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.

Astrological Predictive Techniques | 6. Manilius-Style Profections

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Anthony

Why Explore Obscure Profections?

This is the last planned post exploring the use of profections. This one is presented more for the sake of completeness, than intended as endorsement in practice. Manilius was a very early (1st century CE) Hellenistic astrologer but not a very influential one. He often approached topics in a unique manner. He created Lots relative to Fortune, subdivided twelfth-parts and more. His approach to profections follows the same basic principles as standard Hellenistic profections but what he chooses what to profect is unique to him.

The Diversity of Ancient Astrology

I have an additional motivation for exploring the variety of methods and opinions for profections in ancient astrology. I wish to convey the great degree of diversity and richness that is ancient astrology. This diversity stands in contrast to false assumptions about ancient astrology as cut-and-dry, uniform in technique and attitude, narrow in scope, and fatalistic in philosophy. The first one thousand years of the horoscopic tradition provided the richest body of astrological technique and opinion we have. It can provide a lifetime of new insights and challenges to enrich our practice. I discuss this matter further in the article, “Ancient Astrologers Didn’t All Agree“.

Recap

For those unfamiliar with the basic technique of annual and monthly profections, please review the first three articles of the series. Those articles introduce annual profections, discuss profections of smaller periods, and illustrate ways the profected Ascendant and its ruler are combined with other predictive techniques. I find basic annual and monthly profections indispensable in predictive astrological work.

Two Methods: One Unique to Manilius

In Book 3 of his Astronomica, Manilius (1st century CE) described two different methods of profection. First, at about lines 510-529, he presented a method of profection I have not seen elsewhere. Next, at about lines 537-559, he presented a different method attributed to “some who approve of an alternative scheme” (Goold, 1977, p. 207). The second type is actually the familiar profection of the Ascendant used by most Hellenistic astrologers. Interestingly, the method first discussed by Manilius, which he seemed to have favored, is idiosyncratic and not seen in other sources.

Profect the Sun Annually, Moon Monthly, and Ascendant for Days and Hours

In the method of Manilius for the annual profection we move the Sun (one sign per year), while for the monthly profection we move the Moon (one sign per month). The Ascendant is profected for groups of days and hours, with some confusion as to the time period used. In fact, there are many ambiguities in the discussion and questions that naturally arise with it. Let’s let Manilius explain the basic method and then we’ll discuss some of the difficulties with employing it.

Manilius on Profections

Now I shall assign their special periods of life in classes to the signs; for the signs are also allotted to their own particular years and months and days and hours of days; and during these periods they each exercise special influence. The first year of life will belong to that sign in which at birth the Sun has shone, since the Sun takes a year’s duration to traverse the firmament; the next and subsequent years are consecutively bestowed upon the signs in their order. The Moon shall denote the months, since in a month it completes its course. The Horoscope [Ascendant] brings under its regency the first days and the first hours, and hands the others to the following signs. Thus did nature wish year and months and days and even hours to be duly counted out through the signs, that every period of time might be distributed over every sign of the zodiac and vary its movements through the sequence of signs, according as it made a change to each one as it came round in the circle. (Manilius, Astronomica, 3.510-521, Goold trans., 1977, p. 205)

Annual Profection

In this scheme the sign of the year is that into which the Sun profects at a rate of one sign per year from its birth position. For instance, a 31 year old who was born with a Sagittarius Sun, would find oneself in a Cancer year. Remember that the profection comes back to the starting point, Sagittarius, at age 36 (a multiple of 12). Therefore, the 31st birthday, 5 before the 36th, would put it 5 signs back from Sagittarius, at Cancer.

Under this method the annual profection of the Sun, rather than Ascendant, marks the sign of the year, and is the main factor for annual profections. This varies from the predominant view that the annual profection of the Ascendant is most important. It also varies from the approach of Vettius Valens who took the annual profection of the Sect Light and Ascendant as most important.

Monthly Profection

Here’s where things start to tricky. Manilius appears to be advising us to take monthly profections from the Moon. For Manilius, monthly profections are disjointed from annual profections. Rather than dividing the annual profection up into twelve months, we use a totally different starting point for the monthly profections. A profection from the natal Moon has a different starting point.

It is unclear what sort of months are intended. For instance, if one were born December 1, 1980 with a Libra Moon, then we might be tempted to count calendar months to the present day. This is easy as the Moon would profect back to the natal sign every December of every year. In January, the Moon would profect to Scorpio, one sign after Libra, as January is one month after December. However, it is unclear whether calendar months are intended or a more astronomical lunar month. There are the synodic month of about 29.5 days and the sidereal month of about 27.5 days. If one of these other months are used, starting from birth, then over time you will get other indications for the sign of the month.

Daily and Hourly Profections

The daily and hourly profections are the most difficult to understand. It appears that Manilius is separating out two different rates, a daily rate and an hourly rate. We are using the same factor (Ascendant) for two different rates in a symbolic fashion.

The way that Manilius presented the more common profectional technique later in his book suggested that he used planetary hours for hourly rates. There are normally 24 planetary hours in a 24-hour day based on division of the length of day (sunrise and sunset) and that of night (sunset to sunrise). I assume in this approach two planetary hours would equal one profectional sign hour. That discussion also seemed to imply that the daily rate was one sign per day.

Daily Profections in Practice

My best hypothesis as to how to find the daily profectional sign is to count the number of days since your birth to the present time (it may help to use a date duration calculator online). You then divide the number of days by 12 and take the remainder (multiply the portion after the decimal by 12) as the number of signs past your Ascendant. For instance, if your Ascendant is Aquarius and the remainder is 3, then the sign of the day is Taurus (i.e. counted Pisces, Aries, Taurus).

Hourly Profections in Practice

My best hypothesis for the hour is that every day at your birth time is the start of the hour that pertains to your Ascendant. For instance, take one born at 3 pm with an Aquarius Ascendant. Every day at 3 pm would start the Aquarius hour. An easy approach is to use a regular rate of a sign every two hours. So around 5 pm would star the Pisces hour of the day. Since it would cycle through 12 in a day, these hours would be in the same order starting from the birth time each day.

I noted that Manilius may have used planetary hours for this, which is a bit more complex. You could use a free planetary hours calculator, and have the first sign start at the beginning of the planetary hour that contains the birth time (i.e. the one that is happening at 3 pm in the example). Change to the next sign after every two planetary hours.

Conclusion

Annual and monthly profections of the Ascendant have won me over as to their value time and time again. Many of the other types of profections, including this one by Manilius may also prove themselves useful with time. I advocate experimenting with them and urge you to keep me informed about what you find. Happy journeys!

References

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

Image Attribution

Featured image (cropped) is of the Hampton Court Astrological Clock by Mike Cattell [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons