Recently, a reader asked about triplicity rulers. She noted that in an article on profession I attributed Venus as a triplicity lord of a Capricorn Ascendant in a night chart. In Chapter 15 of Demetra George’s book “Ancient Astrology” she dealt with triplicity lords. She appears to only consider one triplicity lord for the matters of sign rejoicing and rulership. Namely, she uses the first triplicity lord (that of the sect). Do the other two triplicity lords matter?
Triplicity Review
Triplicity is one of the most misunderstood and neglected types of rulership in traditional astrology. I have written on them in the past, so I don’t want to re-tread too much ground. Let’s briefly recap what triplicity lords signify.
Three Rulers
In the lesson on the signs, I introduced the triplicity lords. Please first familiarize yourself with the triplicity lords by way of that lesson. The triplicity lords are three planets which rule over a given triangle of three signs, or a given element (fire, earth, air, water). There is a day ruler, a night ruler, and a participating ruler.
The ruler of the sect is considered the main and initial influence. The triplicity rulers were often used in timing such that the ruler of sect showed support in the first period. That of the other sect showed support in the second period. Thus, there is an order to the triplicity lords, starting with the lord of sect.
Demetra noted the use of multiple triplicity lords for timing techniques. However, she emphasized only the triplicity lord of sect for assessing planetary condition. In this view, there is a planet that is THE triplicity lord. The other two lords are marginal, only to be used in certain techniques.
Support
Triplicity rulership is indicative of support, particularly reflective of relatives. For instance, a strong triplicity ruler can indicate significant support to what a planet or house indicates, and can make up for its deficiencies. An example might be a wealthy uncle who provides opportunities that one could not create for oneself out of one’s own abilities.
Sect
Triplicity is strongly associated with sect. Sect (day or night) is another significant factor that pertained to a relationship of affinity and support. I have explored the meaning of sign sect and its overlap with triplicity in the article on the sect and sex of the signs. Please refer to that article for information on that relationship. Sect and triplicity are two primary ways in which planets have a sense of kinship with each other and sense of support network in each other’s places.
Wind
As I noted in an early article on the subject, triplicity was originally associated with the directions of winds, rather than of the elements. Demetra, following Robert Schmidt, noted that this sense of triplicity as winds works nicely as a metaphor for support. A planet in its own triplicity has the wind at its back, and triplicity lords are like productive winds helping to move things forward.
One or Three in Hellenistic Literature
So now let’s return to the question of the use of the triplicity lords. These lords were strongly emphasized in the work of Dorotheus and Valens, two pivotal early Hellenistic astrologers. Would these men have considered Venus in Capricorn to be in triplicity by night? Also would they have considered Venus to be a significant triplicity lord (in terms of support) of Capricorn by night? After all, the Moon is the nocturnal lord of Earth by night, and Venus is the diurnal one. Is the diurnal lord significant in a nocturnal chart?
I caution against getting all of one’s ideas about Hellenistic astrology from secondary sources. There are many high quality English translations of Hellenistic texts available. Secondary sources are primarily useful as gateways to aid in approaching primary sources and for critical practical evaluation and comparison. I try to encourage the exploration of primary source material as much as possible. Don’t take my word for it, look at the texts. And that’s what we’ll do now.
Dorotheus of Sidon (1st century CE)
First, I’d like to say that Ben Dykes provided a great introduction to his translation of Dorotheus’s Carmen Astrologicum. This introduction includes a discussion of the meaning of triplicity (beginning at page 42). I highly recommend that one obtains a copy of that translation and reads the introduction. As he noted, triplicity lords in Carmen tend to signify increase/decrease, protection, and assistance.
Order Not Exclusion
“The triplicity of Aries: its lords by day are the Sun, then Jupiter, then Saturn; and by night Jupiter, then the Sun, then Saturn.” (Dorotheus, Book I, Ch. 1, #4, Dykes trans., 2017, p. 61-62)
The way that Dorotheus presented the triplicity lords is significant. Dorotheus did not say that the Sun is the triplicity lord of a fire sign by day, and Jupiter by night. No, he said that by day the lords of that triplicity are the Sun, then Jupiter, then Saturn, and by night they are Jupiter, then the Sun, then Saturn. He did this for each triplicity. This emphasizes that all three are important for either chart sect. Sect only pertains to their order.
