Planetary Days and Hours in Hellenistic Astrology

Posted on January 25, 2019 by Ant

The Days of the Week

Why is the day of Mercury (Wednesday) followed by the day of Jupiter (Thursday), rather than by that of the Moon (Monday) as would be expected from the order of the planets (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, the Moon)? Planetary hours are the key. Planetary hours were part of Hellenistic astrology. Their use was advocated by Vettius Valens (2nd century CE) and his material on them has some very interesting elements.

Seasonal Hours

The ordering of the week pertains to the Hellenistic practice of putting the 24 hours of the day under the dominion of each of the planets in order. The ancient Egyptians and Babylonians divided the day into 24 hours, but based on the length of day and of night. They did so by dividing the time from sunrise to sunset into 12 equal hours, and that from sunset to sunrise into another 12 equal hours. These are called the seasonal hours as they vary in length depending on the given season (day hours are longer in the summer but shorter in the winter).

Injecting the Planets

There is some controversy over who started putting the hours under the dominion of the planets. Rutgers sociology professor Eviatar Zerubavel in his book on the history of the week asserted that it wasn’t until the Hellenistic period that the practice started occurring. His dating, around the 2nd century BCE, puts the advent of planetary hours in roughly the same period as the Antikythera mechanism and the origins of horoscopic astrology.

“However, while the Chaldean origin of astrology is indisputable, there is no evidence that an actual astrological seven-day cycle ever existed in Mesopotamia. While the planetary theory most probably evolved around 500 B.C. and the earliest Babylonian horoscope dates from 409 B.C., not one instance of a particular day being designated as “the day of the moon” or “the day of Venus,” for example, has yet been found in pre-Hellenistic horoscopes.” (Zerubavel, 1989, p. 14)

Finding the Day

The planetary hour system is the source for the planetary days and the seven days of the week. According to English classics scholar Leofranc Holford-Strevens, “the week as we know it is the fusion of two conceptually different cycles: the planetary week, originally beginning on Saturday, derived from Hellenistic astrology, and the Judaeo-Christian week, properly beginning on Sunday” (p. 64).

There are 7 planets and 24 hours which cycle through them. This means that all 7 planets cycle through three times with 3 hours remaining (3 times 7 is 21; 24 minus 21 leaves a remainder of 3). Therefore, the 25th hour, or 1st hour of the next day, starts with the 4th planet in order from your (inclusive) starting planet. The 22nd, 23rd, and 24th hours of the Mercury day (Wednesday) are the hours of Mercury, the Moon, and Saturn respectively. The first hour of the next day is that of Jupiter (Thursday), the planet which follows Saturn.

In this way, you always skip two planets after your starting planet to get to the next day. If today is the day of Jupiter (Thursday), then skip Mars and the Sun, giving you Venus (Friday) as the day tomorrow.

The Heptagram

The heptagram, a seven-pointed star, once served as convenient aid for remembering the order of the days of the week. The planets are inscribed in the “Chaldean” order clockwise around the outside. Following the inside lines in clockwise order yields the order of the days of the week.

Weekday Heptagram

“The ancients used a simple device for keeping track of the proper names of the hours and days in relation to the planet gods. They used a seven-sided figure, with each vertex marked with a planet’s name in the proper order. Archaeologists found one of these wheels drawn as graffiti on a wall when they excavated Pompeii.” (Duncan, 1998, p. 58)

Adoption of the Week

The seven day week was rather foreign to Romans prior to Constantine. It was known of since the time of Augustus (1st century CE) but Romans favored other systems for organizing the days. The Roman emperor, Constantine I, whose mother was Christian, ruled in the early 4th century CE. He is best known for ending the persecution of Christians, legalizing Christianity, convening the First Council of Nicaea, and himself converting. His influence on the calendar is felt to this day, around the world, in his adoption of the seven day Christian week and the planetary naming conventions of Hellenistic astrology.

Constantine also set dies Solis, the day of the Sun, as the day of rest and worship. That change may have upset some Jewish Romans, and even some Christians, as the Sabbath was the last day of the week, our Saturday. However, Christians held that Jesus was crucified on the 6th day (Friday) and was resurrected on the third from that (Sunday), so the first day of the week (our Sunday) became their holy day. It is thought that Constantine’s setting aside the day of the Sun was also an attempt to curry favor from the many Sun worshipers of the empire, including Mithraists. Constantine was also known to equate himself to the god Sol Invictus (unconquerable Sun) throughout his life despite his embrace of Christianity.

Naming of the Days

The names for the days of the weeks in many European countries come straight from the Roman days for the corresponding planets (but often with Sunday modified to the Lord’s day). However, the British resisted the seven day scheme until the Anglo-Saxon conquests of the 5th century inspired them to take up the Roman custom but with a twist. They inserted their own corresponding Germanic (Norse) gods in place of the Roman ones for four of the days of the week. Tuesday was named for Tiw, god of war (according to some), corresponding to Mars. Wednesday was named for Woden, god of wisdom and poetry, corresponding to Mercury. Thursday was named for Thor, god of lightning and protection, corresponding to Jupiter. Friday was named for Freya, god of love, corresponding to Venus.

When Does the Day Start?

Do you start the day with sunrise or sunset? This is a bit controversial. Our civil day comes from the Romans who started the day at midnight. By contrast, the Egyptians started their day at sunrise. However, the Babylonians and ancient Greeks (including Greek Egyptians) started theirs at sunset. The Wikipedia article on planetary hours, as of this writing, cites Valens as support for the start of the day at sunset, which requires a bit of explaining.

Valens Book I Ch. 9P

Valens’ explanation of planetary hours is slightly confusing due to the fact that he says he will use as an example the first hour of the night on a given date. But then he goes on to find the day as a Mercury day, with its first hour belonging to Mercury. I think this interpolation between this example and its assumed solution is what gave some readers the impression Valens started the day at sunset. However, Valens then goes on to enumerate the hours of that day and that night, specifically citing that the first hour of the night is that of the Sun. The fact that his day is that of Mercury and the first house of the night is that of the Sun clearly imply a day starting at sunrise. In fact, it is in the next chapter that Valens returns to the same example and specifies that the day is Mercury and hour is the Sun (see quote below). The attribution that Valens used days starting at sunset is a clearly false one.

Planetary Days, Hours, Years, and Months in Hellenistic Astrology

It is interesting that Valens started the day at sunrise for astrological purposes, like the Egyptians, but in contrast to the sunset custom of the Greeks and Babylonians. Very few Hellenistic astrologers mentioned planetary days and hours or their astrological significance. The use of the days and hours became more popular in the later medieval period, and then they also used a sunrise start time. However, Valens did consider these planetary periods to be significant astrologically. He even looked at planetary years and months as well.

Valens on Planetary Years and Months

Due to the use of Egyptian month names, Valens description for finding planetary months and years can be confusing. However, the principle appears to be very simple and is the same as that for planetary days. The ruler of the first planetary day of the month is the ruler of the planetary month. Similarly, the ruler of the first planetary day of the year is the ruler of the planetary year. In otherwords, they all follow from the progression of hours, just like the days of the week did. Valens set this out in Book I, Ch. 10P.

Years and the Progression of Days

January 1st of 2019 falls on a Tuesday, making this a year and month of Mars. 2018 was a year of the Moon, and 2017 that of the Sun. Apart from years following leap years, we move to the next planet in the order of the days of the week each year, which is why 2020 will fall to Mercury (Wednesday follows Tuesday). As 2020 is a leap year, 2021 will skip a planet in the day of the week order, going to Venus (i.e. the first of the year falls on a Friday).

The reason for this annual progression to the next day of the week is due to the fact that 364 is a multiple of 7. Therefore, 365th day of the year falls to the same planet as the first day of the year. Similarly, the first day of the new year will be the day that follows the first day of the last new year. When there is a leap year, then there are 366 days in the year, so the new year involves skipping a day.

What is the Alexandrian Calendar?

Vettius Valens used the Alexandrian calendar. What is the Alexandrian calendar? It was a reformed Egyptian calendar as initiated by the Roman emperor Augustus after his defeat of Antony and Cleopatra in 30 BCE. He had Egypt start using this new calendar starting on the Julian date of the 29th of August 23 BCE, which would become the Egyptian new year (1st day of the month of Thoth), with 365 days in the calendar, and a 366 day leap year every 4 years. The Alexandrian year consisted of 12 months of 30 days, with 5 (6 on a leap year) days appended at the end of the year.

“A consequence of this reform is that the years of the modified calendar keep in exact register with those of the Julian calendar. Each Alexandrian year begins on 29 August except every four years when, in the year preceding the Julian beissextile years, it begins on 30 August.” (Richards, 1998, p. 157)

Alexandrian vs. Egyptian Calendar

It is important to keep in mind that Valens used the Alexandrian calendar, not the older Egyptian calendar, as both used the same month names. This is because the Alexandrian calendar had leap years and kept step with the Julian calendar. The Egyptian calendar had lacked leap years despite the best efforts of Ptolemy III in the 3rd century BCE to have them inserted, a change the priesthood would not abide.

“It is useful to distinguish this modified calendar from the original Egyptian civil calendar by calling the former the ‘Egyptian calendar’ and the latter the ‘Alexandrian calendar’.” (Richards, 1998, p. 157)

Note that there was also a more complicated Egyptian lunar calendar with alternating 30 and 29 day months, but this was not used by Valens as his months are all 30 days in length.

The Valens Methodology

The Alexandrian year was much like ours, 365 days with a leap year every 4 years. This Julian-based system of years is being referred to by Valens when he noted the number of leap years as 36 after 148 years of the Augustan era. 148 divided by 4 is 37, but the first year was not a leap year, so 36 leap years had occurred. Keep in mind that the Alexandrian calendar is like ours and that our calendar results in the next day of the week starting each successive year, except for a skip after leap years.

