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

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Anthony

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

From Four to Five

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

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

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

Lot of Affliction

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

Affliction Formula: Sect Malefic to Non-Sect Malefic

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

Lot Interpretation

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

Usage in Predicting Crises

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

Sextiles between Lights and Malefics

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

Valens-Style Profections

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

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

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

Effect of Basis

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

Natal Lot of Affliction Examples

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

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

Killing Begins: Mars Square Affliction

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

The Killings Become Serial: Profection to Love-Affliction

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

Dahmer’s Natal Chart with Lots

David Carradine: 8th House Libra Affliction

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

Carradine’s Natal Chart with Lots

Prediction Example

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

Finding Affliction

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

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

Analyzing Affliction

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

Malefic Sextiles

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

Profection to Affliction

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

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

Timing: Major Period by the Quarters Technique

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

Finding the First Period

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

Calculating to the Period Under Consideration

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

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

Timing: Minor Period by the Quarters Technique

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

Finding the Minor Period Ruler

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

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

Zodiacal Releasing

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

Finding the Level 1 Period: Aquarius-Saturn

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

Finding the Level 2 Period: Aquarius-Saturn

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

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

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

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

Releasing from Spirit

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

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

Profections

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

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

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

Predictive Summary

Let’s recap the predictive technique findings:

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

References

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

Featured Image

Engraving by Baccio Baldini after Sandro Botticelli (1481 original) for the printed version of Dante’s “Inferno.” Image is in the public domain.

Twelfth-Parts | 3. Dahmer, Turner, and Dignity Revisited

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Anthony

Introduction

In the previous articles, I discussed the use of the twelfth-parts. These are also known as the dodecatemoria or the duads/dwads. For a review of the twelfth-parts and their use, please see the first and second article Here and in future posts of the series, I’ll be revisiting analyses from other articles on the site to look at the twelfth-part positions.

A Return to Sign Dignity

In my articles on dignity, I’ve pointed out the folly of using sign-based dignity to evaluate the beneficence or maleficence (i.e. benefit or harm) of a planetary signification. Overall, dignity has been a chart factor that has been far over-emphasized by traditional astrologers. It is to traditional astrologers what “Mercury retrograde” is to modern astrologers – a convenient but inaccurate crutch.

Dignity as a Separate Concept is a Distraction

It is my opinion, dignity as a separate concept is unnecessary. Dignity as a separate concept is a redundancy in most cases when it appears to work . Generally, a planet in its own domicile is made more prominent because its ruler is itself – a type of feedback loop. In that sense, a planet with dignity has a type of strength or prominence.

There are also more specific instances of a benefic or malefic interpretation in which dignity is not really at the heart of the issue. For instance, the Moon in Scorpio is linked with difficulty (especially in a day chart) by the Moon being ruled by a malefic. It is similar with Venus in Scorpio or Aries.

More commonly, the astrologer is overlooking more important factors such as place, sect, and the influence of malefics or benefics when they defer to dignity. Mercury in Pisces is a Mercury linked with benefit (Jupiter). However, if someone with that configuration had a speech impediment, the astrologer would be quick to blame Mercury in fall. Perhaps, they missed that Mercury is in the 6th house and dominated by Saturn.

The Curious Case of Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Turner

The first of the articles on dignity compared the charts of Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Turner. Dahmer had a whopping 4 planets in domicile, with only 2 peregrine and only 1 in fall – a chart with an unusually high amount of dignity. Ted Turner has no planets in domicile or exaltation, 1 planet in fall, 3 planets in “detriment” (for those who use detriment – I don’t), 2 planets peregrine, and only 1 planet with positive dignity – an unusually ill-dignified chart.

I found Dahmer and Turner to be the perfect minimal pair for explaining the trouble with dignity, not just in terms of beneficence and maleficence, but also for strength. I do use some sign-based significations like domicile, exaltation, fall, triplicity, and bound, for prominence myself. However, I give them less stress than typically given to them. I place more stress on advancing/retreating, being in a stake, stations, phasis, and relationship to the lights (including being in a domicile of a light). I explore strength indications at length in the lessons.

Dignity is Not Beneficence and Not Stature

Obviously, Dahmer’s life was not filled with more joy, goodness, and positive productivity than that of Turner, as might be expected if dignity pertained to beneficence and maleficence. Similarly, while Manetho, Maternus, and other Hellenistic astrologers suggested that one’s stature and power depend to a great deal on the number of planets in domicile in one’s chart, it is clear that this also cannot be the case. We would expect the lack of dignity in Turner’s chart to suggest he is very much held back. Similarly, we would suggest that Dahmer has immense social mobility. Therefore, while I believe that being in domicile, exaltation, triplicity, or bound is reinforcing of a planet, it is obvious folly to rely on dignity for beneficence and for evaluating social stature.

Enter Twelfth-Parts

With the above said, it is interesting that the twelfth-parts tend to reveal much more strength and beneficence in Turner’s chart. The twelfth-parts also reveal additional weakness and maleficence in Dahmer’s chart.

Dahmer’s Twelfth-Parts

Dahmer’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts along Outside of Wheel

In Dahmer’s chart, there are 4 planets in domicile and 1 in fall but 3 twelfth-part planets are in fall (and 1 in “detriment”), with none in domicile or exaltation.

