Tag Archives: Hellenistic astrology

Astrology of Religion, Atheism, and Belief | 9. Bill Maher

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Introduction

This article continues the series on examining religion, faith, or lack of such in the astrological chart. In the last article, we looked at the chart of a religious leader, Pope John Paul II. In this article we turn to the chart of another religious skeptic, Bill Maher. The ingredients and recipes for this type of analysis can be found in the first article, on James Randi. The basics were reviewed with additional comments in a few articles back, on Madalyn Murray O’Hair.

Bill Maher

Comedian and talk-show host Bill Maher is a very vocal critic of religion and frequent supporter and publicizer of the “new atheist” movement. He has served on the advisory board of Sam Harris’ Project Reason. Maher also has a film spoofing religious belief (Religulous). Additionally, he won the Richard Dawkins award from Atheist Alliance International.

Rather inaccurately, he self-describes as an apatheist, though he has actually shown great interest in religious belief. He attacks religious belief often and actively promotes atheist causes.  You can read Maher’s biography on Wikipedia by clicking here.  His natal chart is below, and has a Rodden Rating of AA.

Bill Maher’s Natal Chart

Bill Maher’s Chart Analyzed in Brief

Jupiter:

Not strong, not weak

Jupiter is just barely advancing, so it’s not very strengthened. It does not have any other major strengthening or weakening conditions. Retrogradation may be mildly weakening to Jupiter.

Mixed, somewhat benefic

Jupiter is naturally benefic and is in the 11th (its Joy). However, Jupiter is also out of sect and struck by the rays of Saturn (square within 1 degree). Therefore, Saturn hits Jupiter hard with its significations. On a more minor level Jupiter is in the term of Mars and is opposed by the Sun and Mercury. Overall, Jupiter is benefic influence but being afflicted by Saturn.

Notes on Jupiter

Jupiter is one of the weaker planets in the chart. However, it is not as weak as Venus, and is arguably about equal in strength to Mars and Saturn. We can expect some spiritually expansive experiences as Jupiter is not very weak and is somewhat benefic. However, Maher seems to have publicly chalked these up to his drug experiences. In any case, Jupiter is struck very strongly by Saturn, planet of doubt. Jupiter does not have a prominent and pervasive effect on the life, but should bring great fortune in terms of 11th place matters of friends, gifts, and social benefits. 

9th Place:

Moderately strong, primarily Mercurial and Saturnine

The empty 9th, Gemini, is ruled by Mercury, planet of reason, intellect, and communication.  Mercury itself is moderately strong, being in phasis. However, it is also weakened from stationing retrograde about 2-3 days before birth. Mercury not only rules the 9th but overcomes it by trine, and is the 1st triplicity ruler. Saturn and Mars both oppose the 9th from the 3rd. Saturn has the stronger effect, as Saturn is a triplicity ruler, and is a bit more prominent than Mars (Saturn rules the Sun and Mercury, is exalted at Ascendant, and is in a partile sextile with the Sun).  Venus dominates the 9th (right-side square). However, her influence does not seem as strong as that of Mercury nor Saturn, as she is rather weak and has no rulership of the 9th.

Mixed, somewhat malefic

Mercury rules the 9th. It is rather benefic in the chart, being in sect, and in the very good 5th (of creative performance). However, it is heavily influenced by Mars and Saturn which overcome Mercury by sextile. This hints at how Maher’s mercurial performance can be controversially dark, skeptical, and even aggressive. Still the combination works well or harmoniously for him, as shown by the sextile. In other words, Mercury is friendly with Mars and Saturn, though they rub off on Mercury because of their more influential position in the friendship.  Overall, the 9th is more malefic than benefic by having both malefic opposed to the place (i.e. in the 3rd).

Notes on the 9th Place

Matters of belief-systems and searching for some greater truth have moderate prominence in the life, but are not as prominent as in most of the charts of vocal atheists we’ve seen.  His beliefs tend to be heavily influenced by rationality and intellectualism (Mercury rulership), doubt/skepticism and contentiousness (Saturn and Mars opposition), and also sensual pleasure (Venus domination).

Saturn:

Somewhat weak

Saturn is not very strong in the chart, as it is cadent, and just barely advancing.  While Saturn has a strong effect on the 9th, and upon the Sun and Mercury, it doesn’t have a strong effect on the life overall.  Overall, the life is not marked strongly by doubt, loss, dreariness, darkness, and negativity as it is in the charts of many atheists.