“If you want to know the houseruler of the year, calculate in the same way. To continue with the previous example: the full years of the Augustan era are 148, the leap years are 36, plus the one day of Thoth 1, for a total of 185. I divide by 7 for a result of 26, remainder 3. Count this <3> from the sun’s <day>. The year goes to Mars.” (Valens, Book I, Ch. 10P,Riley trans., 2010, p. 12)

Unpacking

Let’s unpack this dense passage. Note that Valens starts the first day of the first year of the era as a day going to the Sun. Each year will push to the next planet, but each leap year will push it one further. Therefore, he adds the number of years to the number of leap years, yielding 184. As he is counting inclusive of the first year (that of the Sun) he also adds the first of his current year to the total (Thoth 1) yielding 185. 185 divided by 7 is 26 with a remainder of 3. Therefore, we end on the third day from Sunday, inclusive of Sunday itself (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday). This lands us on Tuesday, the day of Mars, for the first of the current year.

After the passage above, Valens noted that with his 30 day months he could pretty easily find the planet of the month because it will always be the third day of the previous month (i.e. go forward in skips). He was examining the 6th month and already noted that the first month (first of the year) went to Mars (Tuesday). So the first month went to Tuesday, the second to Thursday, the third to Saturday, the fourth to Monday, and the fifth to Wednesday. Therefore, the 6th month (Mechir) started with a Friday, giving the month to Venus. He then proceeded to find the day from there.

A Note on the Project Hindsight Translation of Valens

The 36 extra leap year days are called “intercalary days” in the Project Hindsight translation. The more correct translation is the number of “leap years” as given the in Riley translation. Intercalary days is ambiguous as it is more typically used to refer to the 5 days appended at the end of the Egyptian year, which is clearly not Valens’ reference in this instance. As noted, Valens clearly used an Alexandrian calendar with a full year of 365 days (and a quarter accounted for with leap years). The only time Valens used a year of 360 days was specifically as a period for a natal predictive technique now known as zodiacal releasing (“the distribution”).

“Since the universal year has 365 1/4 days, while the year with respect to the distribution has 360, we subtract the 5 intercalary days and the one-fourth of a day, then we find the number of years. Only then will we make the distribution.” (Valens, Book IV, Ch. 9, Riley trans. 2010, p. 75)

The Astrological Use of Planetary Hours, Days, Months, and Years

Valens considered the planetary year, month, day, and hour rulers to be astrologically significant.

“Since the ruler of the year is Mars, of the month, Venus, of the day, Mercury, and of the hour, the sun, it will be necessary to examine how these stars are situated at the nativity. If they are in their proper places and proper sect, they indicate activity/occupation, especially when the ruler of the year happens to be transiting the current year, the ruler of the month transiting the current month, and the ruler of the day transiting the current day. If however they are unfavorably situated and have malefics in aspect, they indicate reversals and upsets.” (Valens, Book I, Ch. 10P, Riley trans., 2010, p. 12)

The impression is that the example given by Valens is that of someone’s birthday (most likely Valens’ own). The planetary year, month, day, and hour in which we are born is important to Valens. He instructs us to look at the natal state of those planets by sect and place. For prediction he also advised to look at the interactions between the period rulers at birth and those of the current time periods.

Mechir 13: Valens’ Birthday

Mechir 13 is most likely Valens own birthday, as the date Mechir 13 comes up repeatedly in the text. David Pingree claimed Valens included his own chart with a Feb. 8th, 120 birthday. The date is given as Hadrian year 4, meaning the 4th year of the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian, which would have been 120 CE. Normally, Mechir 7 would fall on Julian Feb. 1st, with Mechir 13 corresponding to Julian Feb. 7th. However, on a leap year Julian Feb. 1st corresponded to Mechir 6, putting Mechir 13 at Feb. 8th. Therefore, Valens appears to have been born under a Mars year, Venus month, Mercury day, and Sun hour. He was born in the first seasonal hour after sunset.

Greek Egyptians would have reckoned a new day from sunset. This may be why Valens puts the date as Mechir 13/14 at one point in his text, as he was born an hour after sunset. Astrologically he was still Mechir 13, but by the civic calendar he would have been Mechir 14.

Valens’ Chart Data

Reading other passages pertaining to this Mechir 13-born native, who comes up again and again, we find more about Valens’ chart. He was born with Virgo rising, Mars in the Ascendant, Mercury (Asc lord) and the Sun in Aquarius in VI, and Moon in Scorpio in III. He also had a strong cardinal configuration of Saturn in Cancer in XI, dominating Jupiter in Libra in II, in turn dominating Venus in Capricorn in V (opposed to Saturn).

“An example: sun, Mercury in Aquarius, moon in Scorpio, Saturn in Cancer, Jupiter in Libra, Venus in Capricorn, Mars, Ascendant in Virgo.” (Valens, Book II, Ch. 31P, Riley trans., 2010, p. 44)

Valens repeatedly mentions that this person has the Sun at 22° Aquarius and Moon at 7° Scorpio.

“For example: Hadrian year 4, Mechir 13, the first hour of the night. The sun was in Aquarius 22°, the moon is Scorpio 7°” (Valens, Book I, Ch. 4, Riley trans., 2010, p. 9)

“For example, so that my readers may understand the determination: Hadrian year 4, Mechir 13/14, hour 1 of the night; the moon in Scorpio 7°, the Ascendant in Virgo 7°.” (Valens, Book I, Ch. 21P, Riley trans., 2010, p. 23)

Valens Chart

Valens used sidereal tables for his chart calculations and they were known to have a little bit of error. Given Valens notes about Virgo rising and being born in the first hour of the night, his Ascendant would have to be early in Virgo. Virgo does not begin to rise until near the end of the first hour.

Best Estimate of the Birth Chart of Vettius Valens – Sidereal Chart – Raman Ayanamsha

Note on Ayanamsha

I initially calculated his chart in the Fagan-Bradley ayanamsha. The positions are pretty close but the error in the Sun position makes it clear that the difference from the tropical zodiac of his sidereal tables was significantly greater than that of Fagan-Bradley ayanamsha. For this reason, I include the Fagan-Bradley chart further below but only for reference. It is not an accurate reflection of the sidereal tables available to Valens.

I’ve calculated the sidereal chart with the Raman ayanamsha because it best reflects the sidereal tables Valens used. Valens reported the Sun at 22° Aquarius, consistent with Raman, while Fagan-Bradley would put it at 19º Aquarius. We would not expect to have significant sidereal error for the Sun’s position. Therefore, the Raman ayanamsha best reflects the sidereal tables Valens relied upon.

Timing

With the Raman ayanamsha, Virgo begins rising at approx. 6:10 pm and the first hour of the night ends at approx. 6:42 pm. The time I use below is less than 5 minutes before the end of the first hour and about 30 minutes after Virgo started rising, so it is a good approximation. Note that Valens reported his own Ascendant to be 7° Virgo. The second hour of the night actually starts while 6° Virgo is still rising. Therefore, there was some amount of error in his calculation of his Ascendant. The Raman ayanamsha chart below has 6° Virgo rising.

Tropical Difference and Sidereal Error

Somewhat shockingly, Valens was using sidereal tables that were about 4 degrees off from tropical positions. Significantly, they were also almost 3 degrees off from typical sidereal positions used today, including Fagan-Bradley and Lahiri. This was at a time when the tropical and sidereal zodiacs are said to have nearly coincided. If the Fagan-Bradley ayanamsha accurately reflects the original sidereal calculations of the Babylonians (as is claimed), then the sidereal tables of Valens’s time had accumulated significant error.

Charts

Valens was born with 4 retrograde planets! Jupiter stationed retrograde within 24 hours of his birth, while Mercury would station direct within 2 days after his birth and is in phasis.

The Fagan-Bradley chart below is not an accurate reflection of the sidereal tables used by Valens as indicated by the 3 degree error in Sun position from that given by Valens. However, it is included as it better accords with typical sidereal standards today. Most western siderealists use the Fagan-Bradley ayanamsha while most Indian siderealists use one close to it within about a degree.

Valens Estimated Sidereal Birth Chart with Fagan-Bradley Ayanamsha

I include the tropical chart below too, just for those interested in analyzing it. However, Mercury and Saturn end up in different signs in it than those given by Valens.

Note on Planetary Day/Hour

Note that my software gave us the wrong planetary day and hour for Valens. The calculation is a day off in terms of planetary days. Valens was born on a Mercury day (Wednesday) and Sun hour, but from our current ordering of days he was born on a Jupiter day (Thursday) and Moon hour. As noted, the Romans officially adopted the seven day week and the naming scheme of planetary days with Constantine in the early 4th century CE, long after the time of Valens. I am told by reader Ricardo Carmona that the Hellenistic astrology program, Delphic Oracle, calculates the correct (Mercury day) for Valens.

Starting Date for Planetary Months and Years

There can be multiple “years” and “months” considered. For instance, Valens noted he is taking the ruler from the start of the first day of the month of Thoth in the Alexandrian calendar (Julian Aug. 29th). He said he does this because it how the old astrologers found the ruler of the year. This is interesting as it suggests that some of his sources used planetary hours, days, months, and years. However, Valens also instructed that he thinks it would be more natural to use the heliacal rising of Sirius (original start of the Egyptian year) as the first of the year. Similarly, we might consider January 1st the first day of our civic year and/or the spring equinox as the first day of our astrological year.

Vettius Valens – Estimated Tropical Birth Chart – Mercury and Saturn change signs

Finding Your Own Planetary Hours

Finding the planetary day is trivial. It is your day of the week converted to its ruling planet. Sunday, Monday, and Saturday are easy as ruled by the Sun, Moon, and Saturn respectively. Tuesday goes to Mars, Wednesday to Mercury, Thursday to Jupiter, and Friday to Venus.

It is not very difficult to figure out planetary hours either. If you know your local sunrise and sunset times, then you can figure out the length of the day and of the night. Dividing each by 12 will give you the length of each hour. The hours start with the ruler of the day at sunrise. But be aware that a new day doesn’t start until sunrise, so 4 am on a Tuesday morning is actually a Monday night in the context of this system.

For those who want a quicker and easier reference, there a number of websites with applets. Here is a link to an easy one.

Conclusion

I have at times found the planetary days and hours to be useful. They are relatively popular in the western magickal tradition. In that traditional they are mainly used for electing times to perform rituals. I’ve found that they can occasionally be helpful in natal astrology as well. Their early treatment by Valens should inspire more experimentation by traditional astrologers.