Twelfth-Part Mars in X Ruled by the Moon and Square to Mars

More importantly, the twelfth-part of Mars, occupies the powerful 10th place (Dahmer’s “achievements”), square to its natal position. The square to its natal position increases its malice (see quote in previous article on twelfth-parts that square or oppose their natal positions).

Mars-Moon combinations, such as the one in the natal chart, have significations that relate to bodily violence. The twelfth-part of Mars is in the sign of the Moon and square to the natal Moon-Mars. The twelfth-part of the Moon in Scorpio, a domicile of Mars, in the bound of Saturn (significator of death), and in the 2nd place (one of the dark places). Therefore, the Moon-Mars bodily violence signification is reinforced in many ways.

An Even Darker Character

The Moon is relevant for character, especially in terms of irrational impulses and instincts. Ptolemy identified it with the irrational part of the soul (see Tetrabiblos, Book III, Ch. 13). The Ascendant and Mercury are also relevant for character delineation and are in the bounds of Jupiter in the natal chart. The Moon, Mercury, and the Ascendant have their twelfth-parts are in bounds of Saturn. The twelfth-part of Mercury is additionally with the twelfth-part of Saturn in the 11th, pertaining to friends and groups.

The ruler of the Ascendant, the twelfth-part of the Ascendant, and the ruler of the twelfth-part of the Ascendant are also relevant to the character. We find the ruler of the Ascendant, Venus, to be in the 8th pertaining to death, fear, and harm, in the bound of Saturn. The twelfth-part of the Ascendant is in that same place and bound. Additionally, that twelfth-part is also ruled by Venus. Therefore, three important character significators are piled into the bound of Saturn, the planet of death, in the 8th place, the place of death, ruled by Venus, planet of sexuality.

Turner’s Twelfth-Parts

Ted Turner’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts on Outside of Wheel

The 3 planets in “detriment” in Turner’s natal chart are in their own domiciles in the twelfth-parts. Saturn in fall sees its twelfth-part in “detriment”. However, detriment was not a distinct concept in Hellenistic astrology. Therefore, Saturn’s twelfth-part is actually in triplicity and the sign of the sect light. Being in triplicity and in a sign of a light, especially the sect light, is strengthening.

Lighting Up the 10th House

The Sun has its twelfth-part in the 10th with the Moon, in a sign of Mercury and bound of Jupiter. Both twelfth-part lights in the 10th provide an additional indication of power and influence.

Benefics Gracing the Lights

Additionally, the twelfth-part of the sect benefic, Jupiter, falls into the 12th, the place of the Sun, Fortune, and Venus. This links benefits to their significations. The other benefic, Venus, lands in the 11th, her domicile, the place of the Moon. Thus both benefic twelfth-parts occupy the places of the lights linking them with fortunate circumstances.

Conclusion

Twelfth-parts give very important additional information about planets and points in the natal chart. Dignity is often a redundant consideration, but it can play a role in terms of planetary prominence and reinforcement. If you are going to consider dignity as a strength consideration, then be sure to also examine the twelfth-parts.

The ancients stressed how the twelfth-parts are responsible for major modulations in planetary signification within a sign. In this sense, dignity relating to twelfth-part positions may be even more important than that related to natal positions. More work research is needed in this area. In any case, the twelfth-parts positions reinforce or contradict significations in the natal chart. It is these reinforcements and contradictions that help us to correctly interpret the chart.

Twelfth-Parts | 1. Introducing the Dodecatemory of the Signs

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Anthony

Twelfth-Parts

There is a secret key to the zodiac. Inside every zodiacal sign there are another twelve-signs. This division of the zodiac dates back to Babylonian times and was a key element of Hellenistic and early medieval astrology, but is extremely neglected today. Key elements of natal delineation and timing have been lost due to ignorance regarding this important feature of the zodiac. In this article, I explore the origins and use of twelfth-parts.

Pray examine now a matter trivial in appearance, yet one of great moment, which does not permit description of itself save by a Greek word. I speak of the dodecatemories, of which the name proclaims the principle. The signs each consist of thirty degrees, and every total is further divided by twice six; the calculation therefore shows that in each division there are two and a half degrees. (Manilius, Book 2, 693-700, Goold trans., 1977, p. 137)

Who Used the Twelfth-Parts?

Hellenistic Astrologers

In addition to Manilius, the twelfth-parts were used by almost every Hellenistic astrologer. Early Hellenistic astrologers who used twelfth-parts include Dorotheus of Sidon (1st Century CE) in Book I, Ch. 8 and other sections of Carmen, Ptolemy (2nd Century CE) in Book I, Ch. 22 of the Tetrabiblos, and Vettius Valens (2nd Century CE) in multiple sections of his Anthology. Julius Firmicus Maternus (4th Century CE) strongly advocated the use of twelfth-parts in Book II, Ch. 17, and many other sections of his Mathesis. Additionally, Porphyry of Tyre (3rd Century CE) in Ch. 39 of his Introduction to the Tetrabiblos used twelfth-parts, as did Hephaistio of Thebes (5th Century CE) in Book I, Ch. 18 and in Book III of his Apotelesmatics. Rhetorius (7th century) also used twelfth-parts in Ch. 18 of his Compendium.