Malefic

Saturn is naturally a mafefic. Here Saturn is made more malefic as it is out of sect, not in a good place (nor a bad one), and assembled with Mars.  Jupiter overcomes by whole sign trine, but by degree it is a close square (within 1 degree).  Jupiter is expected to ease up some of Saturn’s significations as its ruler. Overall, Saturn is still quite malefic in the chart, and is the significator of the most difficult challenges in his life.

Notes on Saturn

As noted, Saturn does not have a very strong or pervasive influence over Maher’s life.  Saturn does have a strong impact on the belief system though. Additionally, there is a self-identification with Saturn (exalted ruler and a triplicity ruler of the 1st, while also regarding the 1st).  Saturn is destructively inclined, signifying the more difficult matters in life, rather than simply discipline and duty or something like that.

Mercury:

Moderately strong

Mercury is advancing, and is in phasis, but stationed retrograde 2-3 days before birth.  The Lights are very prominent in Maher’s chart, but Mercury is the strongest non-luminary.  Mercury is in the 5th place of creative performance (the Joy of Venus). It is with the publicizing Sun, in an idea-oriented Air sign (and one of the “human” signs).

Overall benefic

As noted, Mercury is overall benefic in the chart, being in sect, and in the very good 5th but very influenced by Mars and Saturn. Saturn is especially influential as Mercury is in one of Saturn’s houses (Aquarius). We expect some of the greatest fortune in the life to be associated with Mercury, even though the styling is influenced by the malefics, especially Saturn.

Notes on Mercury

There is a strong identification with Mercury, as Mercury is strongly connected to the Ascendant.  For instance, Mercury is the 1st triplicity ruler of Air signs, the term/bound ruler of the Ascendant, and regards the Ascendant by trine.  The domicile ruler of the 1st, Venus, does not regard the Ascendant.  There is also something of an identification with Saturn, the exaltation ruler, and another triplicity ruler, of the Ascendant.  There is not a strong identification with Jupiter.  Mercury does have a prominent and pervasive influence upon the life, and has a particularly strong influence on the 9th of belief, which it rules.

Conclusion

With Bill Maher, we see many things we expected, but also some surprises compared with other outspoken atheists and skeptics.  For instance, Maher does not have a Saturn that is significantly stronger than Jupiter. However, Jupiter is most strongly linked to the out of sect malefic (Saturn). Maher also has a 9th place characterized by Mercury and the malefics. Most importantly, there is a strong identification with Mercury and Saturn, and Mercury itself is very saturnine. When it comes to belief, a saturnine Mercury runs the show in Maher’s chart.

Image Attribution

Featured image by Angela George [CC BY 3.0]

Top Seven Free Ancient Astrology Texts Online in English | Valens, Ptolemy, Maternus, and more

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Online Hellenistic and Persian Texts

It is rather exciting time in the study of ancient astrology. Most of the Hellenistic and Persian source texts available in English today were first translated in the last two decades. Additionally, a lot of that material has become available online. What are the seven best free online ancient astrology texts?

Free Astrology Texts from the First Millennium

1. The Anthology by Vettius Valens, Mark Riley trans.

Last year (2010), something amazing occurred in traditional astrology. Classics scholar Mark Riley released, for free on his website, his full translation of The Anthology of Vettius Valens in searchable PDF format. While it is a translation by a non-astrologer, it is the first full English translation ever released. Books VIII and IX were previously unpublished in English. Those familiar with the Project Hindsight translations of Books I-VII should know that they were relatively expensive to purchase.

The Riley translation is a high quality English translation of what is arguably the most important text of Hellenistic astrology as far as predictive techniques are concerned. The Anthology was written in the 2nd century CE. It consists of nine books of practical ancient astrology. There is a stress on predictive techniques and Valens provides a wealth of examples.

2. The Tetrabiblos by Cladius Ptolemy, Frank Robbins trans.

The Tetrabiblos is another pivotal 2nd-century Hellenistic text. Click here to read the Tetrabiblos in English in its entirety online. The 1940 Robbins translation has its flaws but it  is a decent translation overall and great as a free reference. Bill Thayer re-typed the entire text onto his website as the text is now in the public domain.

Ptolemy is the most famous of the Hellenistic astrologers, namely due to his astronomical work (e.g. the Almagest). His intricate geocentric model of the heavens was the standard prior to the Copernican revolution. In terms of Hellenistic astrologers, his influence on European astrology of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance is considerable. As a Hellenistic astrologer he was atypical in that he rejected some elements of the typical Hellenistic system and sought a naturalistic explanation for astrology, rather than one based on signs.

The Tetrabiblos has material on birth charts (natal astrology) and also material on interpreting charts for weather and political events (mundane astrology).