I have not experimented at all with the planetary years and months noted by Valens. This year is a year of Mars. Time will tell if the scheme for universal years according to the local civic calendar will prove useful.

References

Duncan, D. E. (1998). Calendar:: Humanity’s Epic Struggle To Determine A True And Accurate Year. HarperCollins. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=HeiWQgAACAAJ

Holford-Strevens, L. (2005). The History of Time: A Very Short Introduction. OUP Oxford. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=Pv1NveUL0O4C

Richards, E. G. (1998). Mapping Time: The Calendar and Its History. Oxford University Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=GqXDQgAACAAJ

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

Zerubavel, E. (1989). The Seven Day Circle: The History and Meaning of the Week. University of Chicago Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=Cd5ZjRsNj4sC

Image Attributions

Featured image is in the public domain. It is a portion of “Elevazione dell’Anfiteatro di Statilio Tauro, e degli altri edifizi che gli eran vicini” (1762) by Giovanni Battista Piranesi. It depicts the Solarium Augusti.

Weekday heptagram by Ant Allen from Wikipedia Commons

03/13/2019 Update:

Thanks to reader Ricardo Carmona the coordinates for Antioch have been corrected on the charts of Vettius Valens. Coordinates in original article were for the city Antioch in the US which was erroneous (and embarrassing). Thankfully, there was not a very significant impact on the estimated sidereal due to similarity in latitude. The biggest change is that the Moon is a little earlier in Scorpio than in the previous estimate due to change in longitude. I’ve also added the sidereal chart in the Raman ayanamsha which evidently reflects the sidereal tables available to Valens which much greater accuracy. This gives us a better glimpse into how the chart positions would have looked to Valens.

Traditional Astrology of Death | Elizabeth Taylor

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Anthony

Introduction

Death is one of the most significant events of any life. Like many people, I was initially skeptical that astrological indications are provided at the time of death. When I started intensively studying astrology, but before studying traditional astrology, I would carefully examine the timing of celebrity deaths. I pored over the transits for some cogent sign of the end. I was surprised to find that exact symbolic transits were rather rare. Occasionally, there would be a particularly telling transit, but it would often involve the Moon, which would make the same transit each month.

Of course in those days, I was fixated on transits and progressions. I did not understand planetary periods and time lords. At that time, I didn’t understand the natal chart much beyond “personality”. Now I understand that predictive indications must reflect natal indications of death. Everyone has various indications of death in their own charts, and everyone dies eventually.

For transits and other predictive techniques to make sense they must reflect natal indications of death. Those natal indications must also be reinforced through numerous layers of similar symbolic activation. Activation gives transits “meaning”.

Traditional Astrology and Death

Getting into traditional astrology, I deeply researched the techniques given by Robert Zoller in his DMA course. Zoller’s approach to the astrology of death largely revolved around the techniques of Bonatti (13th century CE). It also included elaborations of a technique involving primary directions made popular by Ptolemy (2nd century CE). In my own research, I went from doubt, to enthusiasm, to renewed doubt, about such techniques.

From there I researched Bonatti’s sources. His sources were primarily Perso-Arabic astrologers of the last few centuries of the first millennium of the common era. I started to get a sense of a greater diversity of opinion existing in the older texts as compared with the late Middle Ages where things became more homogenized. Finally, reaching back into the earliest surviving strata of horoscopic astrology, Hellenistic astrology, my suspicions were confirmed. It became clear that there was a diverse wealth of material on death in Hellenistic astrology. This material still needs exploration, testing, refinement, and synthesis.

Prior Analyses

In this series, I have, so far, worked in broad and general strokes, looking at fundamental symbols of death in the chart. You will notice that I’ve ignored some of the more particular special techniques for longevity. I will continue such a trend with this article on Elizabeth Taylor (analyzed by request of a reader). The approach follows along similar lines of analysis as my prior articles on the subject.

Initially, I looked at the death of Whitney Houston, with an additional focal analysis of primary directions. I also looked at the shocking death of Marvin Gaye at the hands of his own father on the day of his solar return. Additionally, I examined the death of Donna Summer, a death by cancer at age 63, which included a look at zodiacal releasing. Now we turn to Elizabeth Taylor who lived to 79 years of age, dying of congestive heart failure.

Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor was born on February 27th, 1932 at 2:30 am in London, England (birth data rated AA for accuracy). Her chart is pictured below with twelfth-part positions and then again with a few choice lots.

Liz Taylor’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts

Elizabeth Taylor’s Natal Chart with Choice Lots

Profession

For those who have followed my series on the professional significator, you will notice that Venus is the clear choice.

She is is strongly advancing conjunct an angle (adhering to the IC), in a succedent house, rules the bound of the Ascendant, and closely aspects the Ascendant. Venus also rules the sign of the MC, and has triplicity in the 10th. Additionally, she is the ruler of the twelfth-parts of the Ascendant, Sun, Moon, Fortune, Mercury, and Venus.

That Venus is scrutinized by Jupiter adds an additional sense of opportunity, elevation, and fortune to her significations. Venus, goddess of love and beauty, pertains to a profession relating to aesthetics, the arts, and/or entertainment.

Death

As with the death of Donna Summer, Taylor’s death was not a sudden dramatic affair. It was a relatively peaceful death by congestive heart failure at the advanced age of 79.

Significators

As we look at her death, it will be important to first identify some of the more difficult areas of the chart, particularly as they relate to health and the body. The Ascendant and the Lights, particularly the sect light, are important in terms of health. Also, Valens noted some important points in Book II, Ch. 41 of his anthology that become relevant for the matter of the type of death. These include the prenatal syzygy (i.e. the position of the new or full moon preceding the birth), the 7th place, the 8th place, the 8th place from Fortune, and Fortune itself.

The 4th place is also noted as significant with regards to death by Valens and many other authors. Additionally, there is the Hellenistic Lot of Death, which is taken by day or night, as the distance from the Moon to the start of the 8th sign, projected from Saturn. In terms of the planets, Saturn is the one that naturally signifies death. Let’s look at these factors in Taylor’s chart.

The Moon in Scorpio XII

The sect light, the Moon, is in the 12th place, Scorpio, in her fall, squared by Saturn in Aquarius, and ruled by Mars. This is among the more difficult configurations in the chart as the 12th place is also the Place of Affliction (Injury) and the 8th from Fortune. Additionally, the Moon rules the 8th house, Cancer, and the Moon’s twelfth-part is in the 6th house of illness.

Mars

The Sun, symbolic of vitality, is with Mars, in Pisces, the 4th house. Mars is also with Mercury, the ruler of the prenatal syzygy and Lot of Death. The prenatal syzygy of the chart is at 2 Virgo, opposed by Mars within a degree. Therefore, while Mars is in sect, it is still an important planet to watch in terms of death and threats to the health.

Liz Taylor’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts

Jupiter-Saturn

Jupiter rules the Ascendant and in Leo is in opposition to Saturn in Aquarius in the chart. Jupiter is the lord of the Ascendant (self/body) and Saturn is the out of sect malefic (malefic with least regard for the self). Their relationship is reinforced by the conjunction of the twelfth-parts of both planets in Aquarius.

Virgo-Mercury

Virgo is of interest because it is the place of death by lot (14 Virgo). It is also the sign of the prenatal syzygy (the Full Moon at 2 Virgo that preceded Taylor’s birth). Mercury rules the sign but opposes it, and is cazimi the Sun.

Planetary Years

Liz Taylor died at age 79, in her 80th year, so we are particularly interested in the activation of planets by planetary years which pertain to 79 or 80.

Summing to 79

Looking at 79, some activated planetary combinations include Saturn-Sun (30+30+19), Mars-Sun (15+15+15+15+19), Saturn-Mars-Sun (30+15+15+19), Mercury-Sun (20+20+20+19), and Jupiter-Sun (12+12+12+12+12+19). The Sun and Saturn don’t aspect each other, nor rule each other, so that activation is less signification. It is similar with Saturn and Mars. Therefore, the Mars-Sun activation is particularly significant for our purposes. Mars and the Sun are together in the chart and relevant for health and death.

Summing to 80

Looking at 80, some activated planetary combinations include Mercury (20+20+20+20), Mars-Moon (15+15+25+25), Saturn-Moon (30+25+25), Saturn-Mercury (30+30+20), Mars-Mercury (15+15+15+15+20), Venus (8*10), and so forth. There are a lot of ways that combinations of planetary years fit into 80. However, for our purposes we are most concerned about combinations that involve natal configurations (rulership or aspect). The Mars-Moon activation is significant of the Moon in the 12th in Scorpio. The Mars-Mercury one is significant due to the conjunction of Mars and Mercury in the 4th house. The Moon doesn’t have a strong relationship with Saturn. Neither does Mercury.

Mars-Sun; Mars-Moon; Mars-Mercury

In conclusion, for the year of death we are interested in the activation of Mars as it relates to the Sun, Moon, and Mercury.

Liz Taylor’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts

Zodiacal Releasing

Releasing from Fortune was noted by Valens as significant for matters of health.

The four levels of zodiacal releasing from Fortune at the time of death (1:30 am on March 23, 2011 in Los Angeles, CA) are:

1. Leo

2. Aries

3. Cancer

4. Cancer

Elizabeth Taylor’s Zodiacal Releasing Periods

Levels I and I: The Sun transmits to Mars

As mentioned near the end of last article, the emphasis is on the first two levels. The lord of the sign of level 1 transmits to the lord of the sign of level 2. In this case, what we have is the Sun transmitting to Mars. This is interesting from the standpoint of a luminary, showing power and vitality, passing off to a malefic, showing harm. It is also interesting from the standpoint of activating the Sun-Mars conjunction in the chart. You’ll recall that the Sun-Mars configuration is one of the configurations of harm in the natal chart that was highlighted by planetary years.

Liz Taylor’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts

Mars transmits to the Moon

We then see Mars transmit to the Moon (Aries to Cancer). You’ll recall that the Mars-ruled Moon is a key factor pertaining to death in the chart and was highlighted by the planetary years. Zeroing in on the day of death we find that occurred just a couple days after the switch to L3 Cancer, so L4 was still in Cancer as well. The Moon transmits to itself (Cancer to Cancer). That Cancer is highlighted in the shorter periods around the death is very significant. Cancer is the place of death (8th house) in the chart, and Cancer’s ruler, the Moon, is in the 8th place from Fortune.