Early Medieval Astrologers

The twelfth-parts continued to be a basic component of astrological technique as practiced by later Perso-Arabic astrologers of the early medieval period, including Sahl, Masha’allah, Abu Ma’shar, al-Qabisi, Abraham Ibn Ezra, and more.

Abu Ma’shar made extensive use of twelfth-parts in his predictive methods. He made over 20 mentions of twelfth-parts in his work on predictive natal astrology, On the Revolutions of the Years of Nativities. Ma’shar advocated their use in nearly all predictive techniques. He explicitly advocated their use in solar returns (see Book I, Ch. 5-6; see Book II, Ch. 3 in relation to the profected Ascendant), lunar returns (see Book II, Ch. 1), primary directions (see Book III, Ch. 1), and transits (see Book V, Ch. 9). The twelfth-parts are key not only to natal delineation but also to predictive astrology.

Pre-Hellenistic Use

However, the use of the twelfth-parts predates Hellenistic astrology. The twelfth-parts. like the twelve-sign zodiac itself, have their origins with the Babylonians, who used them in omen lore at least as far back as the 5th century BCE. Therefore, the twelfth-part divisions of the zodiacal signs are nearly as old as the regularized twelve-sign zodiac itself.

What are the Twelfth-Parts?

The twelfth-parts appear in the earliest strains of Hellenistic astrology. They are also known as dodecatemory/dodekatemoria, duodena/duodecimae, or dwad/dwadashama. As the 1st Century astrologer, Manilius, explained in the opening quote, the twelfth-parts are divisions of each astrological sign into 12 equal parts. Each of the twelve parts are assigned a zodiacal sign beginning with the greater sign itself.

Finding Twelfth-Parts

Some authors, including Manilius, give two ways to calculate these, both leading to the same result. One way is to think of the first 2.5° as belonging to the sign itself, the second to the next sign, and so on until you get to the last 2.5° which belongs to the sign preceding the greater sign. For instance, if Mercury were found at 28° Scorpio, then it would be in the last 2.5° of the sign, and thus its twelfth-part would be Libra.

A second method is used for greater accuracy. We take the degrees and minutes of the position within the sign and multiply it by 12, then add that many degrees to the beginning of the sign the planet is in. For instance, with Mercury at exactly 28°00′ Scorpio, we would take 28 and multiply it by 12, yielding 336, then we would add this to the beginning of the sign Scorpio, so 30 would bring us to Sagittarius, 60 to Capricorn, 90 to Aquarius, and so on until we get to Libra with 6 degrees left over; the twelfth-part of Mercury would therefore be 6°00′ Libra in this case.

Chart Calculation of Twelfth-Parts

The FREE, open-source, traditional astrology program, Morinus, has twelfth-part calculation built-in. Some of the developers of the program have been very kind to me and gave given me the chance to check out the functionality before it was implemented. It is great to have a program that can lay out the twelfth-part positions quickly and visually, because as we’ll see, these positions are informative and early astrologers placed importance on them.

Morinus Chart Appearance Options

In order to pull up twelfth-parts in Traditional Morinus, after installation using the instructions I’ve provided, first pull up a chart. Then hold Shift and press A, or click on Option from the top navigation menu and click Appearance I. Select Dodecatemoria from the In Chart options and click OK. The chart will then have the twelfth-part positions apparent around the outside.

Bruce Lee’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-PartsVariations

Some Variations

Manilius Division

Manilius asserted that the twelfth-parts are further divided into 5 segments of half a degree each, assigned to the five non-luminary planets, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury (see Manilius, Astronomica, Book 2, 738-748). However, Manilius didn’t specify the order that the planets are assigned to these subdivisions, and no other early astrologers addressed these divisions. Typically, the Chaldean order, either from slowest to swiftest (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury) or the reverse (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) is suggested. While the first one of these orders is certainly the most logical, supported by the use of such order in many other types of zodiacal division from decan to monomoiria, we can’t be sure. I don’t recommend the use of these subdivisions in practice.

Paulean Thirteenth-Parts?

It is also worth noting that Paulus Alexandrinus (4th Century CE) provided an idiosyncratic type of twelfth-parts. The twelfth-part explanation in Paulus is most likely in error, as he multiplies the position by 13, rather than by 12. He gives a paragraph explaining his justification for multiplying by 13 rather than 12, but there isn’t much logical sense in the explanation in my opinion. Paulus seemed to imply that multiplication by 13 was necessary to allow the 12th parts to come back to the sign that the planet is in. This is hardly a noteworthy argument, as the first 2.5° of the sign already fall to that same sign in the standard system.

Commentary on Paulus

In the commentary on Paulus by Olympiodorus the Younger (6th Century CE), he found it necessary to explain the more typical form of twelfth-part first to preface the discussion. He then explained the idiosyncratic Paulean form. As far as I know, this idiosyncratic form of twelfth-part isban innovation of Paulus and was used by Paulus only, so I will not pursue it further here.

And we say: the ancient Egyptians used to call it the 12th part, since the number is found in the position of each star multiplied by 12. However Paulus, having come later and examined the matter closely, [said] that the multiplication by 12 is never returned to the same zoidion where the star is, where we seek the dodekatemorion — but often the dodekatemorion of the star happens to fall in the same zoidion where the star is. (Olympiodorus, Commentary on Paulus Alexandrinus, Ch. 21, Greenbaum trans., 2001, p. 102)

How were Twelfth-Parts Used?