3. Mathesis by Firmicus Maternus, Jean Rhys Bram trans.

In the fourth century CE, Firmicus Maternus wrote one of the most important works of natal astrology of the Hellenistic era. The 1975 English translation by Jean Rhys Bram is not without its defects, due primarily to the fact that the translator was not an astrology. A better translation, by James Herschel Holden, was published in 2011, though it also has some idiosyncracies and comes at a high price (~$60). The Bram translation is freely available in PDF from the Astrologia Humana website of astrologer Clelia Romano.

Maternus is significant for his cookbook-style listing of example delineations for factor combinations. What might it mean to have Saturn in the 9th house during the day, as opposed to at night? Maternus will give you his opinion on some indications. This large work of 8 books is sure to give any astrologer a lot to work with in natal astrology.

4. Treatise of the Fixed Stars by Anonymous of 379, Daria Dudziak trans.

Also available for free online is an English translation of the Treatise of the Fixed Stars by Anonymous of 379 (click here). The treatise is the most notable ancient text on the effects of the fixed stars.  Those who wish to study the effects of the fixed stars from a Hellenistic standpoint will not be let down by this text.

The fixed stars were primarily used for judging eminence, character, and chronic illness. While there are many techniques for judging eminence in ancient astrology, bright fixed stars in prominent places such as conjunct the Moon or an angle, provide the strongest indications. Perso-Arabic astrologers of the early Middle Ages continued to incorporate bright fixed stars in their approaches to eminence.

The link provided above provides access to the treatise as well as a table of the constellations and maps of the constellations which show the star positions.

5. Definitions by Serapio of Alexandria, Eduardo Gramaglia trans.

Serapio is a Hellenistic astrologer from about the 1st century CE whose works are mostly lost. A nearly complete set of definitions survives from him. The last page of his manuscript is lost to history. However, note that the definitions are from a late Byzantine compilation and are known to contain additions and alterations from the Middle Ages. An English translation of the text by Eduardo Gramaglia was made available as a PDF in late 2013.  Click here to access the translation.

The text is notable because it is an early text in the Hellenistic tradition and explicitly defines key parts of the system. For instance, Serapio marks out which houses are malefic and which are benefic. He also discusses how planets earlier in the zodiac have “superiority” over planets later in the zodiac when in aspect, and even when in the same sign.

An even more influential early set of definitions is attributable to Antiochus of Athens. That set of definitions forms a large part of Porphyry’s Introduction to the Tetrabiblos. It is also included in Rhetorius of Egypt’s Compendium. Serapio’s Definitions were translated together with the Porphyry text in one volume by James Herschel Holden, published in 2009. Holden also published a translation of Rhetorius the same year.

6. Carmen Astrologicum by Dorotheus of Sidon, David Pingree trans.

While an excellent translation of Dorotheus emerged in 2017 by Ben Dykes (image below), the older Pingree translation is partially available for free. Deborah Houlding has made the first three of the five books available free as PDFs on her website, Skyscript: Book I, Book II, Book III (her notes on Book III). She has stated her intention to make all five books available so stay tuned to the page for updates. This is a pivotal text but I position it near the bottom of this list as only 3 of the 5 books are freely available at this time.

Dorotheus wrote the large and influential Carmen Astrologicum (Song of Astrology) in verse in the 1st century CE. It has 4 books on interpreting charts of birth time (natal astrology). It also has 1 book on choosing lucky times to start activities and judging matters from the time of an event (electional/inceptional astrology). Dorotheus is perhaps the astrologer with the greatest influence on Perso-Arabic astrology. In addition to containing important natal astrology, he is the source for original Hellenistic electional astrology. His rules for electional astrology also form the foundation for the later practice of horary astrology.

7. Centiloquium by Pseudo-Ptolemy, Henry Coley trans.

The Centilogquium is a set of astrological aphorisms by an unknown author, which was ascribed to Ptolemy. The aphorisms likely come from the Perso-Arabic period (~9th century CE). The aphorisms are available for study on Deborah Houlding’s website, Skyscript. While it is a lesser work, and somewhat disorganized, the aphorisms deal with all areas of astrology. They were also historically influential, as discussed on the site.

Hellenistic Critical Editions Online

I’ve focused on free English texts online. However, you may also be interested in critical editions of Hellenistic texts in their original languages. There are many available online. Chris Brennan has organized a valuable list of free critical editions on his Hellenistic Astrology website.

Note on 2018 Update

This article was updated on 10/01/2018 to drop a dead link, add more online texts, and restructure the article as a Top 7. Some of the texts – the partial translation of Dorotheus and Serapio’s Definitions – became available after the publication of the original article. 

Featured image of third-century Heracles papyrus is in the public domain.