and Libra the houses of Venus, and Gemini and Virgo the houses of Mercury.
“House” evidently underwent a metonymic shift in meaning from referring to signs themselves (as domiciles/houses of the planets) to referring to abstract divisions of the sky. This was probably due to its heavy use in the context of referring to the places (2nd house, 3rd house, etc.).
Place as a Technical Term
In Hellenistic astrology, the assigning of topics is best referred to (and translated) as “the places”. The 1st place is the first sign/house to complete its rising. The 2nd place is the second sign/house to rise, and so forth. Throughout numerous Hellenistic texts, we see terms like “2nd sign”, “2nd house”, and “2nd place” used synonymously to refer to a sign in the context of topics.
“Place” is consistent with ancient usage in many Greek and Latin texts. Additionally, it avoids confusion with the so-called “houses” created by quadrant divisions. However, I continue to use the terms place, sign, and house interchangeably as the Hellenistic astrologers did.
Astrologers Referring to the Places as Signs and Houses
Valens (Book II, Ch. 9, 2010, Riley trans., p. 28):
“The VIII Place of Death. Various Views.
Benefics appearing in this place are innefectual and weak, and they do not bestow their proper benefits. […] If Mercury alone is in this Sign and is ruler of Intelligence (as Daimon is called), it makes fools, dullards, those handicapped in speech, illiterates.”
Maternus (Book II, Ch. 18b.3, 2011, Holden trans., p. 63):
“Goddess is the third house, i.e. the third sign from the ASC; that house is called Thea by the Greeks as we just mentioned. But the sign is called God That is located in opposition across from that [previous] sign–that is to say the ninth sign from the ASC. That house is called Theos by the Greeks.”
Rhetorius (Ch. 57, 2009, Holden trans., p. 43):
“The twelfth house is called Bad Daemon and “rising before the ASC” and metacosmic. It signifies things concerning enemies and slaves and quadrupeds, and all the things that transpire before the hour of birth, both to the mother and to the one that is about to be born, since this sign rises before the explusion of the fetus.”
Additionally, see the earlier quote of Dorotheus on the superiority of the places.
The Original System
Scholarship over the last 20 years has brought to light that the whole sign house system (signs as places) was the original house or place system. Major translators and scholars agree that whole sign houses are the original house system. This includes James Herschel Holden, Robert Schmidt, Robert Hand, and Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum. Additionally, Benjamin Dykes translations revealed that the early medieval Persians were routinely using whole sign houses for topics as late as the 9th century CE.
A Scholar on Whole Sign Places
To illustrate the current scholarly position on the importance and ubiquity of whole sign houses within the original system of horoscopic astrology, I provide a quote from Dorian Greenbaum on the places (2015, The Daimon in Hellenistic Astrology, p. 400, footnote 6):
“By far the most prevalent among Hellenistic astrologers is this ‘one place/one sign’ system (called ‘Whole Sign’ by modern traditional astrologers). This is not to say that astrologers were unaware of the earth’s inclination which put the ecliptic at about a 23.5° tilt and, consequently, often made for a less than 90° angle between the rising and culminating degrees in an astrological chart (depending on the rising time of the sign on the eastern horizon); what is now known as the Porphyry place-system is described in Valens, III, 2 (Pingree, 127.17-128.26). But the whole sign/place system showed areas of life, while the rising or culminating angles (and those that set and anti-culminated) described the relative strength or power of signs or planets within that system. Yet all of Valens’ chart delineations use a one place/one sign system (thanks to Robert Hand for bringing this to my attention). Paulus Alexandrinus (378 CE) showed he was aware of this in his Introduction, ch. 30, ‘On the Midheaven’: ‘But it is necessary to know that the Midheaven degree does not always fall in the tenth from the Hour-marker, on account of the inequality of the zodiac sign’s temporal ascension, but sometimes on the ninth, sometimes on the eleventh.’ […] Olympiadorus, Paulus’s 6th-century commentator, appears to be the first of the Hellenistic astrologers to suggest that the quadrant system (in this case, the one later ascribed to Porphyry) be used for the places as significators of areas of life […]”
Take It Further
Look at your chart and the charts of interesting celebrities. Which planets are the most prominent? With which houses do these planets associate by position and rulership? Which planets are the most relevant for characterizing the self? Don’t forget to consider the different types of rulership. Additionally, look to see if any planet is located in a twelfth-part that is the rising sign. In which houses are the rulers of the Ascendant?
Dig deeper into the significations of the houses by reading Valens, Book II, Chapters 4-15. Additionally, for those who possess a copy, I recommend reading Ch. 57 of Rhetorius the Egyptian.
References
Dorotheus of Sidon. (2005). Carmen Astrologicum. (D. Pingree, Trans.). Abingdon, MD: Astrology Center of America.
Greenbaum, D. G. (2015). The Daimon in Hellenistic Astrology: Origins and Influence (Lam edition). Leiden ; Boston: Brill.
Masha’allah, & al-Khayyat, A. ’Ali. (2009). Persian Nativities I: Masha’allah and Abu ’Ali. (B. N. Dykes, Trans.). Minneapolis, MN: The Cazimi Press.
Maternus, J. F. (2011). Mathesis. (J. H. Holden, Trans.). American Federation of Astrologers.
Paulus Alexandrinus & Olympiodorus. (2001). Late Classical Astrology: Paulus Alexandrinus and Olypiodorus. (D. G. Greenbaum, Trans.). Reston, VA: Arhat.
Porphyry, & Serapio. (2009). Porphyry the Philosopher. (J. H. Holden, Trans.). Tempe, AZ: American Federation of Astrologers.
Featured image of Horoscope from “The Birth of Iskandar” (14th century) by See page for author [<a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0″>CC BY 4.0</a>], <a href=”https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AUSE_L15229_Horoscope_from_'The_book_of_birth_of_Iskandar%22_Wellcome_L0025988.jpg”>via Wikimedia Commons</a>
Toda Hut image by Pratheep P S, www.pratheep.com [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Image of the painting Runners (1920) by Robert Delauney is in the public domain.
Earth symbol is in the public domain.
Image of etching Light Expelling Darkness (1795) by James Gillray is in the public domain.
Image of phrenology chart is in the public domain.
Jimi Hendrix image is in the public domain.
Official Portrait of Donald Trump is in the public domain.
Do you want to learn astrology but are put off by the different schools of thought, complex terminology, and vague explanations? Would you like to explore the original ways that the basic elements of astrology were used?
Hellenistic astrology is the name of the astrology from which all chart-based astrology descends, including Indian horoscopic astrology and modern Western astrology. While it is about 2,000 years old, it is still possible to learn its techniques today.
Why Learn Hellenistic Astrology?
If you feel drawn to astrology, the study of Hellenistic astrology will reward you as it is clearer and richer than most modern astrology. You will get the added benefit of connecting to astrology’s roots and learning the origin of elements of astrology still in use today, such as signs, aspects, and houses. However, skeptics of astrology can also benefit from its study, as they will learn the original rules of the game and can better evaluate practitioners of more sophisticated forms of astrology.
A Series of Lessons
This series will fill a strong need for a quick and dirty introduction to ancient astrology for beginners and intermediate students. In this series, I will attempt to present things in such a way that anyone will be able to very quickly start reading charts from a Hellenistic perspective. I hope to allow you to understand the other articles on this site and start exploring primary source material. In this lesson zero, I introduce how the astrology we will study fits into the history of astrology. If you want to dive into doing actual astrology, please feel free to skip this lesson and come back to it.
By ancient astrology, I mean the type which arose in the last couple centuries BCE, in the Mediterranean region, particularly around Egypt. Prior to the advent of this new system, astrologers had read omens in the sky. They had done this for thousands of years, with particular intensity in Mesopotamia. However, around the 1st or 2nd century BCE, a melding of Babylonian, Egyptian, and Greek knowledge resulted in a new astrology using charts of the sky to interpret all manner of inquiries.
Where the Sun Rises
One of the key innovations to come out of this revolutionary system was that it fixed the sky to a specific place and time according to the sign of the zodiac (section of the sky) that was rising in the east. This rising or ascending sign (Ascendant) was called the horoskopos (horoscope).
A chart of the positions of the signs and planets relative to this sign was drawn. These charts are also known as “horoscopes”, so this chart-based astrology is called “horoscopic astrology”. Topics were assigned to different areas of the chart and a specific new set of principles were used to interpret the chart. This astrology became very popular and widespread in Egypt, Europe, Persia, and even India. It transformed each culture’s omen lore tradition into a “horoscopic” tradition; an Astrology 2.0 if you will.
Speaking Greek
We refer to the original horoscopic astrology as Hellenistic astrology because it was practiced by people who wrote in Ancient Greek. Ancient Greek was the scholarly language of the time around Alexandria, Egypt and the Mediterranean due to the prior conquests of Alexander the Great. Texts quickly also appeared in other languages, especially Latin (and later Pahlavi and Sanskrit). However, even in these other languages, the early system is called Hellenistic astrology.
Greco-Roman
Therefore, Hellenistic astrology is not so much astrology performed by Greeks as one might presume by the name. Rather the designation refers to the language of the foundational texts of the period, not the ethnic identity or national origins of its practitioners. As its practice tended to actually rise and fall with the Roman Empire it may also accurately be called Greco-Roman astrology. Greco-Roman astrology refers to the Greek and Latin language astrology practiced within the Roman Empire during its heyday.
The system spread quickly to Persia and to India (see Yavanajataka). There it combined with sophisticated omen astrology that had existed in those regions and transformed them into horoscopic astrology strongly resembling Hellenistic astrology. In India the horoscopic tradition thrives as Jyotish.
Interestingly, the first mechanical computer is an astronomical clock to calculate planetary positions for astrological work. It dates back to the 1st-2nd century BCE, around the time that Hellenistic astrology was born.
A Rich Body of Text
One might expect that we’d have only scraps from this 2,000-year-old fringe field of study. We actually have many multi-volume ancient textbooks on the subject. There is a lot of material in Hellenistic astrology, and it is very diverse.
Despite a common foundation, different authors stressed different techniques and approaches from the beginning. They did not all agree.
While there are attempts at reconstructing an original or proto-Hellenistic astrology, one of the strengths of the period is its diversity. Not everything proposed works, but with multiple ancient astrologers expressing their take on a matter, and an abundance of chart data available today for analysis, we have plenty of approaches to test out and refine.
Recent Translation Wave
Most of the material did not see its first translation into English until the late 20th century. One of the largest and most important works, the nine-volume Anthology of Vettius Valens, was not completely available in English until 2010 (translation by Mark Riley).
Robust at the Start
The oldest surviving complete works date back to the 1st century CE. However, many of those works are already large, refined, and reference earlier source material. In fact, both of the surviving full works from the 1st century, those of Manilius and Dorotheus, are lengthy poems (verse), which is an indication of thorough prior familiarity with the material.
A reconstruction of the Antikythera Mechanism (click the photo to read a Smithsonian article about the mechanism).
The Most Important Hellenistic Texts
While there are over a dozen notable surviving texts from the Hellenistic period, there are fiveparticularly pivotal texts:
Dorotheus wrote the large and influential Carmen Astrologicumin the 1st century CE, which had 4 books on interpreting charts of birth time (natal astrology) and 1 book on choosing lucky times to start activities (electional astrology).
Ptolemy, a notable “scientist” (natural philosopher) of the day, wrote the large Tetrabiblos(2nd century CE). This text has material on birth charts and also material on interpreting charts for weather and political events (mundane astrology).
Valens wrote what is probably the most informative text of the era, the Anthology (2nd century CE). He cites a number of techniques from other ancient authors which would otherwise be unknown. The nine volumes deal with natal astrology (birth chart interpretation), especially methods for predicting important life events.
Maternus wrote Mathesis(4th century CE), which is another very large text on birth chart interpretation, but one less focused on predictive techniques than Valens.
A great reference text of definitions by an author named Antiochus (2nd century CE or earlier) is now lost but its important definitions were copied into the Introduction to the Tetrabiblosof Porphyry (3rd century CE) and the Compendiumof Rhetorius (6th or 7th century CE), making them important references for this lost text on the early rules of the game.