The twelfth-parts produce a secondary zodiacal position for each planet and point in the chart. It is as if each point is projected into an additional hidden zodiacal position.

There are four main ways in which the twelfth-parts were used in Hellenistic astrology: 1. The twelfth-part of the Moon gave indications regarding the physical sex of the person; 2. The twelfth-part of the Sun gave indications about the Ascendant when it was unknown; 3. The twelfth-part of the Ascendant revealed thoughts/intentions; 4. Twelfth-part positions gave additional information about planetary significations that are on par with the natal positions of the planet.

I will briefly explore three of these four uses; for sex, finding the Ascendant, and interpretation of cognition. However, I want to make it clear to the reader, that the last use is by far the most fruitful and important.

Sex of a Person from the Natal Chart

Both Dorotheus (Book I, Ch. 8 of Carmen) and Valens (Book IX, Ch. 8 of Anthology) used the sex of the sign of the twelfth-part of the Moon for delineation of the native’s sex.

Dorotheus

For Dorotheus, the basic idea is that if the Moon’s twelfth-part is in a male sign (i.e. a Fire or Air sign) then the native is male, but if in a female sign (i.e. an Earth or Water sign) then the native is female. However, there are some exceptions that can override this indication of the sex of the sign of the twelfth-part of the Moon.

The exception are as follows: 1. Sun, Moon, and Ascendant are in signs of the opposite sex, 2. the Light of the opposite sex (i.e. Sun is masculine and Moon is feminine) is in the Ascendant in a sign of its same sex, 3. planets of the opposite sex occupy the 1st and the 7th, 4. both Lights are in signs of the opposite sex and a planet of the opposite sex rules the Ascendant (example given is of both Lights in masculine signs and Jupiter ruling the Ascendant, this overriding a feminine twelfth-part of the Moon to indicate a male child).

Valens

For Valens, the sex of the sign of the twelfth-part of the Moon and the sex of the sign occupied by that sign’s ruler give strong indications for sex of the child.

Results

This method is poor for predicting sex. For instance, Kurt Cobain has Sun, Moon, and Ascendant all in feminine signs, which would override the fact that the twelfth-part of the Moon in his chart is in Sagittarius, a masculine sign. Additionally, the ruler of the twelfth-part of the Moon is Jupiter, which is also in a feminine sign.

Cobain’s Natal Chart

One might argue that perhaps Dorotheus was incorrect and the twelfth-part of the Moon should be given the primary consideration in this endeavor. However, examine the chart of Traci Lords. Her Ascendant is in a masculine sign, Sun and Moon in feminine signs. The twelfth-part of the Moon is in a masculine sign, and its ruler, Saturn, is also in a masculine sign, so if they were given primary consideration we’d judge her to be a man.

Traci Lords’ Natal Chart

Junk Technique

In conclusion, we cannot rely upon the twelfth-part of the Moon methods of Dorotheus or Valens to guess the sex of a person by the birth chart. Perhaps Dorotheus and Valens have given us leads for the eventual development of a technique for guessing the sex of an individual from the chart that involves use of twelfth-parts. So far we don’t have a reliable technique for such a determination.

Twelfth-Parts for Finding the Ascendant

Another one of the more spurious uses of the twelfth-parts is to rectify the sign of an individual’s Ascendant when it is unknown. It is Valens that discussed this use of twelfth-part of the Sun in Book I, Ch. 4 and Book IX, Ch. 7 of his Anthology. It is only one method among many rectification methods discussed by Valens.

The method involves first knowing if the person was born by day or night and knowing the Sun’s position accurately enough to be able to find the sign of its twelfth-part. The Ascendant for a day birth will either be the sign opposite the sign of the Sun’s twelfth-part, or one trine to that sign, with preference given to the “left” trine (i.e. the one that is 120° after the sign of the twelfth-part of the Sun). If it is a night birth, then it will be one of the signs opposite to these, again with the same preference.

Example

For example, if someone was born with the twelfth-part of the Sun in Taurus, then for a day birth the most likely Ascendant would be Virgo, but could also be Scorpio or Capricorn. If a night birth then the most likely Ascendant would be Pisces, but could also be Taurus or Cancer.

Results

I’m a day birth with the twelfth-part of the Sun in Taurus, and my Ascendant is none of the three relevant signs, nor any of the three signs for night births. A technique that narrows the Ascending sign to one-fourth of the signs of the chart, but still doesn’t give you an accurate indication is not a very valuable technique.

Interpretation of Cognition

One of the more fascinating niche uses of twelfth-parts is in the interpretation of cognition. This use was common for consultation charts, and later in medieval horary astrology. The technique originates with unknown Indian astrologers and Hephastio of Thebes. Importantly, it was adoped by Masha’allah. The basic idea is that the twelfth-part of the Ascendant gives indications about the thoughts and intentions of a native or a querent (the one asking the astrologer to divine the answer to a question). The native is really concerned about matters pertaining to the house represented by the twelfth-part of the Ascendant. The qualities and conditions of that place such as the quality of the sign, its domicile lord, and occupants of the sign are all relevant to the native’s true concerns.