More Strong Lords Equals More Strong Support
Dorotheus made it very clear that all three triplicity lords are to be used in the matter of support. This does not just apply to timing. For instance, in the matter of looking at the health of one’s upbringing he examines all three triplicity lords of the Ascendant.
“… you want to examine the first, second, and third lords of the triplicity of the Ascendant: for if you found of them in its own share and a stake (or in what is equivalent to that, of the places in which it becomes stronger), then that will increase him in life, by the permission of God, and protect him.” (Dorotheus, Book I, Ch. 4, #2, Dykes trans., 2017, p. 65)
But let’s be clear, Dorotheus went beyond this. Not only can any one of the three triplicity lords help to support a position, but more strong lords equals more support.
“Now if the three of them were all in strong places, then it is more excellent. And if two of them were in a strong position, then the strength in their indication will be complete, and preferable to that is if the first one of them is in an excellent place.” (Dorotheus, Book I, Ch. 4, #3-4, Dykes trans., 2017, p. 65)
Note that Dorotheus advised that it is most preferable if the first lord is strong. This suggests that this first lord was viewed as a first or preferred line of support.
Summary of Dorotheus on the Triplicity Lords
There are numerous passages in Carmen in which Dorotheus used the lords in this manner. Please see the introductory section by Dykes for a table of the sections in which Dorotheus used the triplicity lords. You will find that the passages above are representative of Dorotheus’s approach to triplicity. Namely, sect orders the lords in terms of first line of support, second, and third. It is not intended to indicate that only one planet is THE triplicity lord while the others are insignificant.
Therefore, here we get to the crux of the matter that so confuses people about triplicity lords. First, all of the triplicity lords rule a sign of that triplicity, by day or night. They are all significant. Second, the sect distinction is to order the lords of the triplicity. This ordering pertains to actual temporal ordering for timing techniques but also a sense of priority or preference. We might consider the first triplicity lord to be the preferred first line of support, wheres the third is the support of last resort.
Vettius Valens (2nd century CE)
Ordering Again
Valens is more ambiguous in his introduction to triplicity (the triangles). He introduced them in Book II, Ch. 1 of his Anthology. Triplicity is explicitly linked to sect in this passage. I have provided extensive quotes from the passage in my lesson on the signs.
He is more ambiguous in that he sometimes says things like “the moon, being near the earth, is allotted the houserulership of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn” but also says things like “[f]or day births Venus will lead; the moon will operate second; Mars, third” (Valens, Anthologies, Book II, Ch. 1, Riley trans., 2010, p. 25).
Next the moon, being near the earth, is allotted the houserulership of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, a triangle earthy in nature and the next in order. It has Venus and Mars as members of the same sect […]. Therefore for night births the moon has preeminence; in the second place is Venus; in the third is Mars. For day births Venus will lead; the moon will operate second; Mars, third. (Valens, Anthologies, Book II, Ch. 1, Riley trans., 2010, p. 25)
However, it is clear from Valens’s use of language pertaining to “preeminence” and second and third places, that all three are used. It is the order and relative importance that changes by day and night.
Support from All Three
In the next chapter of Book II, Valens laid out how to use the triplicity lords in delineation. He explicitly looked at all three rulers in much the same fashion as Dorotheus.
“If the sun is found in Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn (for day births), it will be necessary to investigate first how Venus is configured, second the moon, and third Mars, and to see what stars they have in aspect. In the same way, if the sun is in the next triangle, Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius (for day births), it will be necessary to look at Saturn, then Mercury, then Jupiter. The same for the triangle Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces: if the sun is there (for day births), it will be necessary to look at Venus, then Mars, then the moon, to see if they are at angles. Having determined all this, then make the prediction.” (Valens, Anthologies, Book II, Ch. 1, Riley trans., 2010, p. 25)
As a Rejoicing Condition
Valens also clarified that a planet is strengthened by being in a sign of its own sect or triangle. Again, this would include Venus in Capricorn in a night chart, for example.