From Hellenistic Astrology to Persian Medieval Astrology
After the decline of the Roman empire, intellectual activity in the region strongly shifted from the Greeks (and Romans) to their neighbors. The Persians had translated Greek science and philosophy into their language, Pahlavi. Muslim Arabs conquered the Persians in the 7th century CE. They translated Greek and Pahlavi material on natural science and philosophy (including astrology) into Arabic.
Some of the greatest Persian and Arab minds of the age wrote on astrology. Working with Hellenistic texts, they developed ideas and sought to advance the art of astrology. In many ways, today’s Hellenistic astrologers are focused on the same task. However, the translation and transmission of the Hellenistic material resulted in some key changes and additions that transformed the way a chart was interpreted during this period.
Perso-Arabic Astrology
I refer to this early medieval astrology as Persian astrology or Perso-Arabic astrology, to distinguish it from the Hellenistic astrology that came before it and the European Medieval astrology that followed. The Carmen Astrologicum of Dorotheus was a major influence upon the astrology of the Persian period. This is particularly so in the development of the astrology of choosing lucky times (electional astrology) and the astrology of finding answers to questions in the chart of the time the question is asked (horary astrology).
The Persians had an existing system of omen-lore for predicting world events. Therefore, some of the most important developments in using charts to interpret and predict world events (mundane astrology) also occurred during this period.
Important Perso-Arabic Astrologers
In the last 15 years, we have seen the first English translations of many of the most important Perso-Arabic works. Dr. Ben Dykes is the most active translator of these works. His translations have been of the highest quality, with extensive footnotes relating the works to their Hellenistic sources, so I heartily recommend them, especially the Persian Nativities series.
The key figures in Perso-Arabic astrology include al-Andarzaghar (7th century), Mashallah ibn Athari (8th century), Umar al-Tabari (late 8th-early 9th century), Sahl Ibn Bishr (early 9th century), Abu ‘Ali al-Khayyat (9th century) Abu Bakr (9th century), Abu Ma’shar (9th century), Al-Kindi (9th century), Al-Qabisi (10th century), and Al-Biruni (10th-11th century). Interestingly, the writings of the astrologer Abu Ma’shar have also been argued to be the single greatest source for the recovery of the ideas of Aristotle in Europe prior to the middle of the 12th century.
Astrology Returns to Europe
During the High Middle Ages, Arabic material became translated into Latin, particularly in Spain. This translation wave saw a return of Hellenistic scientific and philosophical thought to Europe, leading eventually to the Renaissance.
While some of the greatest minds of the European Middle Ages and Renaissance worked on this astrology, it came to resemble a somewhat watered down version of late Perso-Arabic astrology, rather than a return to Hellenistic astrology. This was due to a combination of factors, including the selection, quality, and availability of the translated texts, as well as varying degrees of social pressure against astrology from the church and those in the intellectual community.
A 16th century Latin translation of Abu Ma’shar’s classic text of mundane astrology, On the Great Conjunctions.
Some Changes Were Not for the Best
Some of the distinct features of the late European tradition include assigning topics of life in the chart by dividing the chart spatially (quadrant houses). This is opposed to assigning the topics to the signs/houses themselves based on their order of rising starting with the first house (sign) rising.
There was also very little use of certain key features of Hellenistic astrology in late European astrology. For instance, the lots (see link for more details on lots) were neglected due to false suspicions that they were invented by the Arabs. At the same time, some features that were invented in the Perso-Arabic period, such as the use of pointing systems to assess a planet’s relationship to some area of the chart and the strength or quality of the planet’s indications, became key features of European traditional astrology.
These gradual changes in emphasis eroded Hellenistic astrology throughout the later traditional period. For instance, the point-based analysis ignores sect, a distinction made by many major figures in Hellenistic and Persian astrology. By contrast, the point-based system sees as significant more marginal distinctions like “detriment” (when a planet is in the sign opposite from the one it rules), a distinction ignored by most Hellenistic astrologers.
Bonatti (13th century) synthesized some of the Perso-Arabic material in his work. Bonatti is a favorite of 20th-century medievalist astrologer Robert Zoller.
Morin (17th century) wrote volumes on interpreting the natal chart and a few of those volumes became key texts of 20th-century traditional astrology (particularly those on interpretive principles and on solar returns).
Johannes Kepler, best known for his astronomical work, was a 17th-century astrologer who sought to reformulate astrology according to his own ideas.
William Lilly (17th century), an English astrologer, wrote primarily on answering questions (horary astrology). He continues to influence the practice of horary astrology today.
William Lilly and his birth chart.
The Changing Meaning of “Traditional Astrology”
While traditional astrologers originally focused on the late European tradition, this is changing as more people discover the earlier Hellenistic and Persian material. Traditional astrologers neglected Hellenistic and Persian astrology until recently due to a lack of texts in modern languages. We have translators to thank for today’s renewed interest in ancient forms of astrology.
From Renaissance to New Age Babble
From the late 19th century through the 20th century, astrology became reformulated under the influence of theosophy, modern psychology (especially Jungian psychology), and a number of self-styled gurus. The mainstream of modern astrology, including nearly all of the astrology books in popular bookstores, may be termed “psychological astrology” or “new age astrology”. Unfortunately, very little pre-modern astrology is readily available in bookstores. Popular astrology consists of re-inventing the wheel in order to promote a specific set of psychological or spiritual assumptions, often by distorting and oversimplifying a few of the original principles of astrology.
Ancient Astrology vs. Modern Astrology
You are probably familiar with newspaper horoscopes, Sun sign books, and maybe even more detailed modern astrological works. More detailed modern astrology looks at Moon signs, Rising signs, planets in signs, planets in houses, planets in aspect, etc. Such modern works claim to provide information about personal traits like character and compatibility. Clearly, the stress in modern astrology is on exploring the character, preferences, and “psyche”. The activity observed in the sky mirrors the functions of the soul. Different planets and chart factors represent distinct functions (modules) of one’s soul or psyche. In this view, an astrological chart reveals the unconscious changes taking place in the individual and collective psyches. These changes only sometimes materialize in actual events, but they are always “real” in some psycho-spiritual sense.
Marc Edmund Jones played a central role in guiding the reformulation of astrology in the early 20th century.
You’re Not your Sun Sign
As all factors are components of the psyche in such a system. The most powerful factors (Sun and Moon) come to represent the central components of the person’s psychology. Thus the Sun in modern astrology is the popular go-to factor for analyzing character (the Sun sign). Horoscope columnists even attempt large-scale prediction for all those born with the same Sun signs. Elaborate personality delineations based just on the Sun sign (such as Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs) continue to be very popular. However, the over-emphasis on the Sun’s sign and on a wholly psychological orientation, are inconsistent with ancient astrology.
A Whole New World
Contrast the focus on the personal unconscious in modern astrology with the focus on all facets of life in ancient astrology, not just psychology. The chart speaks of events that are internal and external, personal and impersonal, subjective and objective. For instance, in one person’s chart, the Sun may speak volumes about the personality, while in another’s it may say more about the person’s career, spouse, boss, or father. Not everything in the chart provides indications about the internal functioning of the person’s personality.
Psychology in Hellenistic Astrology
As ancient astrology has a lot to say about non-psychological circumstances, there is a myth that ancient astrology says little about personality, belief, spirituality, and fulfillment. Actually, many ancient astrological authors addressed the topics of personality, spirituality, and morality at great length. Additionally, the fuller feature-set of Hellenistic astrology allows for more complex and nuanced analysis which better captures the diversity of human experience than the 12 Sun Sign personalities and other over-simplistic approaches to character analysis.
A Dynamic Cast of Characters
In ancient astrological interpretation, there may be multiple planets with strong ties to the personality. Each may have different significations. They may even be in a tense conflict with each other. There may be indications for when one of those becomes more prominent than the others. For instance, a difficult or a beneficial psychological circumstance may be indicated for a period of time.
We can even find a 2nd-century Hellenistic astrologer (Ptolemy) distinguishing indications referring to the unconscious mind from those referring to the conscious mind. The wider vocabulary of ancient astrology is refreshing. It is a welcome move away from the type of astrology that insists that Walt Disney, Josef Stalin, Jimi Hendrix, Brad Pitt, Ted Bundy, and Miley Cyrus all have the same core personality (or main ego drives, etc.) because all were born with the Sun in Sagittarius.
Power vs. the Center of Circumstance
The signs of the Sun and the Moon are the primary factors for the character in modern astrology. By contrast, the planets themselves rather than their signs were the focus for traditional character analysis. The Sun and Moon are powerful in ancient astrology, but in a general sense. They signaled power, prominence, and influence generally. If the Sun and/or Moon had a strong influence over character then they’d symbolize a bolder and more vibrant character. However, the Sun and Moon are not always the central factors for determining the nature of someone’s character.
The rising point, called the horoskopos or Ascendant is the key symbol of the individual in the chart. This is the point where the vast infinite sky rises out from the finite Earth. The sky is a symbol of boundless potential or the soul of the universe. By contrast, the Earth is a symbol of the finite personal body. Therefore, the Ascendant is like a soul peering through a body. Infinite potential takes finite form – a life takes shape. Planets ruling or otherwise influencing this point access the symbol of the individual. They are particularly relevant for character and persistent physical circumstance.
The Unfolding Self
The degree of the Ascendant is based on the earth’s rotation. As such it is dependent on one’s specific location. Additionally, the degree of the Ascendant changes about every 4 minutes on average, or a sign every 2 hours. Compare this with the Sun sign which changes once per month. In this way, ancient astrology links the self with the most individual part of the chart. The Ascendant is dependent upon the particular moment and location of birth. It is not the same for any person born in one-twelfth of any year like the Sun sign.
The rest of the chart shows the circumstances of the individual’s life. Predictive techniques animate areas of the chart to symbolize the individual put into contact with those circumstances. A change in circumstances can even pertain to the personality. The symbolism for psychological change and development over time is available in ancient astrology.
Sunrise at the ruins of the Temple of Apollo at Side, Antalya, Turkey.
Let’s Learn Astrology
In this series, we will begin with the planets and work our way to full chart analysis and prediction. From the first lesson, we will begin thinking in the language of astrology. We will use this language to describe all manner of circumstances. The accurate application of this language to our daily lives is a key to reading charts. We will explore personality and a whole lot more. By the end of the series, you will be able to hone your craft on your own. You’ll do this by analyzing charts and critically testing techniques. In addition, you will be able to explore the neglected ancient source material for new ideas and perspectives.
Image attributions
Featured Image: Antikythera Mechanism fragments: By Therese Clutario [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Antikythera Mechanism: By Tilemahos Efthimiadis from Athens, Greece [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Antikythera Mechanism reconstruction: By Moravec (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Latin Translation of Abu Ma’shar: Public Domain
Lilly and his Birth Chart: See page for author [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Marc Edmund Jones: Public Domain
Sunrise Apollo Side: By Saffron Blaze (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
But since the variety of the impulses of the soul is great, it stands to reason that we would make such an inquiry in no simple or offhand manner, but by means of many complicated observations. For indeed the differences between the signs which contain Mercury and the moon, or the planets that dominate them, can contribute much to the character of the soul […] (Ptolemy from the Tetrabiblos (Robbins trans., 1940, III.13, cam. p. 154)
Planetary Aspects and Configurations
This article is part of a series of lessons on the basics of horoscopic astrology as practiced in the first millennium. In this lesson, we’ll look at planetary relationships and configurations, including aspects. Sign relationships and rulers figure heavily in this discussion. We will also explore a method of character analysis from second-century astrologer Claudius Ptolemy.
Recap
Initially, in this series, we explored the history of astrology and the significance of the planets. The second lesson introduced free astrology charting software, as well as how planets advance to a location by way of the local horizon and meridian. We learned more planetary prominence considerations in the third lesson. The fourth lesson introduced the signs of the zodiac and their features. We will be drawing on the information from that last lesson a lot in this one.