The Search of the Heart

Dr. Benjamin Dykes explored this use of twelfth-parts in considerable depth in his translation of, and commentary on, Hermann of Carinthia’s “The Search of the Heart”. I highly recommend this work of Dr. Dykes for those interested in delving into this use of twelfth-parts in greater depth. Dykes explores the technique in his introduction, translates a work which uses the technique, and provides commentary on that work. Additionally, he includes appendices with further discussion and translations, including a table of the entire 144 significations given by Hephastio for each twelfth-part of the Ascendant.

Horary Astrology

The primary use of this technique in medieval astrology was to anticipate a client’s area of concern. This usage appears to have started in Indian and/or Hellenistic use of consultation charts. This use of consultation charts preceded, and likely lead to, the development of horary astrology.

Masha’allah in On Hidden Things (from the Works of Sahl and Masha’allah translated by Dykes in 2008) suggested that the twelfth-part of the Ascendant provides the best indications regarding a querent’s intention in an horary reading. If a planet is in that place then you look to that place as signifying the person’s intention. If the place is empty then you look to the place of its ruler.

Masha’allah: Twelfth-Part Ascendant and its Ruler

In an example given by Masha’allah (the same example was given by Hermann of Carinthia centuries later but attributed to the Indians), the Ascendant was the 12th degree of Aries, which has its twelfth-part in Leo. As the Ascendant was in Aries, Leo was the 5th place from the Ascendant. Leo was empty in the horary chart and the Sun was in Libra, the 7th. Masha’allah surmised that the question involved the 5th in the condition of the 7th or the 5th seeking the 7th. The indication was that of a child seeking a woman (or seeking the querent’s wife).

Masha’allah said that if the Sun had been in the 6th then it would’ve suggested a question about a sick child, and so forth. As you can see the stress in this technique is primarily on the significations of the place/house. One can combine the significations of the place with its ruler, in the sense of the place being fulfilled by or meeting the condition of the ruler’s place. This is one of a few different techniques given by Masha’allah and later authors for interpreting the intentions of a querent.

Chart Projections

Used with natal charts the technique puts an interesting twist on the idea of personal focus and fulfillment. The ruler of the Ascendant shows a particular pull towards a certain place in the natal chart. Consider its accompanying themes and significations. Similarly, the twelfth-part of the Ascendant and its ruler may reveal a personal emphasis for the individual.

In the next article on twelfth-parts, I’ll explore their use in natal delineation in more depth. I’ll draw heavily on Maternus, who found in twelfth-parts the secret to more accurate delineation. I highly recommend the use of the twelfth-parts of all chart factors. I also recommend their use in predictive astrology as advocated by Abu Ma’shar. However, let’s start by looking at twelfth-part of the Ascendant.

Hitler’s Twelfth-Part Ascendant

Hitler had the twelfth-part of the Ascendant in Leo with the greater malefic Saturn, in the bound of Mercury. It is in the networking and popularity-oriented 11th House (house of friends), in the sign of leadership, Leo. Its ruler, the Sun, was in the 8th, pertaining to death and harm. The twelfth-part of Hitler’s Sun is also in the 8th, and its ruler too is in the 8th. This gives interesting additional valuable information that we can add to our knowledge that his Ascendant lord (Venus) and the sect light of his chart (the Sun) are in the 8th of his natal chart.

Using the Masha’allah-style of place combination, we might suggest that he has some intention to achieve a Saturnine standing in groups through death, fear, and destruction. I also think that Leo and the solar element both contribute meaning here, as does the bound of Mercury.

Hitler’s Natal Chart

Dahmer’s Twelfth-Part Ascendant

Looking at Jeffrey Dahmer’s chart, we find the twelfth-part of the Ascendant in the 8th of death. It is also in the bound of Saturn. It is conjunct Venus, the lord of the Ascendant, which is also the ruler of the twelfth-part. They are both in the same bound of Saturn in the 8th. Therefore, the personal intentions and focus on Saturnine-Venusian, death, fear, and destruction themes are very pronounced.

Dahmer’s Natal Chart

Explore Twelth-Parts

Start playing around with twelfth-parts in natal, horary, mundane, and electional charts. For electional astrology, putting the twelfth-part of the Moon in strong and good places is recommended by Sahl and others. Experiment, and if you have any revelations, feel free to share them in the comments.

References

Dorotheus of Sidon. (2005). Carmen Astrologicum. (D. Pingree, Trans.). Abingdon, MD: Astrology Center of America.

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

Paulus Alexandrinus & Olympiodorus. (2001). Late Classical Astrology: Paulus Alexandrinus and Olypiodorus. (D. G. Greenbaum, Trans.). Reston, VA: Arhat.

Image Attribution

Featured image of Dodecahedron Aventicum (cropped) by Woudloper [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

Character | 1. The Curious Case of Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Turner Revisited

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Anthony

If Not Dignity, Then What?

In the polemical “The Curious Case of Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Turner“, I showed how dignity is not a good indicator of a planet’s tendency towards more positive or negative significations. The charts of Jeffrey Dahmer (4 planets in domicile) and Ted Turner (4 planets in fall or detriment) are cogent reminders of how inaccurate the use of dignity for beneficence can be. However, the question remains as to how one should judge beneficence and loftiness of character (moral disposition) and social status (eminence).