As we’ll see when we get to transits, the Moon-Mars relationship also shows up strongly at the time of death. The death occurred on a lunar return in Scorpio with the Moon in partile aspect to transiting Mars.

Notes on Zodiacal Releasing

In conclusion, the zodiacal releasing of the second level (December 2010 to February 2012) highlighted a sense of vitality and heart (the Sun rules the heart) undergoing turmoil or violence (Mars). It was an activation of the natal Sun-Mars conjunction, also highlighted by planetary years. The third level, Cancer, started on March 21st, 2011, and activated the natal Moon-Mars relationship. Mars transmits to the Moon and activates two houses with particular relevance for death (the 8th, Cancer, and the 8th from Fortune, Scorpio). The fourth level (March 21-25) again put the emphasis squarely on the Moon, with the death occurring on a lunar return.

Distributors

Distributors are important time lords that one finds by directing certain important points through the bounds. The distributor is typically the bound lord of the directed Ascendant (using zodiacal semi-arc non-latitudinal ptolemaic-key primary directions). However, some Persian astrologers used the sect light rather than the Ascendant. This parallels the use of the sect light as an alternative to the Ascendant in many Hellenistic techniques, such as for profectional lord of the year.

Planets applying an aspect to the directed point (Ascendant or sect light) can share in the distribution as co-distributors. Presumably this aspect would have to be within 3 degrees, as that was the definitive range for applications in Hellenistic astrology.

Primary Directions Then and Now

In later traditional astrology, there was something of an obsession with direct hits by primary direction. This contrasts with the traditional emphasis on the distributor as time lord. After about the 15th century CE there also was an outgrowth of different ways of calculating primary directions. However, the traditional manner of calculating them, in the zodiac using semi-arcs without latitude and by the rate of the Ptolemaic key, was the standard before then. I touch on some of these issues in my introductory post on primary directions (and there’s a post on software calculation).

Elizabeth Taylor’s Distributors

Taylor died on March 23, 2011. The table of distributors are below. The distributor of the Ascendant was Jupiter, while that of the sect light (the Moon) was Mars. You may recall that for Donna Summer also, at the time of death the distributor of the sect light, the Moon, was Mars.

Distributors of the Ascendant and Sect Light

Now let’s look to see if there are any aspectual co-rulers of the distribution. At the time of death 5° Aries directed over the Ascendant. There was not an aspectual co-distributor for the directed Ascendant. However, 28° Capricorn passed over the Moon. Saturn at 1 Aquarius, was applying within 3 degrees. Saturn may be thought of as a co-distributor of the Moon but the aspect is out of sign, so I don’t strongly consider it.

Liz Taylor’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts

Notes on Distributors

In conclusion, the sect light had Mars as distributor. In this we see the important activation of the Moon-Mars relationship.

The Ascendant had directed into a new sign (Aries), one ruled by Mars, but it had Jupiter as the distributor. It was noted that there is a Jupiter-Saturn relationship of interest in the natal chart. Jupiter, lord of the Ascendant, figures prominently in some significations at the time of death also, as we’ll see.

Profection of the Ascendant

The final annual profection is very interesting. She turned 79 less than a month prior to her death. At age 79, the profection is to the 8th house (72=1st, 73=2nd, 74=3rd, 75=4th, 76=5th, 77=6th, 78=7th, 79=8th). The 8th house, which is also known as the Place of Death, is the sign Cancer in her chart, ruled by the Moon. Therefore, the Moon is the lord of the year. This is a particularly important planet to look at in regards to the most significant events of the year.

Liz Taylor’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts

Moon as Lord of the Year and Month

You’ll recall that the Moon, herself, is located in Scorpio, the 12th house, one of the most difficult houses of the chart. Additionally, in her chart Scorpio is the Place of Affliction and Injury (by lot) and the 8th Place from Fortune (another place of death). We had established that she is one of the key significators of death in the natal chart.

In monthly profections, the first month after the solar return (i.e. “birthday”) goes to the sign of the annual profection. As the death occurred less than a month after the solar return, the monthly profection matches the annual profection. Again, it is Cancer. Therefore, the Moon was lord of the year and the month. This is strong reinforcement of the highlighting of the 8th house (Cancer) and the Moon in Scorpio by planetary years, zodiacal releasing, and the primary direction of the Moon.

Planetary Days

For planetary days, one starts with the lord of the year and proceeds through the planets in the order in which they appear in the chart (via zodiacal order). The Moon gets 70 5/6 planetary days. As the death occurred less than a month after the solar return, the Moon was the ruler of days at the time of Taylor’s death.

You will also recall above from the discussion of zodiacal releasing that highlighted Cancer for L3 and L4. The Moon became the most important time lord pertaining to physical health matters (by L3 and L4) just a couple days before Taylor died. Clearly, in terms of profections, day lords, and releasing for health, the spotlight is on the Moon at the time of Taylor’s death.

Valens-Style Profections

I discussed Valens-Style profections in a past article. As noted, one can profect any point in the chart, but the profection of the sect light was particularly common, while the Moon was significant for matters of the body. In Elizabeth Taylor’s chart the Moon is the sect light.

Moon Transmits to Mercury

In Taylor’s case, the Moon profects to Gemini, the 7th House, which is empty, so it is a case of the Moon transmitting to Mercury. The 7th itself carries some significance for matters of death (place of setting). Mercury is in the 4th, which also carries such significations (place of anti-culmination, endings, and the earth). Mercury is cazimi the Sun and is with Mars. While overall, the emphasis has been on the Moon, we see that Mercury may also have some special significance in terms of matters of the body. Mercury rules the Lot of Death and the prenatal syzygy, both of which are in Virgo.

Fortune Transmits to the Moon

It should be noted that all the profections are to the 8th place from their position. As the Moon is in the 8th from Fortune, Fortune itself transmits to the Moon. This additional emphasis on the Moon is significant as Fortune’s profections were used to judge overall material circumstance.

Solar Return

Liz Taylor’s final solar return is shown below.

Liz Taylor’s 2011 Solar Return (tropical)

We had determined that the main planet to watch is the Moon and that Mercury may be of some lesser importance. Also, because of the distribution, we may want to take a look at the malefics and Jupiter.

Liz Taylor’s 2011 Solar Return as transits along outer wheel of natal chart

The 1st House Moon Between Malefics

The Moon in the return is in Sagittarius, which is the 1st house of the natal chart, pertaining to the body and self. Its position in the 1st is particularly significant for the body, as the Moon herself naturally signifies the body (repeat signification). The Moon is in the house of Jupiter, bound of Saturn. She is separating from Saturn and applying to Mars. Therefore, the Moon moves from malefic to malefic.

Return of Mercury and Mars

At the time of the 2011 solar return, Mercury and Mars are strongly in their planetary returns. Each one is only about a degree from its natal position. We see the

Liz Taylor’s 2011 Solar Return as transits along outer wheel of natal chart

Other Factors

Jupiter is the lord of the natal Ascendant, bound lord of the directed Ascendant, and ruler of the solar return Moon. Therefore, it’s a planet to watch. Return Jupiter is opposing return Saturn, echoing the natal Jupiter-Saturn opposition. This was one of the natal factors noted as particularly significant for death. Solar return Saturn is on the natal Midheaven and strongly opposes natal Venus (sect benefic).

We’ll see that all of these factors are important at the time of death.

Transits at Time of Death

The time of death was given in a news report as 1:28 am on March 23, 2011, in Los Angeles, California. The chart of the time of death is below. Rarely are the daily transits of lots examined. However, with the exact time of death, we can actually examine the exact timing of transiting lots, confirming their importance. Therefore, there are some choice lots included on the chart of the transits at time of death.

Elizabeth Taylor Death Transits

Solar Return Moon Rises

We are fortunate to have the exact time of death, as there are many striking features about this specific time. For one, it is 22° Sagittarius rising. Sagittarius is Taylor’s rising sign. More significantly, 22° Sagittarius is also the very degree held by the Moon at the solar return. Therefore, at the moment of death, the degree held by the solar return Moon was rising. Recall the natal and predictive emphasis on the Moon for matters of death. The solar return chart is shown again below.

Liz Taylor’s 2011 Solar Return

Death on a Lunar Return

Liz Taylor’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts

Recall that the natal Moon is at 15° Scorpio. At the time of death, the transiting Moon was at 22° Scorpio. In other words, Taylor died on her lunar return. Actually, her death was on the very day of her lunar return as astrological days are sunrise to sunrise. Additionally, the transiting Moon at 22° Scorpio was in partile aspect to its transiting ruler Mars at 22° Pisces.

Elizabeth Taylor Death Transits

Therefore, the natal Moon-Mars relationship is popping at the time of death also. In fact, the death even occurs on a Mars day and at a Moon hour (see article on planetary days and hours). As noted, an astrological day starts at sunrise, which is why it’s still a Mars day (Tuesday). Transiting Mars is at 22° Pisces, square to the solar return Moon and the transiting Ascendant to the degree (both were at 22° Sagittarius).

Transiting Lots

Lots, like the Ascendant, make a complete revolution around the zodiac each day, so their locations in transit are rather ephemeral. However, like the Ascendant their transits can pertain to timing very specific moments.

The Lot of Boldness (noted as “COLD” on the chart) pertains to actions without feeling. At the moment of death it transited right at the degree of Taylor’s natal Moon (15° Scorpio).

The Lot of Death was transiting at 22 Taurus, exactly opposite the transiting Moon!

Therefore, even when it comes to the transiting Lot of Death we see a spotlight on the Moon and its importance for signifying death.

Elizabeth Taylor Death Transits

Transiting Jupiter-Saturn Opposition

There was a strongly applying Jupiter-Saturn opposition by transit (within 2 degrees) at the time of death. Saturn is culminating at 14° Libra (the natal MC degree) opposed to Jupiter anti-culminating at 13° Aries. In addition to transiting Jupiter, the transiting Sun and Mercury are also in Aries, in opposition to transiting Saturn. Saturn, the natural significator of death, is the most strongly advancing planet at the time of death.