Initially, we examined ways in which planetary significations can become more or less prominent in characterizing life circumstances. In the last lesson, we considered that signs contribute to this characterization. Signs are the houses of the planets. These houses have their own features but also have relationships with planets, including those which occupy the house or rule it. Let’s explore planet and house relationships.
Planets Influencing Other Planets
The significations of any planet are further characterized by its relationship with other planets. Consider this: different areas of life are not neatly separate but interact in interesting ways. These interactions differ from person to person, as well as over the course of one’s life. The way that planets influence the significations of other planets and houses, helps to characterize the complexity and nuance inherent in life.
Taking Stock of the Breadth and Depth of Influence
Planets will differ in terms of how forcefully they influence the significations of another planet. Additionally, many planets may simultaneously be influential, and timing techniques can help us determine when these different influences are highlighted. Therefore, we must take stock of both the breadth and depth of the influences on any planet or house. Considering all of the influences alerts us to what is possible. Considering the deepest or strongest influences helps us to understand the “status quo” or what is probable. Timing techniques alert us to when certain possibilities become the most probable.
Rulership and Aspect
The two primary ways that planets influence the symbolism of other planets is through rulership and aspect. We dealt with the basics of rulership in the last post on signs. Aspects are relationships that are based on mathematical angles. The aspectual system of ancient astrology has some advanced features, but at its foundation are whole sign aspects, called regards. The meanings behind the aspects are based on planetary rulership relationships and a sight metaphor. Let’s look at how the system works.
Ptolemy’s Predominator
Planetary regard (aspect), like sign rulership, is a fundamental part of astrological theory. Every major ancient astrologer considered these two factors. Even Ptolemy (2nd century CE), who made almost no use of topical assignment to the houses (i.e. places, as addressed in the next lesson), relied heavily upon rulership and regard. Before moving on to look at regards, let’s use the rulerships learned in the last lesson to start characterizing significations as Ptolemy would.
A Natural Significator Approach
Ptolemy analyzed topics in life from the natural significations of the planets. For instance, if he wanted to analyze someone’s mind (psychology) then he’d look at Mercury and the Moon (see the opening quote). Mercury naturally signifies the rational mind. The Moon naturally signifies the irrational (what we might term the unconscious today). In order to look at planets that “dominate” the characterization of these aspects of mind, we would look at which planets most influence Mercury and the Moon. The planet with the most influence is the predominator.
Five Factors for Predomination
As Ptolemy puts it (note”trine” in this 1940 translation is “triplicity”, as in triplicity lord):
In general the mode of domination is considered as falling under these five forms: when it is trine, house, exaltation, term, and phase or aspect; that is, whenever the place in question is related in one or several or all of these ways to the star that is to be the ruler. (Ptolemy, Robbins trans., 1940, II.2, p. 109)
Therefore, the five following relationships are considered to be important types of influence upon a planet. A planet with the more of these relationships will have more influence. The planet with the most is the predominator.
1. House/domicile lord
2. Exaltation lord
3. Main triplicity lord
4. Bound/term lord
5. Planetary regards
The house lord, exaltation lord, triplicity lord, and bound lord were introduced in the last post. We will discuss regards below, but for now let’s look at the first four influences.
Find Rulers and Predominators in Whitney Houston’s Chart
Let’s look at an example chart (Whitney Houston, AA-rated) and determine the rulers of a few planets.
Whitney Houston’s Natal Chart
Mercury’s Rulers
Mercury is at 10 degrees Virgo, in the bound of Venus.
House: Mercury. Virgo is the nocturnal home of Mercury.
Exaltation: Mercury. Mercury is exalted in Virgo.
Triplicity: The Moon. She was born at night, and the first triplicity lord of earth signs (of which Virgo is one) at night is the Moon. However, note that Venus is the second triplicity lord.
Bound: Venus. Mercury is in the bound of Venus.
Mercury Analyzed
Ignoring regards, we would consider Mercury, the Moon, and Venus to be influential in the characterization of Mercury. In this case, Mercury has the most influence on the position. However, in terms of the other planets’ influence on Mercury, the Moon and Venus have about equal influence by this method.
Ptolemy judged the characterization of the rational mind based on Mercury. Here we find the fundamental characterizations of Mercury to be reinforced (vocal, talkative, clever, flexible, dexterous, mobile, business-oriented). Mercury is in a mutable sign, so we might say there is an emphasis on social interaction and exchange (mutable moves toward mixing). Mercury is in an earth sign, so there is an emphasis on tangibility.
The Moon and Venus influence Mercury, both of which are feminine. As a luminary, the Moon is naturally prominent. She adds a sense of importance and publicity, while also showing that the rational mind is influenced by the instinctual, natural, and nurturing. Venus brings in significations related to the arts, aesthetics, and/or sexuality to the focus of the rational mind.
Whitney Houston’s Natal Chart
The Moon and Jupiter’s Rulers
These two planets also have the same rulers as they are found in the same bound of the same sign, so we can look at both together.
House: Mars. Mars is the house lord of Aries.
Exaltation: The Sun. The Sun is the exaltation lord of Aries.
Triplicity: Jupiter. Jupiter is the first triplicity lord of fire signs by night.
Bound: Mercury. Mercury is the bound lord of both planets.
The Moon Analyzed
Ignoring regards, we would consider Mars, the Sun, Jupiter, and Mercury to all be about equally influential over the characterization of the Moon and Jupiter by this method.
Ptolemy used the Moon to judge the characterization of the irrational mind. The Moon is in Aries, a cardinal sign. Cardinal signs are associated with confident bold expression and with sweeping sudden changes. Aries is a fire sign, so there is an unconscious pull to be influential.
The cardinality, masculinity, and fiery nature of the sign are all further reinforced by the influences of the Sun and Mars. The Sun greatly amplifies an unconscious pull for attention, importance, and influence. Mars brings aggression and competitiveness to this picture. Jupiter adds opportunity, generosity, and spirituality to the picture. Mercury brings in commerce, communication, the voice, and cleverness.
Whitney Houston’s Natal Chart
The Ascendant’s Rulers
The Ascendant is in the Venus-ruled bound of Pisces.
House: Jupiter. Pisces is the nocturnal home of Jupiter.
Exaltation: Venus. Venus is exalted in Pisces.
Triplicity: Mars. She was born at night, and the first triplicity lord of water signs (of which Pisces is one) at night is Mars. Note that the second triplicity lord is Venus.
Bound: Venus. Venus rules the bound that the Ascendant was in at birth.
The Ascendant Analyzed
Ignoring regards, we would consider the Venus, Jupiter, and Mars to all be influential over the characterization of the Ascendant by this method. Ptolemy did not use the Ascendant for the mind, but we are looking at it here because it is the primary significator of the self in the chart. Additionally, many ancient astrologers looked at the Ascendant and its ruler for characterizing the person and their personality. We may consider the predominator of the Ascendant to be particularly influential upon the character and skill of the person.
The Ascendant itself is more symbolic of the body and temperament. Here it is in Pisces, a mutable, feminine, water sign. This makes the body more phlegmatic (soft, feminine, watery) and the temperament quite easy going and malleable (yielding to influence).
The primary influence is that of Venus, the planet of the arts, aesthetics, and sexuality (also drugs). Additional influences include Mars (conflict, aggression, competitiveness) and Jupiter (spirituality, luck, opportunity).
Whitney Houston’s Natal Chart
The Sun and Venus’s Rulers
The Sun and Venus are in the same bound of the same sign, so they have all of the same rulers.
House: The Sun. The Sun and Venus are in Leo, which is the house of the Sun. A planet being in one of its own places of rulership is reinforcing to the significations of the planet. This is a type of planetary prominence or strength (in this case for the Sun).
Exaltation: None. There is no exaltation lord for Leo.
Triplicity: Jupiter. She was born at night, and the first triplicity lord of fire signs (of which Leo is one) at night is Jupiter.
Bound: Saturn. Both the Sun and Venus are in the bound ruled by Saturn.
Venus Analyzed
As the predominator over the Ascendant, Venus is central to understanding Houston. We see a Venus in a masculine, fixed, fire sign (Leo) and influenced by the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn. Therefore, this is a very showy and outgoing (fire, masculine, Sun) sort of Venus who is progressive and focused (fixed). As we get to regards below we will find that the fact that Venus is with the Sun in the same house further amplifies the solar indications (showy, leader, important, influential). Jupiter (spirituality, opportunity, luck), and Saturn (challenge, loss, vice) are also both influential over Venus.
Note on Character Analysis
I think you’ll agree that there is quite a lot of information on the character in the natal chart. We still have not dealt with the aspects, topical places, and other important basics of ancient astrology. However, we already find a picture emerging that is intricate, nuanced, descriptive, and variable. Human beings are not static. They are very complex and dynamic. With this approach, we can actually time when various traits, interests, and influences are most likely to surface.
Regards and How They Relate to the House Rulers
With Each Other
Planets that are in the same sign together are particularly influential upon each other. They are said to be “with” each other. This is the most powerful type of regard or aspect. However, it is not specifically called a regard because the planets are literally in the same place, rather than “seeing” (regarding) each other. Note that in ancient texts, it is more commonly referred to as two planets “with” each other than “conjunct”. The term conjunction is often used for close aspects by degree, whether the bodies are in the same place (bodily joining) or aspecting each other (aspectual joining; see below).
For example, the Sun and Venus are with each other in Whitney Houston’s chart, as both are in Leo. In this way, their significations are very strongly tied together.
Aspects
There are 4 additional aspects between planets, and these are based on a visual metaphor. Examine the diagram of planetary domiciles/houses below. Also, see the diagram on The Astrology Dictionary’s entry on “aspect”.
Opposition
Note that the domiciles of Saturn (Capricorn and Aquarius) are opposite those of the Sun and Moon (Leo and Cancer). Signs that are opposite each other (180-degrees) are said to be in opposition. The opposition is a relationship of challenge, limitation, or obstruction, much like the nature of Saturn. The 7th sign from any sign is opposed to that sign.
Square
Note that each of the domiciles of Mars (Aries and Scorpio) are at a 90-degree angle from the domiciles of one of the lights (Sun or Moon). This relationship is called a “square”. The shape of a geometric square is composed of right angles. It is also sometimes called a “quartile” as the signs are a quarter of the zodiac apart. It is a relationship of intensity, competition, and clash, much like the nature of Mars. The 4th and 10th (i.e. 4th counting backward) sign from any sign is square to that sign.
Trine
Note that each of the domiciles of Jupiter (Sagittarius and Pisces) are at a 120-degree angle from the domiciles of one of the lights (Sun or Moon). This relationship is called a “trine” as there are always three signs which trine each other (i.e. those of the same triplicity). Together, the trines form a triangle, so they are also called triangles. The relationship is one of friendship, strong harmony, and opportunity, much like the nature of Jupiter. The 5th and 9th (i.e. 5th counting backward) sign from any sign is trine to that sign.
Sextile
Note that each of the domiciles of Venus (Taurus and Libra) are at a 60-degree angle from the domiciles of one of the lights (Sun or Moon). This relationship is called a sextile as it is composed of two signs 60 degrees apart (60 degrees is a 1/6th of the zodiac). The relationship is one of complement, much like the nature of Venus. The 3rd and 11th (i.e. 3rd counting backward) sign from any sign is sextile to that sign.
Ptolemy on the Aspects
Read how Ptolemy describes the 4 aspects in Ch. 13 of Book I “Of the Aspects of the Signs” by clicking into this link. Note that Ptolemy sought a physical explanation for astrological phenomena. For him the nature of the aspects is derived from musical harmony rather than ruler-based sign relationships. He sought an explanation based on sign features also, but he erroneously stated that signs in opposition and square/quartile are less harmonious due to being of opposite gender. Opposing signs are actually of the same gender. Only the square involves signs of opposite gender.
Signs Not in Aspect
Signs that are not in one of the above 4 relationships with each other are said to be “not in concord”, “disjunct”, “inconjunct”, or “alien”. As Serapio of Alexandra put it, “Not in concord are those that are in no way aspecting each other” (Holden trans., 2009, p. 61). However, some astrologers, including Ptolemy and Porphyry, considered planets not to be disjunct if they have some other type of sign sympathy (see my article on sign symmetry for some of these types of sympathy).
