Marcus Manilius

The Roman astrologer-poet, Marcus Manilius, wrote a poem in five books called the Astronomica (1st century CE).  It is one of the oldest complete astrological texts that has survived. It contains many techniques that are not found in other authors.

Neptune’s First Association with Pisces?

In the work, the signs of the zodiac are ruled by the classical planets in the typical fashion. However,  there is also an aside in which Manilius assigns additional Roman gods to signs, possibly for the purpose of religious practice or to teach them by analogy. Interestingly, in the passage, we find what is likely to be the first association of Neptune to the sign Pisces. Modern astrologers assert that Neptune is a ruler of Pisces, in addition to, or instead of, its traditional ruler, Jupiter.

Neptune Doesn’t “Rule” Pisces

Neptunian rulership of Pisces would break with the established scheme and rationale of planetary sign rulership, so I don’t advocate it in this sense (see my lesson on the signs). However, many modern astrologers struggle with understanding the relationship between signs and newly discovered bodies such as modern planets. There are plenty of new planets these days if we include the “planets” of the Kuiper Belt recently downgraded to dwarf planets by some astronomers (including Pluto). If you also work with asteroids, then you have a set of thousands of more bodies to work with.

Analogical Strength

Morinus

I remember a passage in a work by the 17th-century astrologer, Morinus, in which he discussed another type of planetary strength called “analogical strength”. Analogical strength involves a planet being in a sign with similar significations. For instance, Saturn, which signifies earthly resources, signifies it strongly in the 4th house, as that house also signifies earthly resources.

Fruitful Associations

The Neptune-Pisces association and some of the other god-sign associations named by Manilius have a similar “analogical strength” to them. For instance, Manilius associated Pallas with Aries. The asteroid Pallas, named for the goddess known for her military strategy (Pallas Athena), may be analogically strengthened in the sign Aries, a fire sign of Mars. Manilius associated Ceres with Virgo. The dwarf planet Ceres, named for the goddess of agriculture, could be analogically strengthened in the sign Virgo, an earth sign whose constellation is a virgin holding a plant (palm frond or sheaves of wheat). Associations of Vesta to Capricorn, Diana to Sagittarius, Apollo (Phoebus) to Gemini, Vulcan to Libra (as Vulcan made the scales), and Juno to Aquarius, may also have some use.

Less Fruitful Associations

Less interesting are associations of Venus (Cytherean) to Taurus and Mars to Scorpio. They are the same as the natural rulerships.

Manilius also associated the god Mercury with Cancer and Jupiter with Leo. These are more puzzling associations, especially in the Mercury-Cancer instance.

The Text

I recount the complete passage below (Manilius, Astronomica, 2.433-452, Goold trans., 1977, p. 117-119):

What step must one take next, when so much has been learnt? It is to mark well the tutelary deities appointed to the signs and the signs which Nature assigned to each god, when she gave to the great virtues the persons of the gods and under sacred names established various powers, in order that a living presence might lend majesty to abstract qualities. Pallas is protectress of the Ram, the Cytherean of the Bull, and Phoebus of the comely Twins; you, Mercury, rule the Crab and you, Jupiter, as well as the Mother of the Gods, the Lion; the Virgin with her sheaf belongs to Ceres, and the Balance to Vulcan who wrought it; bellicose Scorpion clings to mars; Diana cherishes the hunter, a man to be sure, but a horse in his other half, and Vesta the cramped stars of Capricorn; opposite Jupiter Juno has the sign of Aquarius, and Neptune acknowledges the Fishes as his own for all that they are in heaven. This scheme too will provide you with important means of determining the future when, seeking from every quarter proofs and methods of our art, your mind speeds among the planets and stars to that a divine power may arise in your spirit and mortal hearts no less than heaven may win belief.

References

Manilius, M. (1977). Astronomica. (G. P. Goold, Trans.). Cambridge, MA: Loeb Classical Library.

Image Attributions

Featured image attributed to 3268zauber, titled “Neptunbrunnen (1885) in Baden-Baden”