Elizabeth Taylor Death Transits (outer) to Natal (inner)

Conclusion

While sudden deaths are often more dramatic in their symbolism, we can learn a lot about astrology from examining the time of any death. As in all types of natal timing, the work starts with a thorough understanding of the relevant symbolism in the natal chart. We then proceed to look at the big period activation patterns. From there we can employ annual techniques to assess the most important themes. Finally, we can examine smaller time period lords and transits to examine timing.

Recap

The timing of Taylor’s death is fascinating particularly for its emphasis on the Moon in Scorpio, given the Moon’s symbolism for death and illness. The Moon is the ruler of the 8th, the ruler of the Lot of Affliction, and the occupant of the 8th from Fortune (Scorpio). The Moon-Mars relationship was highlighted for the period by planetary years, the transmission of Mars to the Moon by zodiacal releasing (Aries L2 to Cancer L3), and Mars as distributor of the Moon by primary directions.

Turning to annual methods we found the annual profection and monthly profection to Cancer (8th house) with the Moon as lord of the year and month. The solar return saw the Moon transiting in the natal 1st house and applying to Mars which had returned to its own natal position. Elizabeth Taylor died on her lunar return in Scorpio, with the Moon as the lord of the year and month by annual profections, ruler of days, and ruler of the L3 and L4 of zodiacal releasing. She died during the lunar hour of a Mars day with the exact degree of her prior solar return Moon rising and when the transiting Lot of Death opposed the transiting Moon.

There were some other factors that were relevant as well but these themes surrounding the 12th house Moon in Scorpio are by far the most mind-blowing.

Featured image is in the public domain.

Update 2/26/2019:

The article was significantly edited for clarity. Passages pertaining to the Lot of Death and an overall conclusion were added.

Traditional Astrology of Death | Donna Summer

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Anthony

Introduction

Like so many people around the world, I was saddened to hear of Donna Summer’s recent passing. Summer died on Thursday, May 17th after a battle with lung cancer. Donna Summer is a dearly missed musical icon.

I missed out on the heyday of disco in the mid-’70’s. However, I fondly remember as a child in the early ’80’s dancing to songs by Donna Summer, Michael Jackson, and similar artists of the era.

Longevity in Traditional Astrology

I don’t believe there is a single method out there, such as a hyleg/alcochoden technique, that on its own allows one to make accurate predictions about the length of someone’s life. In this regard I may be in the minority of traditional astrologers. Rather, I thank that if you throw a lot of techniques together, then there should be clear repeat indications of death. Predicting death in advance, particularly one’s own, is another matter. Looking at it in hindsight is always easier, and that’s largely what this series is about.

I’d like to look at some of the “signs” around the time of Donna Summers death and how they relate to death. Death is one of the key events in every life. By exploring the connection between death and natal predictive techniques, we sharpen our ability to recognize the astrological language of death.

Donna Summer

Donna Summer was born on New Year’s Eve, 1948 (12/31/48) at 9 pm in Boston, MA (source: AstroDatabank). For the reader unfamiliar with her life and work, a good source for a quick brief is the Wikipedia article on her. Her chart with twelfth-parts is shown below.

Donna Summer’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts (outside wheel)

Profession

It is hard to imagine a chart more oriented toward artistic performance. First, Venus is the significator of profession. This is so as Venus is in a stake of the chart (the 4th) and strongly advancing, while having triplicity at the Ascendant and possibly bound. She also receives the next application of the Moon and is with the twelfth-part of the sect light (the Moon is the sect light as she was born at night). Secondly, there is a whopping 5 planets, including the Sun and Moon, as well as the ruler of the 1st (in the bound of Venus), in Capricorn, the 5th House, which is the Joy of Venus and is oriented toward the fruits of creation and to representation. Finally, the ruler of the 5th is on the Ascendant and thus is extremely prominent.

Mercury also crops up as important for the profession as Mercury rules the 1st and 10th signs and the bounds of the Asc and MC. It also has its twelfth-part in the Ascendant. Therefore, Venus and Mercury as co-significators of the profession. Venus is the more dominant of the two. Together they combine artistry and beauty (Venus) with vocalization (Mercury). A fairly common combination for singers.

Death

Donna Summers died of lung cancer at age 63. She was not a smoker. Donna believed that her lung cancer may have been caused from inhaling dust and smoke from the Sept. 11 attacks, possibly containing asbestos. However, she also had a family history of cancer and played hundreds of shows over the years in smoke-filled clubs.

Unlike the other deaths we’ve examined so far (Whitney Houston and Marvin Gaye), Summer’s death was not sudden. She was diagnosed with cancer the year prior to her death. Therefore, the exact timing of death might be thought of as less important than the overall characterization of that period of her life.

Key Factors

In analyzing the timing of death, we are most interested in the more potentially difficult elements of the chart. In my opinion, one of such difficult configurations is the conjunction of the Ascendant (significant for the body and self) with the out of sect malefic, Saturn (significant for death, loss, struggle, isolation). Another is the close (but separating) conjunction of the Moon and Mars (lord of the 8th of death, Aries) in the bound of Mars within 3 degrees of each other, with both ruled by Saturn.

Donna Summer’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts (outside wheel)

Mars is particularly important. Mars not only rules the 8th house (Aries) but also rules the Lot of Affliction or Chronic Illness (also in Aries) and the Lot of Death (Moon to 8th sign, proj. from Saturn, day or night; in Scorpio). It also has its twelfth-part with those of Saturn and the Ascendant in Scorpio (Lot of Death). Additionally, Mercury, which can signify the lungs (as well as the self and body here as Lord of the 1st), is applying to Mars (conjunction).

Summer’s Natal Chart with Select Lots

Planetary Years

For an introduction to planetary years, please see the introductory post on them. Donna Summer was in her 64th year, and 63 years old, at the time of death. Therefore we are particularly interested in combinations of planetary years that add to 63 or 64. This may involve multiples, as there are not two distinct planetary minor years that sum to more than 55.

Possibilities

There are only two combinations of three planets’ minor years that work without any multiples. They are Saturn-Mars-Sun (30+15+19=64) and Saturn-Venus-Moon (30+8+25=63).

Possibilities involving multiples with one and two planets are below:

One Planet: Venus (64)

Two Planets: Venus-Mercury (24+40=64), Mars-Sun (45+19=64), Jupiter-Mercury (24+40=64), Sun-Moon (38+25=63).

Of these, I regard some as less important because the planets in the relationship are not all configured together with each other by either rulership or aspects. For instance, Saturn-Venus-Moon is less significant to me. This is because Venus and the Moon are in aversion, and Venus is not ruled by Saturn. Similarly, Venus and Mercury are in aversion, so that two planet combination is not as important.

The Most Important Activation: Saturn-Mars-Sun

There are four possibly significant activations by planetary years. They are Saturn-Mars-Sun (Mars and the Sun are together and ruled by Saturn), as well as Mars-Sun (they are together), Sun-Moon (the Sun and Moon are also together), and Venus. The most significant is Saturn-Mars-Sun. Not only is this an activation of 3 planets without multiples, but Mars and the Sun are together in Capricorn, ruled by Saturn. Additionally, the activation of Mars-Sun reinforces this activation. The activation of Sun-Moon also somewhat reinforces it, again stressing the stellium in Capricorn.

This Saturn-Mars-Sun activation is also the most significant activation for the matter of death. The activation includes both malefics. Each of the malefics directly afflict significators of the body in the chart (Mars with Sun and Moon; Saturn on Ascendant). The Sun is symbolic of vital power.

Donna Summer’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts

A Peak at Transits: Saturn-Mars-Sun

The importance of the Saturn-Mars-Sun activation is confirmed by transits on the morning of the death. Mars transited with natal Saturn in the 1st house and applied to the natal Sun within a degree (superior trine). The transiting Sun also applied to natal Mars within a degree (trine) while closely opposed to the natal twelfth-part Mars (25 Scorpio). We will return to these transits after looking at some of the big-picture indications.

Transits to Natal – Morning of 5/17/12 in Naples, FL

Primary Directions – Distributors

Distributors are time lords which tend to rule over more than a one year period and can be very significant for health matters. The distributor is typically the bound lord of the directed Ascendant. Traditionally, for about the first 1,500 years, primary directions were done by zodiacal semi-arc without latitude, using the Ptolemaic-key (see my article on primary directions). While the Ascendant was typically preferred, some later Persian astrologers used the sect light as well as, or instead of, the Ascendant. The sect light was seen as an alternative to the Ascendant in some Hellenistic techniques as well.

The distributor is a time lord, but a planet actually applying an aspect to the directed angle or sect light (presumably either within 3 degrees or within the same bound) could take over or share the rulership of the distribution. The obsession with direct hits by primary direction, rather than the use of it for time lords, was a later post-Hellenistic development. I touch on some of these issues in my introductory article on primary directions. There’s also an article on the software calculation of primary directions.

Ascendant->Venus and Mars; Sect Light->Mars

Distributors of Ascendant and Sect Light for Donna Summer

Donna Summer died on 05/17/2012, so we are interested in the periods containing that date. From the table of distributors we can see that the distributor of the Ascendant was Venus. The distributor of the sect light (the Moon) was Mars. What about any aspectual co-rulers of the distributions?

One of the very useful features of the primary directions module in Morinus is that one can pull up the actual primary directed chart for a given day. For the day of Summer’s death that chart is below.

Chart of Summer’s PD Positions on 5/17/12

What the chart tells us is that 25 Libra was passing over the Ascendant at the time of death. Similarly, we see 23 Pisces passing over the natal Moon’s position (relative to birth location) at birth. Let’s return to the natal chart to see if these represent applying aspects.

Donna Summer’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts

The zodiacal position of Mars was 27 Capricorn, so the Ascendant (significator) at 25 Libra has the square of Mars (promissor) directed at it within 2 degrees. The 23 Pisces position directing over the natal Moon does not involve any applying aspects within 3 degrees, so there is no co-ruler in that case.