Regarding is Seeing
In any case, planets may be said to regard (to see) those signs that they aspect. Those that are not aspected are not as directly influential as they are out of sight. The signs that are not in aspect are the 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 12th sign from any sign. This concept of areas out of sight is important, as we’ll see, in the next post on places. Ancient astrologers associated those signs that the rising sign can’t see with topics in life that tend to be the most problematic (the “dark” or “bad” places). This is because the rising sign symbolizes the individual person and the signs that they can’t see are akin to “alien” influences.
Overcoming and Domination
When looking at regards, we should also take into account which planet has the upper hand. Sometimes astrologers do this by seeing which planet is more reinforced, such as by being in a position it rules. However, in Hellenistic astrology, this was often done by looking at which planet was to the right (clockwise from the other planet) in the relationship.
Overcoming from Behind
Planets normally progress forward through the zodiac, so the planet in an earlier position zodiacally (i.e. to the right or clockwise) is figuratively behind the other planet. The planet in front is in a more vulnerable position. The planet on the right is referred to as “overcoming” the planet on the left.
Domination by Square
Overcoming is strongest for the “square” aspect. In a square, the planet on the right is said to “overpower” (Dorotheus) or “predominate”/”dominate” (Porphyry). It may be that the distinction is most relevant for the square because of the Mars-like nature of the aspect. It is helpful to know which planet is dominant when planets are in a relationship of conflict.
And the [star] that is in the tenth sign is said to be predominant and to prevail over the one in the fourth [sign from it], e.g. the star that chances to be in Libra is dominant over the one in Capricorn, and the one in Capricorn is dominant over the one in Aries. (Porphyry, Holden trans., 2009, Ch. 20, p. 17)
Overcoming by Trine or Sextile
The right planet in the trine or sextile was also mentioned by some astrologers as “overcoming” or “prevailing”. See the Porphyry quote below in which “prevailing” is the more general term used for the trine, square, or sextile, in contrast to “predominating” (the above quote) which only pertains to the square.
Every star prevails when it is posited in a dexter trine or square or sextile to one on its left, for that one goes toward it. For example, one that is in Capricorn prevails over one in trine aspect in Taurus […] They say that prevailing is more powerful when [the planets] are in trine or square. For the prevailing star is thus stronger […]. (Porphyry, Holden trans., 2009, Ch. 21, p. 17)
Overcoming While With a Planet
So far, we see that planets on the right side are more influential in the aspect relationship and that this is especially so for the square. The concept is not used at all for the opposition. However, for at least for one Hellenistic astrologer, Serapio of Alexander, overcoming applied to planets with each other in the same sign as well.
whenever two stars are present in the same sign, and the one having fewer degrees prevails over the one having more degrees, e.g., the star of Mercury in Aries around the 10th degree, that of Saturn in the same sign around the 25th degree–it is evident that the [star] of Mercury prevails over that of Saturn by degrees. (Serapio, Holden trans., 2009, p. 63)
Degree-Based Aspects
In addition to sign-based aspects, there are degree-based aspects. Degree based aspects are more dynamic and intense relationships than the sign-based aspects. Additionally, there are occasions when two planets may be in a degree-based aspect even if the signs are not in aspect. These aspects come about when planets are in the same degree or those 60, 90, 120, or 180 degrees apart. For instance, two planets exactly 60 degrees apart would be in an exact degree-based sextile. There are special guidelines and terminology related to degree-based aspects. In general, the closer the degree-based aspect, the more eventful the significations related to it.
Joining
Named after the term for glue or binding in ancient Greek (kollesis), these are very tight and applying degree-based aspects. For most of the planets, they must be applying to an exact degree-based aspect within 3 degrees to be considered “joining”. However, for the Moon, she is joining the next star she will exactly encounter by aspect within a days travel from her position (i.e. applying to another planet within about 13 degrees). A joining aspect is the most intense type of aspect.
They say that an application is a kollesis whenever they apply partilely, according for example to a configuration at some particular time, or even when they are about to come together within three degrees. It is was also said if it was thus: it is a kollesis whenever one star moves toward another star, the swift one moving to the slow one that is not distant more than three degrees. And in the case of the Moon, some say within thirteen degrees; that is, in both her day and night course to observe the conjunction when she applies to one of them. (Porphyry, Holden trans., 2009, Ch. 11, p. 13)
I would consider planets joined together in this manner to be in aspect even if they don’t regard each other by sign. However, this is the only exception.
Separation
For the most part, the planets separate as soon as the exact degree-based aspect has been completed. Some ancient astrologers consider this to be after one leaves from the same numerical degree as the other. Occasionally, the bound is given significance, especially for the conjunction, and the aspect is separated when one planet leaves the bound that they shared. Note that the planets also still regard each other by the given aspect until one leaves a sign. Again, the Moon should be considered separating from the last planet that she has not yet left behind by a day’s journey (about 13 degrees).
In short, regards are intensified as planets get closer, and are particularly intense when they are joining, becoming much less intense after they separate. While a separating aspect lacks the immediacy of an applying aspect, separating aspects, especially those of the Moon, were very important for some techniques in Hellenistic astrology (primary directions and electional astrology for instance).
Scrutinizing
Following the visual metaphor, we will use the term “scrutinizing” for any aspect within 3 degrees, whether applying or separating, as these aspects are particularly intense regards. When applying, these planets are additionally joining to each other (conjoining).
Casting Rays
We noted that planets to the right (i.e. clockwise) overcome those to the left. By contrast, the planet on the left “casts a ray” to the one on the right in an aspect. Additionally, planets in opposition are said to cast rays to each other. Rays casting from a square or opposition were considered to be destructive.
However, this may only relate to close degree-based aspects and may pertain to primary directions primarily. Porphyry’s comments regarding casting rays appear to relate to the length of life technique. Note that by primary directions, planets to the left are directed to planets on the right by aspect.
And Thrasyllus says that casting a ray is a destruction, and those are anaeretic that are occupying a position in the square configurations or in the oppositions in the interval between the ASC degree and the testimony of the trines that are not incurring destruction. And the one they carry from anywhere, it will not carry the ray across, he says, whether from the right or from the left into the succedent of the ASC or of the star holding the rulership of the Moon, then it will be the aphetic place. (Porphyry, Holden trans., 2009, Ch. 24, p. 19)
Additional Configurations
There are many additional specific planetary configurations noted by Porphyry and Rhetorius. These definitions are assumed to have been copied from an early book of definitions by Antiochus. These configurations have been explored in some depth by Robert Schmidt and Chris Brennan in their respective work on reconstructing the full aspect doctrine of Antiochus. I will not explore these additional configurations here because they are seldom if ever referenced by the other major figures of Hellenistic astrology, such as Dorotheus, Valens, Ptolemy, Maternus, and Paulus Alexandrinus.
For more information on the full aspect doctrine of Antiochus check out the existing translations of Porphyry’s Introduction to the Tetrabiblos and Rhetorius the Egyptian. Also, see Project Hindsight and Chris Brennan’s course on Hellenistic astrology.
Putting Things Together
Let’s put it all together by analyzing the “irrational mind” of Jeffrey Dahmer (AA-rated) using Ptolemy’s technique.
Jeffrey Dahmer’s Natal Chart
Moon is Prominent
The first thing to notice about the Moon is its loudness. It is strongly advancing. In fact, she is conjunct the descendant (western horizon) and in a stake of the chart (the 7th house). The Moon is by far the most prominent planet in the chart. One reading is that the irrational mind is at the forefront of major life circumstances.
The sign (Aries) is masculine, fiery, and cardinal. This sign conveys confident action, impulsiveness, and broad sweeping changes, with an urge to influence.
Mars
The Moon is at 19 degrees Aries. She is in the bound of Mercury, the house of Mars, the exaltation of the Sun, and the triplicity of the Sun. From looking at aspects, it is my opinion that Mars is the most influential of all these rulers as Mars is “with” the Moon in the same sign, and is also of an earlier degree (“overcoming”). Mars is additionally reinforced by being in its own house (Aries).
While Ptolemy lists regard as just one factor, we should look at regard in a more insightful manner. Being with a planet in the same sign is the most powerful type of influence, and is greater than any rulership. On the other hand, some regards are less influential than rulership.
Saturn’s Domination
Jupiter and Saturn regard the Moon by square from the right side, so they “dominate” the Moon. The Sun and Mercury regard the Moon by sextile, but they are in the weaker position (the Moon overcomes them). Of the two planets that dominate the Moon, neither has any form of rulership, but Saturn dominates most closely, being at 17 Capricorn while the Moon is at 19 Aries (i.e. scrutinizing regard). Additionally, Saturn is in its own house, so Saturn is the more influential of the two (between Jupiter and Saturn).
In fact, Saturn is the last planet the Moon aspected, so it is the planet that the Moon separates from. The Moon’s separation and application are very significant in Hellenistic astrology. Among other things, they were important planets for assessing psychology. They were noted by Ptolemy as something to investigate.
Major Influences
Therefore, by close examination of the Moon we find that Mars has the most direct and strong influence over its symbolism (irrational mind subject to violence, turmoil, or anxiety). This is because Mars has domicile rulership and is with the Moon, overcoming her in a strong way.
Saturn and the Sun have the next most significant influence on the Moon’s significations. Saturn dominates the Moon closely and is the planet of its separation. Think of the symbolism of Saturn as pertaining to death, as well as darkness. The Sun has multiple forms of rulership as well as a weak sextile aspect. The Sun and its symbolism of fame, accomplishment, exposure, father, truth, recognition, authorities, and so forth is relevant. However, the Moon may be said to prevail over the Sun.
Five Significant but Unequal Factors
One Point Regard
Note that in the modern period, those rediscovering the techniques of Ptolemy often apply the predomination technique using rulership and regard in a mechanical fashion. Typically, a point is given to each planet for each type of rulership and regard that it has over the planet (or point) being considered. For example, if we were looking at just the Moon, as we have, then we’d give the Sun 3 points (exaltation, triplicity, regard by sextile), Mars 2 points (house, with), and Saturn, Jupiter, and Mercury one point (regard). This approach fails to take into account the varying influence of different types of regards and rulerships.
Weighted Rulership (Dignity Points)
The later medieval approach to find a predominator (the almuten, al-mubtazz, or “winner”) tended to drop regard out of the picture altogether. That approach looked at the type of rulership or combination of rulerships a planet had over a position. Different types of rulership were given different point scores.
This approach also fails to account for the fact that a planet “with” another planet or closely dominating another planet may have a much stronger influence over a planet than one that it is just its ruler. I’ve provided some critiques of this approach in the past.
Diversity of Influence
Understanding both the breadth and depth of planetary influence is more helpful than simply finding a single planet with the most points. We do want to know the strongest influence or influences. However, there are situations of competing influence, of blended influence, and of influences taking on varying degrees of prominence at various stages of life. These are important things to consider.
Returning to Dahmer’s chart, Mars has the strongest and most constant influence on the Moon in Dahmer’s chart. Mars strongly characterizes the nature of what the Moon signifies due to their being so strongly tied together. This characterization is modified by the features of Aries (fire sign; cardinal).
Saturn represents a conflicting and challenging influence on the irrational mind. Saturn is able to “dominate” the irrational mind with its significations. It also emphasizes the cardinal feature as Saturn is in a cardinal sign.
The Sun’s symbolism then relates to the irrational mind in a way that is less direct. Though the Sun is important nonetheless.
Take It Further
In this post, we looked at ways in which planetary influences combine to yield more complicated symbolism. The interpretation of planet and sign combinations is very difficult as the possibilities are numerous. It follows that astrological prediction, especially of particulars, is difficult.
Ancient astrologers would devote large portions of texts to giving some examples of possible indications from the planet, sign, aspect, and rulership combinations. Often they would give extreme examples so that one would stay open-minded to the range of possibilities. Please take some time to study these. Some texts are available free online, including translations of Ptolemy, Valens, and Maternus. Search online for these. Look at a chart and think about what sorts of possibilities and probabilities could be symbolized.