The delineation of character, morality, and eminence is complex. Of those, character is the easiest. Traditional methods will tell you far more in regards to character than modern psychological astrology. Eminence is a much messier can of worms. In the application of eminence techniques, I often find more relevance in terms of social mobility, than in terms of a pre-ordained hierarchical “rank of fame”, as some traditionalists describe it. Eminence will be explored at some later time.

Character Basics

Ascendant Lords, Mercury, and Dominant Planets

Abu’ali on the Lord of the Ascendant and Mercury: “these signify the matters of the soul, and the morals of the native, just as the Moon and the Ascendant signify the body” (The Judgment of Nativities, Dykes trans., 2009, p. 236). Abu Bakr on the other hand has us look at dominant planets in the chart, particularly those in the 1st or 10th. This is similar in spirit to the “victor of the chart” approaches which were popular in the later middle ages. Ptolemy looks at Mercury for the rational mind and the Moon for the irrational, mirrored in the modern-day notion of a conscious and unconscious mind.

Overall, in character analysis, I find the Ascendant Lord(s) and the dominant planet(s) to be the most important starting points of the delineation. All of the rulers of the Ascendant are of some significance for character, as all are connected in some way with the individual themselves (signified by the Ascendant). Prominent planets in the chart are a strong influence upon the life, so their impact will be felt, but if they have no rulership of the Ascendant then there is not likely to be an identification with the planet.

Fixed Stars

Powerful fixed stars conjunct the Ascendant, MC, Moon, and Mercury are very influential upon the character but will not be dealt with much here. Suffice it to say that Dahmer has the very martial star Pollux on his MC which the author of The Book of Aristotle (initially believed to have been Masha’allah) associated with Mars and a wrathful violent temperament, especially by day (Masha’allah, Ch. III.2.1, Dykes trans., 2009, p. 79).

Lots

There are some lots which are also relevant to character, especially the Lot of Spirit (but others as well). I will not being exploring the lots here.

Planetary Strength

Rather than using all strength/weakness and beneficence/maleficence conditions at my disposal in the literature, I’m going to restrict myself to those I find most important. They are the same factors I used in the series on faith and were discussed in the first article of that series.

Personally, I recognize at least 3 distinct types of strength: prominence, stability, and pertinence.

Volume

Volume or prominence pertain to the extent that a planet pours out its natural significations. A prominent planet influences many areas of life in a strong way, not just those associated with the houses it occupies and rules. Prominence is shown by advancing/retreating, stations, phasis, and apogees.

Prototypicality

Prototypicality and stability are less important than prominence. They are shown by various conditions of congruity. These include sign-based dignity, the joys, and gender conditions, among others. Stability has various forms. A stable planet is likely to signify what it signifies consistently in life. A planet in a fixed sign is more stable than one in a mutable sign, and one in a cardinal sign is least stable of all. Dignity, especially domicile, makes a planet more consistent and stable in its indications (for better or worse) because it is its own ruler. A planet ruled by another planet of a contrary nature is less stable as it is influenced by the ruler.

Pertinence

Pertinence is the relevance of a planet to a particular matter. For intance, a planet in the 1st or one of its stakes (especially the 10th) is pertinent to the character of the person. When a planet or point naturally signifies something, is in a place, rules a place, or regards a place (especially by opposition or the right side), it becomes pertinent to a matter.

Strength is not beneficence or maleficence. The benefit or harm associated with an indication pertains more to natural signification, sect, place, and planetary influence.

Jeffrey Dahmer: Malefics through the Moon and Venus

I recommend watching this fascinatingly candid interview with Dahmer in which he discusses the impetus of his actions.

Rulers of the 1st

The ruler of the 1st was commonly used because it is pertinent to the character by way of the accidental signification of the 1st house as the house of the individual. It was used for character and moral disposition by Masha’allah in On Nativities, and Abu’ali in The Judgment of Nativities, among others.

Jeffrey Dahmer’s Natal Chart

8th House Venus Overcome by Saturn

Venus, a natural benefic, pertaining to beauty, sensuality, and pleasure is made malefic by being out of sect and in the 8th place. She is regarded on the right-side most closely by Saturn (by trine) in the 4th. Saturn is the dominant planetary influence over Venus, as she is overcome by Saturn and in Saturn’s bound. The bound ruler of the Ascendant Lord is very important to Masha’allah in showing the native’s involvement in something. Saturn, planet of death and the macabre, is in the 4th which has significations related to the dead and buried things. Saturn, the 4th house, and the Saturn bound all reinforce the significations of death and harm of the 8th.

That Venus does not regard the Ascendant is significant. Venus is in a “dark” place. Venus puts the native in connection with hidden or dark elements of life. This in itself does not necessarily signify the native is immoral. It is common for instance for those involved in social reform, prisons, institutions, and so forth to have the ruler of the 1st in the 6th or 12th. Also, those involved in lending and insurance may have it in the 8th.