A Focus on Mars

In conclusion, Mars is the distributor of the sect light. Mars also became the co-distributor of the Ascendant, starting about a year prior to death, due to applying aspect.

These time lords by primary direction are extremely important for matters of health and general circumstance. Here we see an emphasis placed upon Mars in the natal chart. As noted, Mars is the ruler of the 8th house of death (and illness/affliction by lot) and the Lot of Death (Scorpio). Mars is in the 5th afflicting the Moon, Sun, and Ascendant lord (Mercury).

Primary Directions – Aspects

There is also one very close aspectual primary direction within about a month of the death that is very symbolic of death. It is the direction of Saturn (promissor) to oppose the prenatal syzygy (significator). The prenatal syzygy is the New Moon or Full Moon directly preceding the birth. It is one of five points that are particularly important for symbolizing the health in the chart, the five hylegical points. These include the Sun, Moon, Ascendant, Fortune, and the prenatal syzygy.

The syzygy is particularly important for Donna Summer as she was born just the day after the New Moon (syzygy) in early Capricorn. In fact, the Moon was still in the same house as the Sun at the time of her birth (Capricorn). This opposition is from the prenatal syzygy’s ruler, Saturn, so it appears to be an important direction in symbolizing the death.

Profections and Solar Return

If unfamiliar with profections, please see the introductory post on profections.

The time of diagnosis at age 62 corresponded to a profection to Summer’s 3rd house, Scorpio. Scorpio is the place of death by lot (Lot of Death). It is ruled by Mars and is occupied by the twelfth-parts of Mars, Saturn, and the Ascendant.

At age 63 the Ascendant profects to the 4th house, which in Summer’s case is Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter, which is cazimi the Sun, in the 5th with Mars, and ruled by Saturn. Being the lord of the year, Jupiter is a particularly important planet to examine in the solar return.

Valens Profections: Mars and the 8th

It is also worth noting that by Valens-style profections, both lights (Moon and Sun), the Ascendant lord (Mercury), Mars, and Jupiter (lord of the year), all profect to Aries. Aries, the 8th house of death, is also the place of illness/afflication (by lot), and is ruled by Mars. The profection of the sect light (and the Moon generally) was particularly important to Valens for health and overall circumstance. As Aries is empty, it is the case that the sect light (and all the planets in the 5th) transmit to Mars, the ruler of Aries.

Donna Summer’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts

Again, this places emphasis on themes of death (the 8th, malefic ruler) and affliction of the body (Mars-Moon conjunction, Moon ruled by Mars, Aries as Lot of Affliction). The solar return transit of the Moon through Aries (the 8th) is also a repetition of this theme (see return chart). Additionally, the profection of the Lot of Fortune was used for health by Valens and it profects to Scorpio, the other house of Mars and the other place of death (by lot).

Donna Summer’s Last Solar Return as Transit (outer) to Natal (inner)

Profections repeat every 12 years, so the real value here is in seeing which themes and planets we should watch. We again find Mars to be a particularly important planet to watch in the solar return and by transit.

Jupiter in the Return

Jupiter is in separating opposition to Saturn in the return (within 3°). Saturn is the out of sect malefic, and Jupiter relates to the vitality through the Sun (cazimi the Sun). This is a suggestive configuration. However, as an out of sign aspect and pertaining chiefly to the return itself, it is not particularly compelling. However, there is much more to this return than just the position of Jupiter.

Donna Summer’s Last Solar Return

Analyzing the Final Solar Return

As I explained in my article on analyzing solar returns, there were some particular red flags identified by Dorotheus. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th rules mentioned in that article are particularly important. The third rule is to watch squares and opposition from malefics, especially superior squares (domination). The fourth rule is that planets transiting in dark places of the natal chart can be more malefic. The fifth rule is that there will be a focus on the solar return Moon and its house, especially for health. The sixth rule is that there is a focus on the place highlighted by the annual profection and its ruler.

Donna Summer’s Last Solar Return

Mars in the Return

At the return, Mars was transiting in the 1st house, that of the body and self. We’ve seen how Mars is the primary significator of death in the chart. It rules the places of death by house and lot, and the Lot of Affliction. It is also activated by planetary years, distributions, profections of the sect light and Fortune, and the profection of the entire Capricorn stellium to the 8th house. Now we see Mars as chiefly pertaining to the self and body for the year.

Mars dominates the place of the annual profection of the Ascendnat. It is even in a partile superior square to the Ascendant lord Mercury, transiting in that place. Mars is also in a close aspect to natal Mercury by superior trine. Therefore, not only is Mars oriented to the body by being in the 1st, but it connects directly with the lord of the 1st (Mercury) by aspect in the return and natal. This echoes the bodily application of Mercury to Mars in the natal chart.

Twelfth-Parts and Mars

There are many things of interest when it comes to the solar return Mars and the twelfth-parts. First, the natal twelfth-part of Mercury is at the end of 17° Virgo in the 1st house. Mars was conjunct this within 3 degrees in the solar return. Yet an additional connection between Mars and the 1st house and its lord.

Donna Summer’s Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts

Donna Summer’s Last Solar Return

In the return, Mars was at 20°12′ Virgo and Jupiter (lord of the year) was at 0°26′ Taurus. This puts the twelfth-part of Mars at 2° Taurus and that of Jupiter at 5° Taurus. Therefore, the twelfth-part of return Mars was conjunct return Jupiter (lord of the year) and its twelfth-part, both within 3 degrees. The solar return Ascendant is also interesting as it was at 27° Scorpio. It is not only ruled by Mars and the place of death by lot (Lot of Death) but it is also conjunct the twelfth-part of Mars (25° Scorpio) within 3 degrees.

Donna Summer’s Last Solar Return

Saturn and the Return Moon

Return Saturn is at 28 Libra, in dominating close square to the natal Mars-Moon conjunction at 27 and 29 Capricorn. Echoing the domination of the Moon by return Saturn is the opposition between the return Moon and return Saturn. The return Moon is the natal sect light and is in the 8th house, a dark house, putting a focus on its themes of death for the year, particularly in relation to health. Saturn is the out of sect malefic and in the return is also in a dark place. The opposition of the Moon to Saturn echoes the theme of loss.

Donna Summer’s Last Solar Return on Outside of Natal Chart

Return Venus

Natal Venus is in the sign of the profection so should also be looked at. In the natal chart, Venus is dominated by Saturn. Return Mars also dominates natal Venus. Return Venus is placed in Aquarius, the 6th house, which is a weak house pertaining to illness and ruled by Saturn.

Monthly Profection to the 8th House-Aries-Mars

As noted, the return Moon transits through the 8th of death (Aries), under rulership of Mars. This echoes the natal Mars-Moon conjunction and the profection of the Moon to Aries. The monthly profection of the Ascendant at the time of death was also to Aries, the 8th house, ruled by Mars. The monthly profection is indicating the month when the themes marked out by the 8th house and Mars by the time lords and annual methods will come into focus.

Ruler of Days

Some Hellenistic astrologers used daily profections, but it is not my preferred technique for daily time lords. I discuss an additional technique for small period time lords at the end of this article (levels 3 and 4 of zodiacal releasing). Personally, I also like another time lord technique for periods of days. This ruler of days technique was discussed by Julius Firmicus Maternus. In this technique we start with the lord of the year, and assign days to the planets according to their planetary days according to their zodiacal order in the natal chart. This divides up rulership of the year to each of the 7 planets. The lord of the year is Jupiter for Donna Summer.

Planetary days and their natal order:

Jupiter – 34
Mercury – 56 2/3
Mars – 42 1/2
Moon – 70 5/6
Saturn – 85
Venus – 22 2/3
Sun – 53 5/6

Moon as Ruler of Days

Using a date calculator, we find that Donna Summer died in about the 138th day following her solar return. The Moon took over days about 133 days after the return. Therefore, the Moon was ruler of days at the time of death. I find the ruler of days to be particularly important in timing events by transit. Also, note that the Moon was transiting in the 8th house opposite return Saturn in the solar return.

Day of Death

Recap

Finally, let’s return to the transits at the day of death. To recap, we’ve established that there is substantial importance placed on the malefics and the lights in the time lord techniques. Recall that Saturn-Mars-Sun and Mars-Sun are active configurations by planetary years. Mars, the ruler of the 8th house, Lot of Affliction, and Lot of Death, was particularly highlighted. For instance, it is a distributor or co-distributor of the directed Ascendant and sect light. It was also highlighted by the profection of the sect light and lord of the year to Aries (8th house ruled by Mars). Additionally, there were the many 1st house/Mercury connections with Mars in the return. Finally, we determined that the monthly profection is to the 8th, Aries, which was occupied by the Moon in the return and the Moon is ruler of days. Now let’s look at transits.

The chart for the morning of May 17, 2012 is below. Summer died some time in the morning on this day. The time of Summer’s passing is not known, so please disregard the houses in the chart. In the next section, I’ll show the chart as a set of transits against the natal chart. For now, note how closely the chart mirrors the solar return, from Mars in Virgo (natal 1st) to the Moon in Aries opposing Saturn in Libra.

Donna Summer Day of Passing

Transiting Moon

Shockingly, the Moon was transiting through Aries, the 8th house, at the time of death. This echoes both the solar return and the Valens-style profection of the Moon. It is also in the house of the monthly profection. The transiting Moon was applying an opposition to transiting Saturn at the time of death. The transiting Moon also applied a close square to natal Mercury, the Ascendant lord. Transiting Venus and Saturn were partilely aspecting each other, while receiving the application of the transiting Moon, at the time of death.

Transits to Natal – Morning of 5/17/12 in Naples, FL – Day of Passing

Transiting Mars

Mars was transiting at 9 Virgo through the 1st house. This is over 5 months after Summer’s solar return, and Mars is still transiting in the 1st house. In fact, Mars had been transiting in her 1st house all year (see ephemeris)! About a month prior to death, Mars had stationed direct at 3 Virgo, in adherence to Donna Summer’s Ascendant (6 Virgo). Transiting Mars was applying to the natal Sun-Jupiter conjunction within a degree at the time of death.