“It is best if the stars of the day sect are found at angles in their own triangles or in operative places; the same is true for the stars of the night sect. If they are in other triangles or in the opposite sect, prosperity will be less and will be subject to anxiety.” (Valens, Anthologies, Book II, Ch. 2, Riley trans., 2010, p. 26)
I explore some of these constant references throughout Valens to sect and triangle as near synonyms in my article on sign sect. The terms are nearly synonymous because a sign of the same sect as a planet is with only a couple exceptions also a sign in which the planet is a triplicity lord. In any case, Valens sees some sort of intrinsic support pertaining to a planet in its own triplicity. This condition is not just applicable if the planet is the first triplicity lord of that triplicity.
Conclusion
As we’ve seen, there were three triplicity lords of every sign in Hellenistic astrology. Sect was used to order them. This ordering pertained to relative importance in terms of support, and in terms of temporal ordering (typically with just the first and second used in that matter as beginning and end). All three triplicity lords were relevant both in the sense of rulership and in terms of evaluating planetary condition. Additionally, a greater number of strong triplicity lords can act to multiply the degree of support shown through triplicity.
Triplicity was of great importance to astrologers like Dorotheus and Valens. It was often emphasized more than domicile rulership. The symobolism of triplicity lords reflects the fact that success and opportunities often pertain more to connections than inherent quality or condition. It’s about who you know.
References
Dorotheus of Sidon, & al-Tabari, U. (2017). Carmen Astrologicum: The ’Umar al-Tabari Translation. (B. N. Dykes, Trans.). Minneapolis, Minn.,: The Cazimi Press.
Featured image is Trinity + Triquetra (Tripod of Life, Borromean rings) Jerusalem by zeevveez from Jerusalem, Israel [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Have you ever felt like the things associated with one particular planet pervade every aspect of your life in every possible way? In this post, you’ll learn which planets in your chart are the loud ones which want to be heard in every area of life. This is part of a series of lessons on the basics of applied Hellenistic astrology. In the last lesson, we looked at the basic significations of the planets. There is also a zero lesson on some history and preliminaries. In this post, we’ll learn about planetary advancement, also known as the operative degrees or busy degrees. This will allow you to start figuring out which planets are louder or more pervasive. If you haven’t already done so, please read the past lessons and spend a little time thinking in terms of the planets before proceeding.
Download Valens’ Anthology
Please download the PDF of the full English translation of the Anthology of Vettius Valens (click here to open the PDF or right click and choose “save as” to download). Not only is it an indispensable and enormous text of Hellenistic astrology, but it begins immediately with Valens on the significations of the planets.
Pull Up Your First Chart
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to obtain really good software for traditional astrology. As we learn about how to read a chart in this lesson, I’ll walk you through pulling up charts using the free online Astrodienst (astro.com) charting service. In a future lesson, I’ll show how to use Morinus, a free and advanced open-source traditional astrology program.
Registering on Astrodienst
First, you should pull up a copy of your chart using Astrodienst, which is at Astro.com. It is free to register with the site and the process is easy. Click Login in the upper right corner, then “Create a free registered user profile” and follow the instructions. After registering, you will find that you are faced with many options for computer-generated readings. I don’t recommend any of the readings on the site. We are going to use the free chart-drawing service.
You Will Need an Accurate Birth Time
The section of the site called “My Astro” allows you to store birth data for easy access to your charts from the internet. First, you will want to have your birth information handy. The information that you’ll need is the date, location (city), and time of birth. Typically, a birth certificate is the most accurate source of this information. Obtain this information before proceeding, either of your own birth or that of someone of interest.
Entering Chart Information on Astrodienst
With the birth info in hand, log in to Astrodienst and click the “Add new Astro data” link. Fill out the Birth Data Entry and click “Continue”. Make sure the correct town is selected and click “Continue” again. If this is your first time using the program you might be taken directly to the Free Horoscopes page, but if not then click the “Free Horoscopes” link from the top bar. Scroll down and choose “Chart Drawing Ascendant”. This is the option that will do for now, even though it includes a lot of additional information we will try to ignore. Click on the chart to pull it up in a window of its own, where you can right-click and choose “Save Image As” to save the chart to your computer, or press CTRL-P to print the chart. The chart should look something like what is below.