A Marriage of Saturn and Venus

The lack of aspect from Venus also prompts us to look more closely at the influence of other rulers of the Ascendant, especially Saturn. Saturn is the exaltation and first triplicity ruler. It is in the 4th, and retreating. Saturn’s retreat makes it less public and pervasive, but it is still very personally significant as it is in a stake. Saturn is in the bound of Venus, adding to the significant relationship between

Saturn and Venus. Saturn and Venus, and the 4th and 8th houses are central to characterizing the native’s personality. There is pleasure-seeking, associated with death and dirge, the macabre. Venus made bad, as an important personality significator, tends to pertain to shameless excess. Superficially, we would think that he’d seem gentle, possibly effeminate, somewhat depressive, and quite shy.

Malefic Venus, Alcohol, Sex, and Dead Things

In Dahmer’s case, the Venus tended toward abuse of alcohol (Venus as drinks, made malefic signifying intoxicants), compulsive indulgence, and difficult sexuality. He was considered a catch within the gay community and would manipulate men into positions where he could harm them. He would often drug his victims. His ultimate motivation was sexual attraction and a desire for sexual possession.

The associations of this Venus with death are very strong. Venus is not only in the 8th place of death, but is in a very close relationship with Saturn, lord of death and dead things.

Ages of Man and Developmental Venus

Venus becomes developmentally activated from the age of 14 to 22, roughly the ages of sexual development. During Dahmer’s adolescence he went from the Mercurial highly curious boy of Mercury in the 9th, to the withdrawn, secretive, Saturnine Venus in the 8th. This brought very vivid sexual fantasies of necrophilia.

Mercury

Mercury was used by many for the character and moral disposition, including Masha’allah, Abu’ali, and Ptolemy, among others.

Mutability and Confusion

Mercury is not necessarily strong for intellect in Virgo or Gemini. Mercury in a common (i.e. mutable) sign, such as Virgo or Gemini, was said to signify a small but quick intellect, liable to anger. It indicates an unstable mind, that has trouble with perseverance. This is in contrast to the extremely honorable intellect of Mercury in a fixed sign. It also differs from the confidence, quick grasp, enthusiasm, and good-speaking ability of Mercury in a moveable (i.e. cardinal) sign. This is a rather weak indication though, as there have been a number of great geniuses with Mercury in mutable signs (especially Sagittarius and Pisces as Jupiter connects gain to the intellect).

Out of Sect and Closely Aspected by Mars

Dahmer’s Mercury is out of sect, though in a somewhat good place (the 9th). It is applying to Mars, and scrutinized by Mars in a very close application in which Mars overcomes Mercury. There is a vast range with Mercury in terms of benefic thru malefic significations. Mercury is somewhat weakened though, particularly for intellectual activities from the mutability. There is also weakness due to its cadency and from combustion (it is under the Sun’s beams).

Deceitful Intentions

Dahmer was said to be a relatively good student as a youth. However, he didn’t pursue higher education and was not an intellectual. Overall, his intellectual abilities were capable enough to allow him to commit murder and cover his tracks over many years. He used his intellect in ways that were particularly maligned. His focus was on deceit, from drugging men at clubs to take advantage of them, to secretly raping, murdering, and even eating men. In a sense, the chart reveals Mercury to be most active as an accomplice of Mars, as it applies to Mars which overcomes it. Combustion may be signifying the way his intentions were kept “obscured”.

The Dominant Planet

The Setting Moon

The Moon happens to also be the dominant planet in the chart. She is strongly advancing in the same degree as the Descendant. Mars, Saturn, and to a much lesser extent, Jupiter, are also quite dominant by being in the stakes. However, the Moon is in a stake and generally strong, conjunct the angle.

The Moon is the planet signifying the irrational mind. This is the mind that later came to be called the subconscious. The Moon has an extremely strong influence in the life. It is as if she is broadcasting from a loudspeaker all over the life. This makes Dahmer particularly attuned to her very subjective, vivid, irrational influences.

Reflecting the Malefics

The Moon is co-present with Mars so her significations are mixed with Mars. According to Serapio, the planet in the earlier zodiacal degree is typically more influential when two planets are in the same sign (a type of overcoming). The Moon is also ruled by Mars so the Moon is strongly influenced by Mars.

The Moon is also in the bound of Mercury, but Saturn, which is dominating her from the 4th (within 3*) is a much more direct influence. Overall, the out of sect Moon is overwhelmed by the influences of Mars and Saturn. The irrational impulses are pulled along malefic violent and macabre dimensions.

Moon-Mars in the House of Partners

The Moon is in the 7th which pertains to encounters with others, especially romantic partners. Mars rules and occupies the place, while Saturn dominates the place. Both Mars and Saturn are in “stakes” and thus very strongly important to Dahmer. However, both are retreating, thus they are private, moving behind the scenes, avoiding any loud broadcasting of their significations. The Moon, in contrast, is blaring her peculiar lunar energy across the life. She is the vehicle through which Mars and Saturn find entrance into the life.

The Moon and Mom

Interestingly, some focal issues in Dahmer’s early life revolved around his mother’s anxiety and combativeness. This created a lot of stress in his home. His first murder happened just after high school at a time when his mother unexpectedly left him in the house alone for an extended period of time. The Mars-Moon has some symbolism regarding mental illness, particularly anxiety. His mother’s anxiety disorder is vividly symbolized as Mars shows an overload of energy. Mars-Moon also symbolizes Dahmer’s unconscious need (Moon) for violence (Mars) against partners (7th house).