In the next post, we’ll relate some of these significations to specific areas of life. We’ll explore the main strategy of assigning life topics to signs, called the “places”.
Note on Psychology
The fact that Ptolemy used the Moon to symbolize the irrational mind was brought up strategically. Modern astrologers often assume that ancient astrology had nothing to say about psychology; that it was just about trying to predict events. Ptolemy’s treatment of the Moon and Mercury as relating to rational and irrational aspects of the mind or soul was written in the 2nd century CE. It shows that ancient astrologers did indeed concern themselves with psychology (despite it not being called psychology at that time). In fact, they had a more sophisticated toolset at their disposal for symbolizing the nature of influences and disturbances upon the mind than found in modern psychological astrology today.
References
Porphyry, & Serapio. (2009). Porphyry the Philosopher. (J. H. Holden, Trans.). Tempe, AZ: American Federation of Astrologers.
Featured image of eye is derivative work: Laitr Keiows (talk) Iris_-_left_eye_of_a_girl.jpg: Laitr Keiows (Iris_-_left_eye_of_a_girl.jpg) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Whitney Houston image by Asterio Tecson [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) or CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Source for Planetary Domiciles Image: “Fig.3 Planetary Domiciles” by Meredith Garstin commons – Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fig.3_Planetary_Domiciles.jpg#/media/File:Fig.3_Planetary_Domiciles.jpg
Dahmer’s yearbook picture is in the public domain.
The image of the painting Contemplation (1919) by Horace Weston Taylor is in the public domain.
I recently had the pleasure of seeing two of Peter Weir’s beautiful early films. Weir is an Australian director best known for “Dead Poet’s Society” and “The Truman Show”. His film “The Last Wave” is an apocalyptic thriller involving aboriginal lore which I caught on the recent winter solstice. That film didn’t grab my interest until halfway through but I loved its finale. “The Last Wave” prompted me to watch “Picnic at Hanging Garden”, an earlier and more influential film of Weir’s. I was lured in by the visually stunning images from the cover and booklet art. I was pleasantly surprised to find the film to be an exploration of the Venusian mysteries.
Picnic at Hanging Rock
The main events of the film take place on Valentine’s day. It starts with beautiful young girls in white flowing and lacy outfits preparing at the college. There are valentines, poetry, romantic intrigue between two of the girls, and numerous objects of beauty. Most of them go on a trip to a million year old volcanic formation called Hanging Rock. Their mannerisms and speech brim with feminine mystery, intriguing two boys picnicking nearby.
The rock also radiates mystery. The rock causes the watch to stop of one of their head mistresses. She believes it is due to magnetic disturbance. Another lady is glancing at a book of Botticelli paintings opened to Venus. She says something strange about the main figure of intrigue, Miranda, calling her a “Botticelli angel”. Three girls follow Miranda up and up the rock. Eventually, three of the four girls are barefoot climbing higher, unresponsive to the pleads of the heavy unattractive girl, who freaks out and runs down from the rock.
An Incommensurable Mystery
That is where the mystery truly begins. The girls in some sort of sexual excitement trot up the rock and truly disappear. I would rather not give away all the plot points, but needless to say there are other points of contact with Venus and much to be appreciated in this film. The beauty, sensuality, romanticism, mystery, and incommensurability showcased in the film all lead me to conclude that it is one of the most Venusian pieces of cinema ever made. Those looking for a taste of the essence of Venus, look no further than “Picnic at Hanging Rock” and its Venusian savior, Miranda.
Featured image (cropped) is the painting At the Hanging Rock Mt. Macedon by William Ford (1875) which is in the public domain.
So far we’ve looked at the origins of astrology, the meanings of the planets, planetary loudness, and general planetary prominence. A discussion of the signs of the zodiac, which figure so prominently in popular astrology, has been put off until this point. This is because the significations of the planets are more central to work in ancient astrology than those of the signs of the zodiac. However, the signs of the zodiac are very important in their own right, so let’s take a look.
An Examination of the Most Important Facets of the Zodiac
We’ll look at the key features of the signs, as well as how they relate to the fixed stars (sidereal) and the seasons (tropical). I show that the most commonly used features of the signs stem from the tropical (seasonal) cycle, while the sidereal (fixed stars) features play a comparatively minor role. Additionally, we will explore the 4 signs in every chart that refer to prominent personal matters (the “stakes”).
Moving Beyond Signs in Popular Astrology
Nearly every test of astrology by the scientific community has been a test of Sun-sign astrology and Sun-sign-based newspaper horoscopes. It is ironic that the newspaper blurbs are called “horoscopes”, as the term “horoscope” (from horoskopos) initially referred to the hour-marker (rising sign). The rising sign is quick to change, being a different sign about every two hours. Contrast this with the Sun-sign which changes once a month.
In ancient astrology, the most important sign is this fast moving rising sign, rather than the slow-to-change Sun sign.
And so, the domicile occupying the rising [place] is called the horoscope; the effect of this [is] over the body and life of a man itself, and all his undertakings. (Abu Ma’shar, The Abbreviation of the Introduction to Astrology, Book I, 109, Dykes trans., 2010, p. 71)
The Rising Sign Depends on Location, Hour, and Date
In Hellenistic astrology, the rising sign is the symbol of the individual. The rising sign is based on the primary motion of the Earth, its rotation. The eastern horizon moves through all 12 signs in 24 hours (about one sign every two hours). In other words, in ancient astrology, the personal symbol is a factor of the location, time of day, and time of year of the birth.
Sun-signs are a factor which applies to everyone born in a given month-long period, no matter the location of the birth. By contrast, you can have a completely different rising sign from someone born at the same time as you in a different part of the country or someone born at the same time of day at a different time of year. Similarly, it can be different from someone born in the same hospital a few minutes later (if you were born near the end of the sign).
I the Ascendant, life, steering-oar, body, breath. (Valens, Anthologies, Book IV, Ch. 12, The Names of the Twelve Places, Riley trans., 2010, p. 80)
Signs Contain Micro-Signs
Nearly all Hellenistic astrologers also utilized the twelfth-parts. These are twelfths of the sign that project into other signs. In this division of the zodiac, the first 2.5 degrees of each sign corresponds to the sign itself, while the next corresponds to the next sign, and so forth. These twelfth-parts are neglected today but they are a feature of the zodiac that is almost old as the zodiac itself. The twelfth-parts date back to at least the 5th century BCE. See my introductory article on the twelfth-parts for more.
The twelfth-part of the rising sign (Ascendant) changes about every 10 minutes of clock time. Someone born at 10 am may have Taurus of Sagittarius rising (i.e the Taurus micro-sign in Sagittarius) while someone born at 10:10 am may have Gemini of Sagittarius rising. The twelfth-parts are one of the most important divisions of the zodiac and they apply to the zodiac as a whole. Not only the rising sign has a micro-sign, but also the signs of the Sun, Moon, and all other chart factors. The twelfth-parts bring in a degree of complexity and nuance that is lacking in popular astrology.
Twelfth-Parts of Aries
Faster Factors are More Personal Factors
The Sun was not symbolic of the personal ego or personality center in ancient astrology. Rather, as discussed in the first lesson, the Sun symbolizes power, popularity, brilliance, and the father. In fact, in many ancient astrologers’ techniques for personality delineation, the Sun plays a minor role or is absent altogether. The faster moving Ascendant, Moon, and Mercury played a greater role. For instance, check out Ptolemy’s instructions for examining “the quality of the soul“.
In a chart, we can see how the Ascendant (rising sign), symbolic of the person, interacts with the Sun, symbolic of power, honors, and brilliance. The Sun does not need to symbolize the person or their ego.
In a nativity the all-seeing sun, nature’s fire and intellectual light, the organ of mental perception, indicates kingship, rule, intellect, intelligence, beauty, motion, loftiness of fortune, the ordinance of the gods, judgement, public reputation, action, authority over the masses, the father, the master, friendship, noble personages, honors consisting of pictures, statues, and garlands, high priesthoods, one’s country other places. (Valens, Anthologies, Book I, Ch. 1, Riley trans., 2010, p. 1)
Signs are Not Constellations
The 13 Signs of the Zodiac?
You may recall sensational news stories about a 13th sign of the zodiac. Often these stories would be accompanied by click-bait headlines declaring that “you have a new Sun sign”. These stories were based on the work of an astronomer who was trying to draw some criticism of astrology for its supposed lack of logic. The idea was that there are 13 constellations which fall on the ecliptic. Recall that the ecliptic is the path of the Earth around the Sun, or from the vantage point of the Earth, it is the path of the Sun around the Earth.
By this astronomer’s logic, since the Sun now passes through 13 constellations, not 12 as in ancient times, there are now 13 signs of the zodiac. However, he made the mistake of confusing constellations for signs of the zodiac. His mistake has fostered widespread ignorance regarding the difference between a sign and a constellation. As of this writing, even the Wikipedia entry for the constellation Ophiucus, the so-called 13th sign, now addresses the difference.
Constellations are Groups of Stars, Signs are Mathematical Divisions of the Sky
Constellations are special groupings of stars. They have been used in astrology for many thousands of years. They are much older than the signs. The twelve zodiacal constellations have varying dates of origin, with Taurus going back as far as the bronze age (4,000 BCE). The twelve constellations on the ecliptic were not regularized into “signs” until about 600 BCE (by the Babylonians).
Signs, unlike constellations, are all equal in size, at exactly 30 degrees each. Constellations dramatically vary in size and traditionally lack clear boundaries. The signs are mathematical divisions of the sky into a coordinate system to precisely measure the travel of the planets along the path of the ecliptic. Not long after the signs were introduced, the concept of divisions of each sign into twelve micro-signs was also introduced. Both signs and twelfth-parts are mathematical in nature and not to be confused with the constellations with which they share names.
Stars and Constellations in Ancient Astrology
Stars and constellations were also used in ancient astrology. Some astrologers, such as Manilius and Ptolemy, extensively used the constellations and the stars within them. Sometimes they even used extra-zodiacal constellations (like Ophiucus) to provide additional significations. But these stars and constellations indicate separately from the significations of the signs of the zodiac.
Signs as Feature Bundles
Importance of Equinoxes and Solstices
In the discussion of planetary advancement, we looked at the early importance of planetary alignments at a location among ancient cultures. Those alignments were with the local horizon (Ascendant/Descendant) or meridian (MC/IC). The most important of such alignments were typically those on the days of the solstices and (approximate) equinoxes. Equinoxes and solstices are important points in the Sun-Earth cycle and also mark seasonal transitions in the year.
Most importantly, the equinoxes mark the intersection of the ecliptic (path of the Sun and classical planets) and the equator (rotational path of the Earth), while the solstices mark the maximum deviation of those paths. In other words, the equinox points are the intersections between the road traveled by the planets (ecliptic) and the road traveled by the Earth (equator), so they are of central importance in traditional geocentric astrology.
Equinox means Equal Daylight and Dark
The equinoxes are the times when the day and the night are of equal length. Day being sunrise to sunset and night being sunset to sunrise. At least this is ideally the case. In actuality, due to refraction and landscape variation, the day and night are usually of slightly different length on the equinoxes. Less controversially, the solstices are the times of the longest day or the shortest day (longest night), as well as the points of sunrise and sunset on the local horizon appeared to stop and change directions. Therefore, the solstice dates could be precisely found by people even many tens of thousands of years ago. The change in the length of day and of daylight is due to the extent to which the northern hemisphere of the Earth is inclined toward or away from the Sun.
The point where the Sun travels farthest north (geocentrically) is the summer solstice. From a modern Sun-centered perspective, it is at that point when the northern half of the Earth is furthest tilted toward the Sun. The point where the Sun travels farthest south is the winter solstice. At that point the northern half of the Earth is tilted furthest away from the Sun.
When the Sun crosses the equator toward the north it is spring equinox. From a Sun-centered perspective, it is after that point that the northern hemisphere will begin to tilt toward the Sun. The Sun crossing the equator toward the south is autumnal equinox. It is after that point that the north begins to tilt away from the Sun.