Angelina Jolie’s Birth Chart (CTRL-Click to open in a new tab)
Adding Celebrity Data from Astro-Databank to My Astro
In your astrological studies, a time will come when you’ll want to check out the charts of celebrities. There is a database of celebrity charts that is now maintained by Astrodienst and integrates with its My Astro chart collection. This database is called Astro-Databank (click to go there).
Let’s say that you want to add Angelina Jolie’s chart to your own chart collection. You would type “Angelina Jolie” in the Search box and then click her name from the list of results. This will pull up her biography and chart information, with a small chart that you can click to enlarge (click here to go there). Make special note of the “Rodden Rating” which is an evaluation of the accuracy of the birth information (AA is best, while anything C or below usually shouldn’t be trusted). To add birth information to your collection click the link “add Angelina Jolie to ‘my astro'” which appears below the grey box.
Finding The Angles: The Crosshairs of a Given Location on Earth
There is much on this chart drawing that you should ignore for now, including all the red and blue lines jutting around the chart. For now imagine that the small center circle inside the chart, around which the numbers appear, is the sphere of the Earth. Look at the four bold black lines that jut out from that sphere. These 4 lines are much like the “cross-hairs” of the location. It is as if planets on them have arrived at the location. Those moving toward them (clockwise) are arriving. After passing them, a planet is leaving the location. These 4 points are called the “Angles” or “Pivots” of the chart. Planets on them signify extremely prominent or pervasive influences on life circumstances.
The Horizon
The horizontal line is the horizon at the place you were born. Horizon is in the word horizontal so that should be easy to remember. Notice on the left that it is marked with an AC, for Ascendant. On the opposite side, there is a DC, for Descendant. The Ascendant is where planets rise or “ascend”, while the Descendant is where they set or “descend”. The Ascendant is toward the east and the Descendant is toward the west, as “the Sun rises in the east, and sets in the west”. A planet above the line is above the horizon, in the sky. A planet below the line is below the horizon, under the earth.
You will notice that there is a planetary symbol at Angelina Jolie’s Ascendant. The symbol is that of Venus. Matters symbolized by Venus are therefore pervasive in the circumstances of Jolie’s life. The significations of beauty, love, creativity, the arts, and sensuality are very “loud” in her life.
Finding The Sect of the Chart
For astrological purposes, a chart is a day chart or diurnal if the Sun is above the horizon, while a night chart or nocturnal if the Sun is below the horizon. This is known as the sect of the chart. The symbol for the Sun is above the horizon in Jolie’s chart, so she was a day birth. We may think of Angelina as of the diurnal sect.
The Meridian
The vertical, nearly perpendicular lines, are the meridians, like the vertical lines you see on a globe. The top one is where the Sun reaches its highest point or “culminates” up in the sky, at the natural “Noon” position. The bottom one is the meridian on the other side of the earth, where the Sun anti-culminates under one’s feet at the natural “Midnight”. The top line is called the angle of the sky, medium coeli (“middle of the sky”), or midheaven, abbreviated MC. The bottom angle is the angle of the earth, called the imum coeli (“bottom of the sky”), abbreviated IC.
If one is in the northern hemisphere, the MC is exactly due south, because we are looking south toward the equator of the Earth when we see a culminating planet (for example, the Sun at about Noon). The IC is due north. Thus the astrological chart is like an upside-down map as far as directions go. The top is south, the left is easterly, the bottom is north, and the right is westerly.
Looking at these additional two “Angles” we see that Angelina Jolie has one planet on the MC. That planet is Jupiter, the planet of fortune, opportunity, gifts, generosity, and social benefits.
On an Angle
The numbers next to Jupiter’s symbol are the degrees and minutes of the sign where Jupiter is located. These are coordinates of its location. Notice Jupiter is at degree 17, as is the MC. They are in the same degree out of the 360-degree circle. Similarly, Venus was in the same degree as the Ascendant. Because the degrees on the angles shift about every 4 minutes (of regular clock time), it is rare to find a planet in the same degree as an angle.