Transiting Jupiter

As Jupiter is the lord of the year, its transits should also be looked at. The transiting Sun and Jupiter (in late Taurus) were applying to natal Mars within 3 degrees at the time of death. Transiting Jupiter (and Sun) were also opposing the natal twelfth-part of Mars (25 Scorpio) within 3 degrees. The transiting Sun-Jupiter conjunction by degree itself also echoes the natal Sun-Jupiter conjunction.

Zodiacal Releasing

Before concluding I’d like to explore another Hellenistic time lord technique which I think can be valuable. Zodiacal releasing is the modern name given to a technique which survives only in the text of Vettius Valens. I’ve placed this exploration of the technique at the end of this article as it can be confusing. Zodiacal releasing is traditionally from the Lot of Spirit or the Lot of Fortune. For matters of bodily health and material circumstances, Fortune (the Lot of the Moon) is used (glyph looks like an X in a circle). Spirit (Lot of the Sun) was used for professional and mental matters.

Moving Signs by Planetary Years

Zodiacal releasing was discussed by Valens in Book IV of his Anthology (download it here). One stars with the sign of Fortune, giving the ruler of the sign the first period. This period is the length of the ruler’s minor years (the only exception being that we use 27 for Capricorn rather than 30). It transitions to the next sign in succession activating that sign and its ruler for the number of planetary years of the ruler. We continue moving from sign to sign after each period.

There are also minor periods that are 1/12 the length, and some additional nuances. One key “nuance” is that the periods involve “years” of 360 days. Therefore, I recommend using software to calculate them (such as the free Valens program). I recommend getting the technique from the horse’s mouth (i.e. download and read Book IV of Valens). The interested reader can also get a thorough education on the technique through Chris Brennan’s Hellenistic course, or his module on Zodiacal Releasing. As of this update, there is also a good explanation of the technique in a podcast by Chris Brennan and on Anthony Louis’s website.

Levels

The two highest level periods are particularly important in zodiacal releasing. I give four levels below:

Sagittarius (Jupiter): The sign is occupied by Venus and the twelfth-part of the Moon, ruler is cazimi the Sun in 5th, Capricorn. This is about a 12 year period beginning in 2010.
Capricorn (Saturn) – The sign is occupied by 5 planets, including Sun and Mars, with ruler in 1st, Virgo. This is a nearly 2 year period beginning in February of 2011.
Scorpio (Mars) – The sign is occupied by the twelfth-parts of the Ascendant, Saturn, and Mars, with ruler in 5th, Capricorn. This is about a 5 week period beginning on May 9th, 2012.
Capricorn (Saturn) – See #2. This is a nearly 5 day period beginning on May 15th, 2012.

Donna Summer’s ZR Periods

Interpretation

Before getting into the finer points of the interpretation of zodiacal releasing, I want to note the repeat Saturn-Mars activation. Saturn and Mars rule all but the largest of the time periods (the Sagittarius period of about 12 years). The signs activated are also very significant. Capricorn holds the natal stellium, including the Sun and Mars ruled by Saturn, but also the close Moon-Mars conjunction, and Jupiter (ruler of Level 1). Scorpio is the sign holding the twelfth-parts of both malefics (Saturn and Mars) and the twelfth-part of the Ascendant. In terms of the umbrella period of Level 1, Sagittarius, its ruler is Jupiter, which is cazimi the Sun in Capricorn, so it is closely associated with the Sun’s significations there.

Judging by Angular Strength

As mentioned, in interpreting the releasing of Fortune, Valens paid special attention to the first two levels. One interpretive principle commonly used is that the Lot or its ruler in an angle of the chart (1st, 10th, 7th, or 4th place) shows strength. By strength, we are referring to a stability and achievement in what is signified. In this case, material fortune and health (Fortune). On the other hand, if cadent from an angle (12th, 9th, 6th, or 3rd place) it will show weakness. This rule can get difficult to use in practice, as Valens also suggests that we can use the angles of the Lot of Fortune. Using both the angles of the chart and those of Fortune, with both the Lot and its ruler, there are simply too many points and strong places in the chart to enable us to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Places from Fortune

Some people sidestep this dilemma by considering only the angles and cadents from Fortune, rather than from the Ascendant. Using that approach, the Capricorn periods would be vulnerable. Fortune would be in the 6th from Fortune (a cadent place). Periods ruled by a planet that is in Capricorn could be similarly vulnerable for the same reason. However, note that 5 planets are in Capricorn, which would cause most periods to have weak rulers.

The place of the Lot was thought to show the start of things and the ruler the development. So Level 1 in Sagittarius would start out not particularly strong or weak (as it is not an angle nor a cadent) but in the development of the period weaknesses could result (as the ruler is in the 6th from Fortune). Level 2 in Capricorn would start out weak, and would not develop much towards strength or weakness (as the ruler is not in an angle or cadent). The 3rd Level would start strong but end weak (Lot in angle, ruler in cadent). Level 4, like Level 2, would be weak without much improvement. Therefore, the overall stress of all 4 periods is on Capricorn. Capricorn is cadent from Fortune showing vulnerability when it comes to material circumstances.

Judging by Transmission

Valens discussed other principles of interpreting releasing from Fortune which I feel are a bit easier to delineate. One thing that he does is to view the 1st two levels as if the ruler of Level 1 is transmitting or passing off to the ruler of Level 2. It is like the ruler of Level 1 is running into some type of thing signified by the 2nd level ruler. For instance, a benefic transmitting to a malefic, as in the case here with Jupiter transmitting to Saturn, shows success liable to overturn. Additionally, the transmission of the Sun or Moon to Saturn is particularly dangerous for health, while Saturn to the Sun or Moon indicate the opposite, vigor.

… the sun and moon when transmitting to Saturn are indicative of setbacks and anxieties, and they bring hostility […] as well as bodily disorders and dangers, shipwrecks, sudden collapses, and very many crises … (Valens, Anthologies, Book IV, Ch. 5, Riley trans., 2010, p. 73)

Jupiter Cazimi to Saturn

According to Robert Schmidt of Project Hindsight, the original meaning of a cazimi planet is that it takes over signification for the Sun. Jupiter is cazimi the Sun in Summer’s chart and so acts akin to the Sun, another indicator of the vital spirit. The transmission of Jupiter to Saturn can be viewed as similar to a transmission of the Sun to Saturn, an indication of material danger.

Malefic to Malefic

If we were to consider the other levels in this type of consideration then we have Saturn transmitting to Mars (Level 2 to 3) and Mars transmitting to Saturn (Level 3 to 4). Valens regarded transmission from a malefic to a malefic (Saturn to Mars and vice-versa) as particularly dangerous, much like a situation that goes from bad to worse.

ZR Conclusion

Interestingly, in the zodiacal releasing method for health we find a repeated emphasis on Capricorn, Scorpio, and Mars. There is repeat activation of the 5th house. For Valens, the places from Fortune were even more important than the natal places for the purposes of this technique. Interestingly, Valens considered the 6th place from Fortune to pertain particularly to health crises. The 6th from Fortune is none other than Capricorn, the sign we see so strongly emphasized by the releasing from Fortune.

In addition, after finding the Place which has been assigned to Fortune, examine the points square with it and the other aspects, just as with the angles in the natal chart. The Lot itself will be equivalent to the Ascendant and will mean “Life;” the tenth place from it will be equivalent to MC and will mean “Rank;” the seventh will be the Descendant; the fourth IC. The other places will have the same effects as the <original> XII Places. Some astrologers have mystically hypothesized that the astronomical Ascendant and the points square with it are the Cosmic Angles, while the Lot and the points square with it are the Natal Angles […] (Valens, Anthology, Book II, Ch. 18, Riley trans., p. 34)

Conclusion

Donna Summer’s death was by the slow wasting illness of cancer. It did not involve dramatic sudden events like those of Whitney Houston and Marvin Gaye. We find Mars to be the most important planet for the topic of death and serious illness in her natal chart. Mars rules and dominates the 8th house of death and place of affliction by lot, and rules the place of death by lot while occupying it by twelfth-part. Summer’s Mars is fairly well-placed, being in sect, in a sign of its sect, in a benefic place (5th house), and exalted (Capricorn) with a trine from its 1st house ruler.

The timing of death coincided with about a dozen repeat activations of natal themes pertaining to Mars and death. The period ones involved Mars as a distributor of the sect light and co-distributor of the Ascendant, second level zodiacal releasing to Capricorn occupied by Mars, planetary years highlighting the Saturn-Mars-Sun configuration, profection of the Capricorn stellium (including Mars and sect light) to Aries, and profection of Fortune to Scorpio.

The solar return, with its Scorpio rising, Mars in the natal 1st, and the Moon in Aries (natal 8th) opposed to return Saturn certainly reinforced these themes. There was also that prolonged transit of Mars through the natal 1st house, passing back-and-forth over the Ascendant. That transit was not only in the January 1st solar return but spanned the entire first half of 2012, including at the time of her death in May. Finally, we saw Donna pass during an Aries, 8th house, monthly profection. The Moon timed the death with its transit through Aries on that day, in fitting application to transiting Saturn and Venus (death and artistry).

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

Update: February 2019

In late February of 2019, this article was significantly edited and revised. There were some significant changes. I revised the wording of many sections for greater clarity. For instance, the analysis of profections and solar returns was re-written to explore the important Valens-style profections and the rules for returns which I noted in another article. Additionally, the section on zodiacal releasing was moved to the end due to the learning curve involved. There are now some great free explanations of zodiacal releasing out there, so I’ve linked to those. Also, the Lot of Death and Lot of Affliction were not touched on in the original article but were added due to their great significance.

Astrological Predictive Techniques | Planetary Years | 1. Minor Years and the Division of Days

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Anthony

Years for Planets?

Many modern astrologers may not realize that each of the planets has certain numbers of years assigned to it. Even in today’s traditional astrological circles the years of the planets are underutilized for prediction.

Most of the techniques for using the planetary years disappeared in the late middle ages. However, in Hellenistic astrology, planetary years are the basis of a large number of predictive techniques. This is especially so in the techniques of Vettius Valens (2nd century CE) and Julius Firmicus Maternus (4th century CE).

In this article, I introduce the most common type of planetary years, the Minor Years of the planets. I discuss how they can be used as indicators of when a certain configuration in the chart will “ripen”. Also discussed is how they can be used to divide the year into time lords.