Conclusion

Dahmer can be most strongly identified with a strong Venus-Saturn configuration between the 8th and 4th houses. A Venus made malefic showing a dark overly indulgent type. He was driven by a cold and macabre sense of sexuality and beauty.

Pulled by Venus into sensual indulgence, the strong lunar influence upon his life saw him embracing irrational impulses. The nature of the irrational mind and sense of beauty are colored predominantly by the malefics. Themes of violence and the macabre are particularly prominent.

The personality is overall phlegmatic and melancholic. He is somewhat feminine (through Venus), coolly frank (through Saturn), with a touch of joviality (through Jupiter).

Ted Turner: Aggressively Ambitious and Gregarious Mercury

Ruler of the 1st

A Very Benefic Jupiter

Jupiter is the ruler of the 1st and is the sect benefic. He is in the 3rd of siblings, communications, journalism, current events, and transportation. Jupiter naturally signifies a cheerful disposition, charisma, faith/positivity, and a desire to seek greater truth. He is natually benefic and here is also in sect and dominated by Venus. Therefore, this is a very gregarious and positive Jupiter indeed.

Ted Turner’s Natal Chart

A Connected and Choleric Jupiter

Jupiter is influenced by many planets. He is very closely dominated by the Sun, but also dominated by Venus, closely overcome by the Moon (trine), overcome by Mercury (sextile), and overcome by Mars (trine). Jupiter is in the bound of Mars and the domicile and triplicity of Saturn. Therefore, there is quite a lot going on with Jupiter, which is in a relationship with every planet in the chart.

Jupiter is most dominantly influenced by the Sun, then Mars, then Venus. In my opinion, this brings out a much more choleric or ambitious Jupiter but one with aesthetic dimensions. Jupiter is not particularly prominent (cadent, retreating). However, it is relevant to eminence through its close regard by the Lights. Its weakness is also counter-acted by the strong advance of Mars and Saturn, its rulers, in the chart.

The Popular Sibling

Overall, we expect a cheerful, gregarious, likable personality, but one a bit heated and geared toward power plays. He values style and sensuality. There is a particular connection to matters of communications and/or journalism (the 3rd).

The Dominant Planet

Mercury Rising

Mercury is the dominant planet in the chart. It’s strongly advancing towards the Ascendant and is in the 1st. Mercury is in its own bound, reinforcing Mercury’s natural significations relating to news and communications. It is also the natural significator of business and commerce and is in the sign of Jupiter.

Mercury is out of sect, and very closely overcome by Mars, so Mercury can pertain to malefic significations, despite position in the very good 1st place. There is a broad range of good and bad significations. Negative significations relevant to character are tied to Mars in the 11th of friends and popularity. This can pertain to a propensity for aggressive speech, words reflecting bad on one’s character or creating problems in friendships. It may even show deception. The most well-known manifestation in Turner’s life has been a propensity to put his foot in his mouth and make controversial public statements. There is both a Jupiterian casual humor and a bit of Mercury’s more mischievous side. Mars makes the mind very keen, intense, and aggressive. It may be difficult to turn off or control the chatter.

The Moon

The Moon is out of sect, in the bound of Mars, co-present with Mars, and opposed by Saturn. Therefore, the Moon can signify very difficult matters. The Moon is in the 11th, which is one of the most benefic places of the chart so there is a range, but the Moon can be difficult.

Overall the Moon is somewhat torn between the venusian Mars and the martial Saturn. Mars in Libra in the 11th showing an overt hot ambition, particularly for popularity, achievement, and sensual pleasure. Saturn showing heated obligations, restrictions, and responsibilities. The Moon, Mars, and Saturn are in the most benefic places in the chart, the 11th and 5th, but we expect difficulties in mental extremes from the malefics. There is a weight on a subconscious level and a choleric temperament of great restlessness. Most problematic from the influence of the malefics may be matters of friends, children, romance, and personal leisure.

Conclusion

Mercury plays a huge role in characterizing Ted Turner as someone constantly involved in media, analysis, and business. The role of Jupiter is also very strong and important to self-identification. Both are particularly choleric (ambitious, domineering).

We expect someone who is fast-thinking and busy. He is curious, mischievous, and aggressively ambitious, particularly when it comes to opinions, commerce, and technology. The identification with Jupiter bring an over-arching benefic sense to the personality of wanting to do good, help out, and expose truth.

The combination of Jupiter and Mercury makes for a very gregarious and humorous personality overall – a mix of the sanguine and the choleric. The tendency to domineering speech is shown by Mars overcoming Mercury and the sheer prominence of Mercury. However, as Mercury is in a mutable sign and ruled by a cadent retreating planet, there may be a tendency for more chatter than substance.

References

Masha’allah, & al-Khayyat, A. ’Ali. (2009). Persian Nativities I: Masha’allah and Abu ’Ali. (B. N. Dykes, Trans.). Minneapolis, MN: The Cazimi Press.

Image Attribution

Cropped image of a derivative work by wikimedia user Zenman from an original image by user cliff1066. Image is of a mask by the Wee peoples, Côte d’Ivoire, Late 19th to mid-20th century.