Two signs are called equinoctial, the one which is first from the spring equinox, Aries, and the one which begins with the autumnal equinox, Libra; and they too again are named from what happens there, because when the sun is at the beginning of these signs he makes the nights exactly equal to the days. (Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos, Robbins trans., 1940, I.11, cam. p. 67)
Beginning in Spring
Hellenistic astrology began in the last couple centuries before the start of the first millennium. At that time, the signs of the zodiac where loosely situated over the constellations from which they are named. However, the zodiac, unlike the constellations, had a starting point. The starting point was the beginning of the sign of Aries, which is the spring equinox.
The zodiac is essentially a circle with no beginning or end, but the sign of Aries is considered to kick things off as it signals the transition to spring in the northern hemisphere.
For this reason, although there is no natural beginning of the zodiac, since it is a circle, they assume that the sign which begins with the vernal equinox, that of Aries, is the starting-point of them all, making the excessive moisture of the spring the first part of the zodiac as though it were a living creature, and taking next in order the remaining seasons, because in all creatures the earliest ages, like the spring, have a larger share of moisture and are tender and still delicate. (Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos, Robbins trans., 1940, I.10, cam. p. 61)
Northern Hemisphere Orientation
Horoscopic astrology has a bias for understanding the signs in terms of the northern hemisphere due to originating in that hemisphere. Some find this bias disquieting. However, the northern hemisphere is the dominant hemisphere when it comes to human affairs. The northern hemisphere accounts for more than two-thirds of the habitable land on earth. Additionally, about 90% of humans on Earth live in the northern hemisphere.
More importantly, the association of the sign qualities, both seasonal and constellational, in the early Hellenistic period when this system came about is a foundational moment for this system. The sign associations which often derived from circumstances that held in the particularly era and place of the birth of Hellenistic astrology, nevertheless hold for Hellenistic astrology in our era, despite the shifting of the constellations and the different seasons experienced at different latitudes including south of the equator.
Decomposing Signs into Features
The signs of the zodiac take on their astrological significance by way of a conglomeration of various features. Some of these features are based upon the yearly solar cycle, reflecting the light, seasons, and calendrical year. In fact, the most important features used in Hellenistic and Persian astrology are based on this yearly solar cycle. Other features are based upon the images of the constellations, their associations, and the significations of the stars.
Precession
In the centuries that followed the advent of Hellenistic astrology, it migrated to India, where it transformed the astral lore of the subcontinent (see Yavanajataka). However, the relationship between the seasons and the stars changes over the centuries. Due to what’s called the precession of the equinoxes, the equinoxes slowly move backward across the backdrop of the constellations. They do this at the rate of about 1 degree every 72 years. Therefore, in astrology, it becomes necessary to choose whether the features of the constellations or the seasons are key to the nature of the signs.
Two Zodiacs: Which do you choose?
The famous natural philosopher and Hellenistic astrologer, Claudius Ptolemy, of the second century CE, asserted that the signs of the zodiac should be defined by the equinoxes and solstices. In this way, the signs always correspond to the same seasonal light/dark relationship. This is now known as the Tropical Zodiac.
The tropical zodiac was used by Greek astronomers pretty much as soon as the zodiac entered Greece from Babylon in the 5th century BCE. Earlier in that same century comes our earliest evidence of the Babylonian regular twelve sign zodiac of 30 degrees per sign.
From the Babylonian
The Babylonian regular zodiac was derived from the application of the Babylonian ideal soli-lunar calendar. A lunar month is about 30 days (closer to 29.5), and there are 12 lunar months in a year, yielding a 360 day ideal year. The vernal equinox occurred during the first month of the Babylonian calendar. The Babylonians traditionally used 17-18 zodiacal constellations. In an attempt to correlate the constellations with an ideal calendar of 12 months of 30 days, they first equated groups of constellations with months. This led to a division of the zodiac into 12 regular 30 degree sections, roughly correlated with both the calendar and the unequal constellations (which greatly varied in size). The zodiac started with the constellation in which the equinox occurred (the hired man, which equates to our Aries). However, the Babylonians started the zodiac 8 (System B) and 10 (System A) degrees back from the vernal equinox, where the equinox was supposed to fall in the first month.
The Babylonian zodiac was intended to be both tropical and sidereal. However, the Babylonians did not know about precession. Additionally, accurate calculation of the equinox required a more sophisticated geometrical astronomy than the Babylonians possessed. The Babylonians had studied planetary periods relative to each other (synodic) and to the stars (sidereal), so their mathematical astronomy upon which their tables were based resulted in sidereal positions. By contrast, over time their calculation of the equinox was off (equinox was no longer at 8 degree sidereal Aries).
Tropical
The ancient Greek astronomers were geometrically oriented. They could calculate a precise equinox. Many notable Greek astronomers and astrologers placed the start of the zodiac at the equinox as soon as the zodiac entered Greece. Initially they did so for reasons independent of precession, namely that it made more sense to them to start the zodiac right at an important juncture in the relationship between Earth and sky, rather than 8 degrees from it. The tropical zodiac became the dominant zodiac of sophisticated Greek astronomy. The Antikythera Mechanism (2nd or 1st century BCE), is the first mechanical computer and is believed to have been used for astrology. It was based on sophisticated Greek geometrical astronomy, including tropical zodiac calculations.
The work of Hipparchus on precession was not widely known until some time after Ptolemy (2nd century CE) popularized it. Many early Hellenistic astrologers (most notably Thrasyllus and Vettius Valens) show evidence of having believed the equinox was at 8 degrees Aries. They did so at a time when the zodiacs had shifted so much that the tropical and sidereal zodiacs were nearly aligned. In other words, they erroneously believed the vernal equinox was at 8 degrees Aries at a time when the equinox was around 1-3 degrees of sidereal Aries. We do know that Valens used updated sidereal tables for his positional calculations, so this is further evidence for the lack of knowledge of precession. In other words, many early Hellenistic astrologers, like the Babylonians, thought their zodiac was fixed both tropically and sidereally. Their tables derived from the sidereal periods which were easier to come by and didn’t depend on sophisticated Greek geometry. For more details on these matters and the history of the zodiac, please see the article “Why Use the Tropical Zodiac?“.
East and West Diverge
Following Hipparchus’ discovery of precession (2nd century BCE) and Ptolemy’s advocacy of the tropical zodiac (Almagest; 2nd century CE) on the basis of precession, western astrologers adopted the old Greek standard of starting the zodiac at the vernal equinox. By and large astrologers no longer poorly imitated the original Babylonian zodiac or asserted the equinox was at 8 Aries. Neither did they use a sidereal zodiac marked by way of a reference star.
By contrast, in India, the trend of defining the zodiac by way of a reference star prevailed. Today, it is usually Spica which marks the beginning of Libra. This Sidereal Zodiac ensures that the signs always loosely overlay the constellations for which they are named.
Today, the choice of two zodiacs has caused quite a stir. Astrologers in the west often choose the Tropical Zodiac simply because they are western. Those in India choose the Sidereal Zodiac simply because they are Indian. Arguments made for the Tropical Zodiac typically include the readily apparent effect that the Sun’s passage through the zodiac has on life on Earth as exemplified in the seasons. Arguments made for the Sidereal Zodiac typically include the fact that its signs still loosely overlay the constellations for which the signs are named.
The Origin of Features Matter
My opinion is that the debate is wrongly framed. In ancient astrology, the signs are defined by bundles of various features. One of the most important of these features is the rulership of signs by planets. This feature is almost certainly tropical in origin. By “tropical” I mean it is based on associations with the solar year and the seasons which are functions of the relationship between the eliptic and equator as marked out by the equinoctial and solstitial points.
The Lights (Sun and Moon) are assigned the signs of summer in the northern hemisphere (Cancer for the Moon and Leo for the Sun, approx. June 21st to August 21st). Saturn, the lord of darkness and cold, is assigned to the signs opposite. These are the signs of winter in the northern hemisphere (Capricorn and Aquarius, approx. December 21st to February 20th). These rulerships originated with the signs, not the constellations, and are clearly related to the seasons. Therefore, the planetary rulerships are intimately tied to the tropical zodiac.
A Place for Two Zodiacs?
It is possible that the sidereal zodiac is more appropriate for some purposes in astrology than the tropical zodiac. Since the signs signify in terms of their features it’s instructive for us to divide the features into two types: those derived from the tropical cycle and those derived from the constellations. The tropical zodiac is the appropriate zodiac for the most commonly used significations in ancient Hellenistic and Persian astrology. However, there are important significations which appear to be sidereal in origin.
Perhaps we should use two zodiacs, one for signifying the tropical features and another for signifying the sidereal ones. It is possible, though in practice I use the tropical zodiac for both. Zodiac features are symbolic and the two zodiacs roughly coincided around the birth of Hellenistic astrology. I take the tropical features as more fundamental. They reflect the important role the annual calendar played in their being 12 signs of 30 degrees starting with Aries in the first place. The constellations were fitted to the 12 idealized solar months, rather than the other way around (the Babylonian zodiac was 17-18 constellations). Therefore, I view it as the constellations lending their names and associations to the tropical signs at the birth of the zodiac. But let’s look at the iconic origins of various sign features.
Tropical Sign Features
Domicile and Exaltation Rulerships
As noted, the most important sign feature that is tropical in origin is that of sign rulership. These are rather systematic, with the signs of the Sun and Moon adjacent to each other and marking the peak of summer. The other 5 planets get two signs each straddling those of the Sun and Moon based on planetary speed. By this arrangement, the signs of Saturn are opposite those of the Lights.
In the image below, you can see that the Moon rules Cancer and the Sun rules Leo. Mercury is the fastest of the 5 other planets and it rules Gemini and Virgo. These are the signs on either side of those of the Sun and Moon. Venus is the next fastest and she rules Taurus and Libra, Those are on either side of those of Mercury. Mars rules Aries and Scorpio which are on either side of those of Venus. Jupiter rules Pisces and Sagittarius which are on either side of those of Mars. Saturn, the slowest, rules Aquarius and Capricorn which are on either side of those of Jupiter, and opposite the signs of the Lights.
Signs are the Houses of the Planets
The signs are domiciles of their rulers. Domicile means house. So the signs are the houses which belong to the planets. For example, if someone was born with Cancer rising then they have the Moon’s house rising. Cancer would be considered the 1st House of the chart and the Moon, ruler of Cancer, would be the ruler of this 1st House. The ruler is viewed as the owner and major player in affairs pertaining to the 1st House. Similarly, the next sign to rise, Leo, would be the 2nd House, with its ruler, the Sun, as the ruler of the 2nd House. This continues in the order of the rising of the signs in a chart.
Houses and zones of the stars [are what] they term the 12 twelfths of the zodiac, which they also call signs. Of these, the most northerly and closest to us are given to the luminaries–to the Moon, Cancer; and to the Sun, Leo. And [then] in order to the one nearest them, Mercury, [they give] Gemini and Virgo; after which, to Venus, Taurus and Libra; then, to Mars, Aries and Scorpio; then, to Jupiter, Sagittarius and Pisces; then to Saturn, the one farthest from us, Capricorn and Aquarius. (Porphyry, Holden trans., 2009, Ch. 5, p. 9)
Planetary Houses and Planetary Spheres
Recall from the lesson on the planets that the Moon is the closest to Earth, while Saturn is farthest away. Porphyry’s quote above highlights the fact that the Moon’s house is the one that is the closest to us in the northern hemisphere. It starts with the point where the ecliptic hits its northernmost point. This is the same place where the Sun marks summer solstice. By contrast, the first house of Saturn, Capricorn, starts where the ecliptic is farthest away its southernmost point. Capricorn starts at the position where the Sun marks winter solstice. In this way, the Moon’s house is marked by the closest point and Saturn’s by the point farthest away, mirroring their distance from Earth.
Meaning of Domicile
The planets have a connection with, an influence upon, and a responsibility to their houses. The planets want to be able to see or monitor their houses (this is done by configuration, the topic of the next lesson). When they see their houses they can more directly influence the affairs of their houses. A planet has the most direct influence on the affairs of the house it is in. So a planet in its own house is less dependent on circumstance. It is more independent and unencumbered in its indications. Such a planet will be less dependent upon and influenced by the relationships it has with other planets, for good or ill.