The Minor Years of the Planets

What are the minor years of the planets? They are consistently given in many different texts. One source is at the end of Book III of the Anthology by Valens (free download). Below I provide the Minor Years of each planet.

Saturn – 30
Jupiter – 12
Mars – 15
Sun – 19
Venus – 8
Mercury – 20
Moon – 25

The rationale for these numbers concerns times when the planets return to the same positions in the sky with the Sun (synodic cycles). However, the Sun’s number, 19, is based on the metonic cycle. The Sun and Moon meet at the same position in the sky every 19 years. The Moon’s number, 25, is based on a relationship between the lunation cycle and the Egyptian calendar that repeats every 25 years.

Minor Years as Ripening Planets

In various sections of the Anthology, especially Book VII, Valens uses the years of the planets for prediction. He combines the minor years of planets that are in configurations. Valens also combines minor years of planets with those of their ruler. Additionally, he combines planetary years with the number of years of the rising time of the sign. There are techniques with planetary years, planetary months (i.e. 1/12 of the planetary years), rising times of signs, and even fractions of planetary years.

For our purposes let’s focus initially on planetary years and their combinations. The basic idea is that a planet’s effects are likely to manifest or ripen near to the number of years of the planet. Multiples of the years are also used. For instance, Venus ripens every 8 years, so at age 16, 24, 32, and 40 she may also come into focus. Note that I say age 16, but the native’s 16th year is actually when she is 15, so the indication can also be for the year leading up to that age.

Combining Years

Combinations include summing the Minor Years of two planets. We can sum the Minor Years of a planet and its ruler for activation of the planet in the sign. For instance, age 27 may be an activation of the Sun in Taurus (Sun 19 plus Venus 8). Additionally, to time out the ripening of configurations we combine the years of the planets involved. For instance, age 27 may see the activation of a Jupiter (12) square Mars (15) configuration in the chart.

The Place of Minor Years in Prediction

Delineation is the act of analyzing the natal chart to see what is indicated for the person’s life. In delineation, it is always a good idea to make sure there are multiple factors indicating the same thing or something similar. Multiple factors (such as natural significator, twelfth-parts, house, lots, etc.) provide for confirmation that something is really a significantly indicated in someone’s life.

Repetition is Necessary

When doing predictive work, too many astrologers toss out this rule of confirmation through multiple factors. Too often astrologers predict based on just one technique, whether transits, directions, returns, or one of the many time lord techniques. However, when an important event occurs in the life that is an activation of the natal chart, you will see it activated in a number of ways through a number of predictive techniques.

Don’t assume that such-and-such will happen because it is indicated by a set of transits, by profections, by zodiacal releasing, or any other single technique. When you see an indication of something with one technique, check a variety of other predictive techniques to see the same or related activations. Planetary years provide a valuable addition to your predictive toolbox.

Example 1: The Death of Whitney Houston

In a prior article, on the death of Whitney Houston, I noted that she died in her 49th year. I also discussed how Sun-Saturn configurations ripen at 49. Whitney had a Sun-Saturn opposition across the 6th and 12th houses of her chart. The 6th and 12th house are often the most difficult houses of the chart, as they related to health crises and other difficult events.

Saturn is the natural signficator of death and the Sun is the natural significator of life. The Sun’s years are 19, and those of Saturn are 30. Therefore, the activation of this configuration at 49 years confirms the indications at death. Those indications and their relationship to the Sun-Saturn configuration are explored in more detail in that article.

Example 2: Hitler’s rise to power

In the summer of 1934, Hitler became leader of Germany after the death of President von Hindenburg. Hitler was 45 years old. The sum of the years of Saturn (30) and Mars (15).

This saw the realization of his scrutinizing (i.e. within 3 degrees) Mars-Saturn square from Taurus to Leo. The square is from the 8th pertaining to death to the 11th pertaining to organizations. Saturn in Leo advances toward the MC in his chart, promising leadership. Mars in the 8th pertains to death. Death (of von Hindenburg) precipitated Hitler’s rise to organizational power.

Hitler’s Natal Chart

Hitler was able to eliminate obstacles and seize supreme unimpeded power over Germany’s direction by early 1938. At the time, Hitler was nearing his 49th birthday. This is the realization of his role as a culminating Saturn in Leo. The combination is of the years of Saturn (30) and its ruler the Sun (19). The Sun also dominates Saturn from the 8th, so it also is the activation of the Sun-Saturn square configuration.

Example 3: The 1st edition of Witte’s Rules of Planetary-Pictures

Alfred Witte’s “Rules of Planetary-Pictures” is the definitive foundational text of Uranian astrology. Alfred Witte turned 50 in 1928, the year of the first publication. This coincided with the ripening of Mercury-Saturn configurations (20+30) and those of the Moon itself (25+25).

Alfred Witte’s Natal ChartWitte was born with Mercury in Aquarius (ruled by Saturn), and that Mercury was also conjunct the Moon. Therefore, both Mercury in Aquarius (20+30) and Witte’s Moon (25+25) ripen at the time of the publication (age 50).

Mercury in Aquarius is in the 5th house of Witte’s chart, that of creative output, children, and entertainment. Mercury in this place is significant of teachings and publications. Saturn’s rulership indicates structure and foundations.

An interesting tidbit about Witte’s Mercury at 27 Aquarius and Moon at 28 Aquarius is that they closely oppose the modern planet Uranus (father sky) at 26 Leo and the asteroid Urania (muse of astrology) at 25 Leo.

More Examples

I’d like to leave it to the reader to find some additional interesting examples. Examine your own chart, those of friends, and those of celebrities. Look at the years of the most significant events in those lives. Which planets, planets in signs, and planetary configurations were activated at those times? How do those activations pertain to the events? Feel free to share interesting cases that you encounter in the comments section.

Planetary Days and Their Eerie Sum

One of the most fascinating things about the minor years is that the sum of each’s double, half, and third is 365.5. This is almost matches the precise number of days in a year (365.2422).

These sums of the double, half, and third also are the days of each planet. They are given in Book II, Chapter 29 of the Mathesis by Firmicus Maternus (“The Division of the Year”) with a couple minor errors. A more precise list is given by Vettius Valens at the beginning of Book IV of his Anthology. The planetary days are given below:

Saturn – 85 = 60+15+10
Jupiter – 34 = 24+6+4
Mars – 42 1/2 = 30+7 1/2+5
Sun – 53 5/6 = 38+9 1/2+6 1/3
Venus – 22 2/3 = 16+4+2 2/3
Mercury – 56 2/3 = 40+10+6 2/3
Moon – 70 5/6 = 50+12 1/2+8 1/3

The sum of all the planetary years = (85 + 34 + 42 1/2) + (53 5/6 + 70 5/6) + (22 2/3 + 56 2/3) = 161 1/2 + (124 2/3 + 79 1/3) = 161 1/2 + 204 = 365 1/2 days. Spooky, isn’t it?

Dividing the Year

These planetary days are used in a few different Hellenistic time lord techniques. Probably the simplest and most intuitive use is given by Firmicus Maternus in Chapter 29 of Book II of the Mathesis. Maternus uses them to divide the native’s year (birthday to birthday). We start with the ruler of the annual profection (click for an article on profections). The ruler of the annual profection is also called the lord of the year. From the lord of the year. we proceed from one planet to the next based on their order in the natal chart.

I will only use one example of this technique, as it can be time consuming to lay out. However, once you’ve laid out the days of the year when rulership switches, you can reference it throughout the year. It provides a nice map of the timing for the manifestation of different planetary indications for that year.

Bernie Madoff Example

Annual Profection: Mars in Gemini in XI

Madoff was arrested at age 70, on December 11, 2008. Mars, the out of sect malefic in his chart is in Gemini. Mars is ruled by Mercury, planet of commerce, and is in the 11th which pertains to groups and networking. This Mars is particularly relevant to his capture, as he was arrested in an 11th house, Gemini, annual profection. Therefore, the profection came to Mars and was ruled by Mercury.

Bernie Madoff’s Natal Chart

Planetary Years: Mars-Mercury relationships

Interestingly, the year 70 is also a year of the ripening of Mercury-Mars relationships (20+20+15+15). Therefore, by planetary years, his Mars in Gemini, Mercury in Aries, and their sextile relationship were activated. This reinforces the indication of the profection to Mars in Gemini.

Transit at Arrest: tMoon in Gemini conjunct nMars

Note that on the morning of his arrest, December 11, 2008, the transiting Moon was in early Gemini, conjoining his natal Mars. Mars and Mars were also transiting opposite (by sign) his natal Mars.

Transits to Madoff’s natal chart on the morning of 12/11/2008

Planetary Days

The breakdown of the days of the year is also interesting. It starts on or around his birthday April 29th. His arrest is December 11th. To calculate the number of days between them we can use a duration calculator (click to go to calculation site). Using the calculator we find about 226 days between Madoff’s birthday and his arrest.

We begin the year with Mercury. This is because Mercury rules the sign of the annual profection (Gemini). Then we proceed in the order of the planets in the natal chart. The order that we follow is the zodiacal order, which is the same order with which the planets rise.

Mercury 56.666+ Moon 70.666+ Sun 53.8333+ Venus 22.666 = 203.83. Therefore, approximately 204 days after his birthday, the rulership went from Venus (in late Taurus) to Mars (in early Gemini). The period of Mars is 42.5 days, so it went from about 204 to about 246 days after his birthday. Therefore, at the time of Madoff’s arrest it was Mars that was the active planet pertaining to those days.

Conclusion

I leave you with a quote from Firmicus Maternus on the interpretation of the day activations from Mathesis, Book II, Ch. 29, #2 (Holden trans., 2011):

“when illnesses, when debilities, when gains, when losses happen, when joys, when sorrows. For when the benefic stars receive the days, we are freed from all evil; when malefics, the sudden blows of misfortune strike us.”

Have fun experimenting with the basic use of the minor years of the planets and the planetary days! Feel free to share experiences in the comments.

References

Maternus, J. F. (2011). Mathesis. (J. H. Holden, Trans.). American Federation of Astrologers.

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