In Lessons 6 and 7, we will learn how to assign responsibility for various topical areas of life to the houses. The rulers of a house, especially the domicile lord, influence the manner in which these topics are indicated to manifest in the life.
Sign Gender
Each sign is either masculine and diurnal or feminine and nocturnal. This distinction is derived from the domiciles of the Sun and Moon. The Moon’s domicile, Cancer, is feminine and nocturnal. The Sun’s domicile, Leo, is masculine and diurnal. The signs then alternate in order as masculine/diurnal and feminine/nocturnal. I’ll just state them as diurnal or nocturnal, but know that diurnal signs were also said to be masculine, and nocturnal ones were said to be feminine. So, the next sign, Virgo, is nocturnal, then Libra is diurnal, Scorpio is nocturnal, Sagittarius is diurnal, Capricorn is nocturnal, Aquarius is diurnal, Pisces is nocturnal, Aries is diurnal, Taurus is nocturnal, and Gemini is diurnal.
Note that air and fire can lighten and rise, as this will help you to remember that Air and Fire signs are diurnal/masculine. Water and earth can darken and sink. Water and Earth signs are nocturnal/feminine. For more on the elements, see the discussion of triplicity below.
There are 12 houses. The Sun has a masculine or diurnal house (Leo) and the Moon has a feminine or nocturnal one (Cancer). What about the other 5 planets and the remaining 10 houses? Each of the 5 non-luminary planets has two houses, a day house (diurnal) and a night house (nocturnal).
Meaning of Sign Gender
Diurnal signs are symbolic of masculine and extroverted or overt traits related to a set of indications. Nocturnal signs are symbolic of feminine and introverted or covert traits related to a set of indications. However, sign gender is only a minor indication of introversion and extroversion.
Modern Sign Associations: Ruler Plus Gender
I bring up the gender of the signs because the modern associations of the signs largely derive from the domicile lord plus the gender of the sign. Although, three signs have some associations which also derive from their modern planetary ruler (Uranus with Aquarius, Neptune with Pisces, Pluto with Scorpio).
Associations such as those of Leo with leadership and confidence (Sun) and Cancer with sentimentality and emotion (Moon) come right from the rulers. Furthermore, compare the playfully clever and curious Gemini of modern descriptions (extroverted Mercury) with the critical and self-deprecating Virgo (introverted Mercury). Taurus is described as slow and sensual (introverted Venus) while Libra is harmonious and indecisive (extroverted Venus). Aries is pioneering and loud (extroverted Mars) while Scorpio is touchy and strategic (introverted Mars). Sagittarius is adventurous and optimistic (extroverted Jupiter) while Pisces is dreamy and mystical (introverted Jupiter). Capricorn is conservative and managerial (introverted Saturn) while Aquarius is independent and stubborn (extroverted Saturn).
A Note on Modern Sign Associations
If you’ve been exposed to a lot of modern astrology, as I have, then the modern associations of the signs, derived from their rulers, will immediately jump out at you. However, I would avoid thinking of the signs this way. Think of the signs instead based on the other features discussed here. The ruler’s influence on the nature of a specific house will vary according to whether it is in the house, configured to the house, and the relationship of the house to other planets. There is more to the signs in any given chart than the ruler and the gender of the house, so please consider all of the sign features explored in this lesson.
Exaltations of the Planets
Each of the planets also has a sign that is said to be its exaltation or kingdom. The motivation for this is not as clear, but appears to also be based on tropical considerations. The exaltations center around the signs of the equinoxes and solstices. For instance, the Sun and Moon are associated with the signs of spring in the exaltations.
The signs in which the planets are exalted. The specific degrees of exaltation were considered to be the most exalted positions.
Exaltations Emphasize the Equinoxes and Solstices
The Sun is exalted in the sign of the spring equinox (Aries). The exaltations of the Moon (Taurus) and Venus (Pisces) straddle that sign. Saturn is exalted in the sign of the autumnal equinox (Libra), which is opposite that of the Sun. Mercury is exalted in a sign that straddles that sign (Virgo). Jupiter is exalted in the sign of the summer solstice (Cancer). Mars is exalted in the sign of the winter solstice (Capricorn).
Therefore, the four slowest planets, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, and the Sun are all exalted at the four signs that start with the equinoxes and solsitices (Aries, Libra, Cancer, Capricorn). The other three planets are all exalted at signs which straddle one of the equinoctial signs (straddle Aries or Libra).
Additionally, Porphyry noted that the signs of exaltation are in configuration to the domiciles. The diurnal planets (Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn) are exalted in a sign that is trine to one of their houses. The exaltations of the nocturnal planets (Moon, Venus, and Mars) are sextile to one of their domiciles. Configurations are the topic of the next lesson, so don’t worry too much about this at this time.
Meaning of Exaltation
The exaltation is a house where the planet is given more power and freedom to act. The planet is a celebrated guest of honor. The sign opposite a planet’s exaltation was called its fall or descension. The house of its fall was considered a place where a planet is more downtrodden in its significations, like an unwelcome guest. I personally liken the effect to the planet being given aid or freedom to realize its significations (for good or ill). Similarly, the house of a planet’s fall is a house where it is being disadvantaged or restricted (fall).
And the signs opposite the exaltations are their falls, in which they have weaker powers. (Porphyry, Holden trans., 2009, Ch. 6, p. 10)
Exaltation Lords are Rulers Too
The planet who has its exaltation in a house was also considered to be a ruler of the house. An exaltation ruler also has the ability to aid in the managing of the affairs symbolized by the house.
They are said to be co-ruler with each other, whenever it is their domicile or their exaltation. (Porphyry, Holden trans., 2009, Ch. 7, p. 10)
Avoid Detriment and Point Systems
Some astrologers use a similar concept for the signs opposite a planet’s domicile, calling them the “detriment” of the planet. This concept of detriment did not figure into Hellenistic astrology as a distinct or widespread concept. The notable figures of Hellenistic astrology didn’t use detriment and I don’t advise using it either.
Starting in the late medieval period and continuing to this day, many astrologers have assigned point values to the different forms of rulership. This is a practice started by a medieval Persian astrologer, based loosely on a technique by Ptolemy . However, in Ptolemy’s technique he gave each ruler and each aspecting planet one point, rather than having a weighted point system with a stress on sign placement like the medieval system. I find this to be more misleading than useful and I strongly advise against the practice.
Quadruplicity and Stakes
Quadruplicity is a fancy word for a grouping of four signs. This very important concept creates three types of signs. Signs of each type form a cross pattern. These features are tropical in nature, as they divide each season into 3 parts, a beginning, middle, and end, with distinct features.
Cardinal Signs
The cardinal signs are those which start with an equinox or solstice. The cardinal signs are also called the changeable, moveable, tropical, or equinoctial signs. They mark the turning of a new season, and thus a bold step in a new direction. Cardinal signs are associated with frequent change, boldness, and fast initiation. However, they are not associated with depth or staying power. Mercury in a cardinal sign was considered good for oratory ability, as cardinal signs signify quickness and bold projection.
The cardinal signs are as follows: Aries (0 degrees Aries is the point of the spring or vernal equinox); Cancer (0 degrees Cancer is the point of the summer solstice); Libra (0 degrees Libra is the point of the autumnal equinox);Capricorn (0 degrees Capricorn is the point of the winter solstice).
Fixed Signs
Each cardinal sign is followed by a fixed sign. These are also called the solid signs. These are the signs at the heart of the season when things are most stabilized. The fixed signs are associated with steadiness, staying power, slowness, thoroughness, and depth. They are the signs which Dorotheus (1st century CE) recommended emphasizing in choosing times for important endeavors. Dorotheus recommended their use in elections because they signified carrying things to completion and making them last. Mercury in these signs was thought to signify depth in thought and possible writing ability. The fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius.
Mutable Signs
Each fixed sign is then followed by a mutable sign. These are also called the common or twin signs. These signs are said to participate in two seasons. They mix the season that is drawing to a close with the coming season. For this reason, they are dualistic and signify complication, confusion, exchange, and mediation. In electional astrology, they were believed to signify a need for additional conditions to be met (i.e. things getting more complicated) but were helpful in elections where socializing was desired. Mercury in these signs was thought to be a bad indication for intellect by some astrologers. This is because mutable signs are unstable, prone to confusion and frustration. The mutable signs are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces.
The Stakes
The signs of the same quadruplicity as the rising sign are known as the stakes, angles, or pivots of the chart. These are the most important houses of the chart, as their topics are the cornerstones of life. “Stakes” is the preferred translation given by Ben Dykes, Ph.D. for “kentra” (spike, prick), the Greek term for these places. These places operate to fix the sky (signs) to a location with four corners like stakes are used to fasten a tent.
Four Key Topics
The stakes of a birth chart are those houses which form a cross with the rising sign. The rising sign is the 1st House, pertaining to the individual/body. The 10th House, pertaining to the career/attainments is an important stake of the 1st House. The 7th House, opposite the first, pertains to marriage/partners. The last stake is the 4th House, pertaining to family/home. We will return to the assignment of life topics to the houses in Lesson Six.
Stakes of a Chart; Stakes of a Planet
Planets in the stakes of a birth chart have a type of personal prominence. They have a strong influence upon the person, as they are in the house of an important area of life. These houses are also strongly configured to the rising sign (the next lesson explores configurations).
We can also use the term “stake” for any house that forms part of a cross with it. In other words, a sign’s stakes are those signs of the same quadruplicity (cardinal, fixed, mutable). While the stakes of the chart are those signs in the same quadruplicity as the rising sign, the stakes of another house or planet in the chart are those signs of the same quadruplicity as that house or planet. Those stakes are particularly influential upon the house or planet, much like the stakes of the chart are influential in the life of the individual.
Barack Obama’s Chart Stakes and Quadruplicity
Barack Obama has the sign of Aquarius rising, which is a fixed sign. The fixed signs are Aquarius, Scorpio, Leo, and Taurus. Barack has Jupiter in Aquarius, the 1st House. He also has the Sun and Mercury in Leo. Therefore, Jupiter, the Sun, and Mercury are in the stakes of the chart and are directly operative in particularly important areas of life.
Obama has Aquarius rising, which is a diurnal/masculine sign ruled by Saturn. Saturn is in Capricorn which is a cardinal sign. Other cardinal signs include Cancer, Libra, and Aries. Only Venus is also in a cardinal sign, Cancer. Therefore, Venus is the only planet in one of the stakes of Saturn’s position.
Triplicity and Elemental Lords
Triplicity is similar to quadruplicity but signifies groupings of three signs. These are 4 groups of signs that are in triangular relationships to each other (trine each other). Today these 4 groups are identified by the elements: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water.
In early Hellenistic astrology, the triplicities were originally associated with the winds and directions rather than the elements. However, here I will label the triplicities by element as is commonly done. There are three signs in each triplicity or element. Each element has one cardinal sign, one fixed sign, and one mutable sign.
Triplicity is Tropical
Triplicity is of tropical origin as it was originally associated with the directions. The tropical signs are fixed in terms of their direction. In fact, this is built into our concepts of the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The Sun reaches its greatest northern latitude (the Tropic of Cancer) on the summer solstice, which marks the beginning of the sign Cancer. The Sun reaches its greatest southern latitude (the Tropic of Capricorn) on the winter solstice, which marks the beginning of the sign Capricorn. The sidereal signs are not directionally fixed with relation to the Earth, as the direction of a given sign shifts over time due to precession.
Triplicity Rulers
The triangles are also associated with another system of rulership, called the triplicity rulers. Each triangular set of signs has three triplicity rulers. An element is associated with one planetary ruler by day, another by night, and a third which is a lesser participant. The triplicity ruler of the sect of the chart was typically used to signify the primary and initial influence. Triplicity rulers were akin to a support network of friends and family, helping one to achieve what could be impossible on one’s own.
Triplicity and Timing
Triplicity lords were often used to show the timing of greater and lesser support from others in one’s life. This could allow one to look at how some states of affairs (such as a relationship) could change over time. The first triplicity lord (the one of sect) showed the initial support. The ruler of the other sect showed the secondary influence. This secondary influence was usually thought to take over after the minor years of the first lord or the ascensional time of the sign occupied by the first triplicity lord. At least in Medieval astrology, the third lord came to signify the final nature of support, though we don’t see significant evidence of this in the Hellenistic period.
Triplicity as Reinforcement
Additionally, when a planet was in a sign which it ruled by triplicity then it was seen as having some extended support which could make it more prominent or reinforced in its significations. For instance, a planet in triplicity (or house, exaltation, or bound) might be protected from any weakening effect of being under the beams of the Sun.
The Fire Triplicity
The Fire triplicity has Aries as its cardinal sign, Leo as its fixed sign, and Sagittarius as its mutable sign. It is a masculine and diurnal (day) triplicity. Its rulers are the Sun by day and Jupiter by night, with Saturn participating. The Fire triplicity is particularly associated with power and leadership. Fire signs are associated with the east because their cardinal sign Aries is to the right of the northernmost sign, Cancer.
The sun, being fiery, is most related to Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, and this triangle of the sun is called “of the day-sect” because it too is fiery by nature. The sun has attached Jupiter and Saturn to this sect as his co-workers and guardians of the things which he accomplishes […]. Therefore the sun is the lord of this triangle for day births; for night births Jupiter succeeds to the throne; Saturn works with both. (Valens, Anthologies, Book II, Ch. 1, Riley trans., 2010, p. 25)
The Earth Triplicity
The Earth triplicity has Capricorn as its cardinal sign, Taurus as its fixed sign, and Virgo as its mutable sign. It is a feminine and nocturnal (night) triplicity. Its triplicity lords are the Moon by night and Venus by day, with Mars participating. The Earth triplicity is particularly associated with the working of the land. Earth signs are associated with the south because Capricorn marks the winter solstice which is at the southernmost point on the ecliptic.
Next the moon, being near the earth, is allotted the houserulership of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, a triangle earthy in nature and the next in order. It has Venus and Mars as members of the same sect […]. Therefore for night births the moon has preeminence; in the second place is Venus; in the third is Mars. For day births Venus will lead; the moon will operate second; Mars, third. (Valens, Anthologies, Book II, Ch. 1, Riley trans., 2010, p. 25)
The Air Triplicity
The Air triplicity has Libra as its cardinal sign, Aquarius as its fixed sign, and Gemini as its mutable sign. It is a masculine and diurnal (day) triplicity. Its rulers are Saturn by day and Mercury by night, with Jupiter participating. The Air triplicity is particularly associated with culture and movement. Air signs are associated with the west because their cardinal sign, Libra, is right of the southernmost sign, Capricorn.
Next is the airy triangle of Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. For day births Saturn will rule this; Mercury will operate second; Jupiter, third. For night births Mercury will lead; Saturn will come second; Jupiter, third. (Valens, Anthologies, Book II, Ch. 1, Riley trans., 2010, p. 25)
The Water Triplicity
The Water triplicity has Cancer as its cardinal sign, Scorpio as its fixed sign, and Pisces as its mutable sign. It is a feminine and nocturnal (night) triplicity. Its rulers are Mars by night, and Venus by day, with the Moon participating. The Water triplicity is particularly associated with all things water. Water signs are associated with the north because Cancer marks the summer solstice which is at the northernmost point on the ecliptic.
In the same fashion, next is the moist triangle of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. Mars will have the houserulership for night births; in the second place is Venus; in the third the moon. For day births Venus will lead; after it comes Mars; then the moon. (Valens, Anthologies, Book II, Ch. 1, Riley trans., 2010, p. 25)
An Example with Rulership, Quadruplicity, Stakes, and Triplicity
Bill Clinton’s Natal Chart
Cardinal Stakes with Mars, Venus, and Jupiter Advancing
Bill Clinton has the sign of Libra rising as the 1st House (the self). The stakes of the chart are cardinal, and they are Libra (1st House), Cancer (10th House), Aries (7th House), and Capricorn (4th House). Only Libra is occupied, with Mars, Venus, and Jupiter all in it and advancing. Mars is prominent on the Ascendant.
We expect him to have a very Mars-y life, one that is in a sense quite combative and competitive due to Mars in the 1st and on the Ascendant. Also, we generally expect Mars, Venus, and Jupiter to directly signify in relation to more important matters in the life (stakes). As Venus and Jupiter are benefic, they tend to bring success and fortune circumstances to the significations of Mars. The Ascendant, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter are all ruled by Venus, so we expect the self to be strongly influenced by aesthetics and sexuality, especially with Venus in the actual 1st House.
Cardinal and Air Rising with Venus and Mars Together
Venus and Mars are out of sect, and Mars, as a malefic, signals trouble in relation to Venusian matters (cardinal is bold and impulsive). His initial aspirations to be a professional musician are also very clearly shown by the presence of Venus and her rulership of the 1st. Libra is a cardinal sign, so we expect a bold expressive character. The planets in the 1st House also make their more important expressions in terms of boldness and rapidly sweeping changes in circumstances. The 1st House is an air sign, so we might expect the self and the planets in the 1st to have a strong connection with thought and movement.
Saturn with the Sun and Mercury in Fixed Leo
Clinton was born during the day and Libra is the exaltation of Saturn. Also, Saturn is the triplicity lord of Libra (an all air signs) by day. Therefore, we expect Saturn to have some influence over 1st House matters as well.
Saturn is in Leo, a fixed, fire sign, signifying steadfastness (fixed) and leadership (fire). Saturn is also with the Sun in the same house, and the Sun rules the sign Leo and the fire triplicity by day. Therefore, the solar influence (which is of power, exposure, prominence) is very strong. Saturn is also with Mercury, the planet of intellect. Saturn, Mercury, and the Sun are in a fixed sign, so they signify in a more stable and progressive, less episodic, manner. As they are all with each other they mix their significations of leadership and honors (Sun) with struggle, authority, and discipline (Saturn), as well as communication, commerce, and analysis (Mercury).
Other Tropical Features
Rising Times and Symmetry
There are a great many additional features of signs that are tropical in origin but of less importance. For instance, whether signs were of short or long ascension (i.e. taking more or less than 2 hours to rise) was an important consideration in choosing times for actions according to Dorotheus. Similarly, there are relationships which pertained to signs and degrees mirroring each other (i.e. equidistant) across the points of the equinoxes and solstices (see my article on symmetry).
Northern and Southern Signs
Additionally, the Persians spoke of the southern signs (Libra thru Pisces) as being cold while the northern signs (Aries thru Virgo) were hot. In this case, both the directions and the temperatures are a reference to the tropical cycle.
Seasonal Quarters
The signs were also divided up into seasonal quarters. Spring signs (Aries, Taurus, Gemini) are hot, moist, infant-like, and sanguine. Summer signs (Cancer, Leo, Virgo) are hot, dry, young, and choleric. Autumn signs (Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius) are cold, dry, middle-aged, and melancholic. Winter signs (Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces) are cold, moist, elderly, and phlegmatic.
Note on Tropical Features
These other features of the signs are not used as commonly as those cited in the previous section, so we won’t explore them in depth. However, I note them because they figure into some techniques of Hellenistic astrology. Planetary rulership, exaltation rulership, triplicity, quadruplicity, sign gender, ascensional times, sign symmetry, the division into northern and southern signs, and the seasonal quarters all relate to the tropical cycle. Therefore, most of the features of the zodiac that are most important to us in Hellenistic astrological chart work should rely upon the tropical zodiac.
Main Sidereal Features
Image Associations
The Greek word for sign, zoidion, meant image or species. Indeed some of the features of the signs are direct associations with the species of thing that is imaged by the corresponding constellation. For instance, Dorotheus noted that an eclipse in Aries would likely affect sheep, while one in Sagittarius would affect horses, and so forth.
Additionally, there are some sign classifications that pertain to the imaged category or species of the signs. For instance, some signs are four-footed, others lack a voice (because they image animals lacking a voice), and some are rational (because they include an image of a person).
These sign associations are used less often than rulership, quadruplicity, and triplicity, but they are important to some techniques. I believe it is an open question as to whether the sidereal zodiac (or even the constellations themselves) would be a more appropriate zodiac to use for these types of considerations.
Surya surrounded by the signs of the zodiac. Himachal Pradesh Court, India ca. 1830
Star Cluster Delineations
Certain segments and degrees of signs have distinct significations in many Hellenistic texts, based on stars and segments of constellations. Such delineations are prominent in many Hellenistic authors, including Valens, Ptolemy, and Maternus. However, very little has been done to revive the use of such material. This material is truly sidereal in origin. The sidereal zodiac or even the constellations themselves are more appropriate to this type of delineation than the tropical zodiac.
Decans
There is an Egyptian division of the signs into thirds, called the decans. The decans were used for time-keeping in ancient Egypt. As the decans were based on the rising of 36 different star clusters, they are a star-based (sidereal) division.
Lunar Mansions
The nakshatras, a division of the sky into 27-28 lunar mansions, have been used in India since before the arrival of Hellenistic astrology. They are associated with star clusters which the Moon passes through over its 27-28 day monthly cycle. They are probably not appropriate for use with the tropical zodiac. A similar lunar cycle division into 28 mansions also appeared in ancient Chinese astrology. In Arabic medieval astral magic, a 28-mansion division derived from the Indian nakshatras was used.
Celestial map with the signs of the zodiac and the lunar mansions from a 16th-century Turkish manuscript.
Bounds or Terms
There is one last division of the signs which we need to address. It is one which we will be using in future lessons. The bounds or terms are divisions of each sign into 5 segments. Each of the five non-luminary planets rules one of the segments (bounds) in each sign. As each sign is a planet’s house, think of the bounds as five rooms of the house. Each room belongs to a planet (except the Sun and Moon).
The bounds are unequal divisions of the signs. No one knows the rationale behind this division of the zodiac. Some authors (including Ptolemy) proposed multiple systems of dividing the signs into bounds. However, the most widespread and the oldest (see this article on pre-Hellenistic evidence for bounds), are the Egyptian bounds.
In conclusion, both the tropical and the sidereal zodiacs have their own motivations. We are primarily concerned with significations that are tropical in nature. However, the western astrologer may be missing out on a chunk of significations which are sidereal in origin. The sidereal zodiac appears best suited for image associations and delineations of degrees and clusters influenced by stars and constellations. Perhaps one day we will come to find some happy synthesis in the use of both zodiacs for those domains where they are most appropriate. For now, I will stick with the tropical zodiac for use in these lessons.
Homework
You now have many new tools to work with. The rising sign is particularly symbolic of the person, so take a look at the sign of the Ascendant, and that of the Moon, in various charts. Pick apart the possible significations based on the features of the signs. Look at which planets are in the rising sign and which are with the Moon.
Next, take a look at the rulers of the Ascendant. The domicile ruler pertains more to the character and spirit of the person while the Ascendant itself pertains more to the body and temperament. Examine the nature of the rulers and how they are affected by the significations of the sign. How might character and bodily temperament change over the life based on the triplicity lords of the rising sign and those of its ruler?
You also have an additional planetary prominence consideration, that of a planet being in the stakes. Think about how a planet in a stake may impact a person. Even a planet that is not prominent in a general way may have a very strong influence over important matters in the person’s life by virtue of being in a stake. In such cases, you’ll find the influence of the planet more focused in those areas of life, and less pervasive and broad in its significations.
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.
Featured image of the Dendera zodiac (cropped)by Louvre Museum [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Twelfth-parts of Aries image by groupuscule (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Domicile rulerhips and Exaltation rulerships images are by Meredith Garstin (Meredith Garstin) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
Image of Surya surrounded by the signs of the zodiac is in the public domain.
Celestial map image from the Zubdat-al Tawarikh in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul, dedicated to Sultan Murad III in 1583 (in the public domain).
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:
Advancement – Covered in the last lesson. These are the approaching alignments of a planet with a location which happen 4 times each day.
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.
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.
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.
.jpg){kind=link}