We will consider a planet on an angle when it is within about 3 degrees of the angle (a little more than that when dealing with the Sun and Moon). Notice that Mars is at degree 10, which is about 7 degrees from the MC, so we wouldn’t consider it on the angle. The Moon is at 13, which is about 4 to 5 degrees from the MC, so we would judge the Moon to be of increased prominence as well in this chart by this method.
Planetary Advancement
This idea of a planet becoming more prominent when it reaches one of the angles predates the advent of horoscopic astrology. It is a feature of geographically disparate astrological traditions, and it is an easy concept to grasp. It is also evident in Hellenistic and Persian astrology (more on this below). Additionally, it is related to one of the most important predictive techniques of traditional astrology, primary directions. This is why I feel it is important to learn it early in one’s studies.
Pre-Hellenistic Origins
A quick survey of archaeoastronomy reveals that for thousands of years people paid close attention to the moments when important planetary phenomena would reach the angles. This is evident in the construction of temples, monuments, and sacred sites the world over. For example, El Castillo, a step-pyramid at the center of the Mayan Chichen Itza, has a western face that points to sunset (Sun on Descendant) on the traditional date of the start of the rainy season. Similarly, Stonehenge has important alignments to risings and settings marking the annual transitions of midsummer and midwinter. Karnak (in Egypt) and many other such sites reveal similar attention to risings, settings, and culminations on key days of the year. These monuments all draw attention to the time of a planet’s “arrival” to the location by using its crosshairs, the angles.
The Primary Motion
You’ll notice that few people have planets actually conjunct (i.e. on or at) an Angle. However, while this is the most powerful position, Hellenistic astrologers did attach increased importance to a planet approaching an angle, and decreased importance to one receding from an angle (more on this below). The exact definition of when a planet is considered to start advancing and when it is considered to stop retreating varies slightly with different authors but the idea is the same. The idea is that a planet’s significations become increasingly strong or busy as it moves closer and closer to the angle, becoming strongest when it is conjoined to the angle, and then quickly dropping off until it has traveled sufficiently toward the next angle.
You may recall that a planet rises at the Ascendant, culminates at the MC, sets at the Descendant, anti-culminates at the IC, and then rises again at the Ascendant. This clockwise motion is called the Primary Motion and is shown below.
Quadrant House Systems Are Great for Advancing/Retreating but not for Topics
The concept of advancement and retreat was confused for a method of assigning topics to the signs, called the house system. In modern charts, including this one provided by Astrodienst, the space between any two angles is divided up into three segments. These are numbered for houses, but actually should be used for evaluating advancement and retreat. Planets in one of the segments that is right after an angle by primary motion (marked 3, 6, 9, and 12 on the chart) are “retreating” from the angle or “inoperative”. Those that in other segments are advancing. Those that are in the segment just before and up to the angle (1, 4, 7, and 10) are even more advancing or “operative”.
Therefore, looking at Angelina Jolie’s chart, we judge Venus, Jupiter, and the Moon to be especially busy or “loud” because they are conjunct angles. By contrast, we judge that the significations of Saturn and Mars are overall much quieter in the life because they are retreating. The Sun and Mercury are advancing but not very strongly, so they are middling in terms of the “loudness” of their significations in the life.
Continuous Change in Volume
Rather than viewing advancement and retreat in a discrete way, where we chop things up into strong, middle, and weak, I tend to view it as a continuous matter of a planet being of very low volume after separating from an Angle and then volume gradually being turned up on it as it nears it. Planets approaching an angle within about 15 degrees or actually conjunct an Angle I take to be especially loud, and I will call them “strongly advancing”.
Busy vs. Relevant to a Specific Topic
A beginner should take some time getting used to the significance of this technique. This busy-ness is not necessarily in terms of personality or what someone’s known for. It is quite possible for a retreating planet to have great significance for a person’s character or profession, and likewise possible for a strongly advancing planet to have little relevance for characterizing these things. The basic idea is simply one of general strength or busy-ness, where I think the metaphor of “volume” as on a stereo, comes in handy.
Because the volume of Venus and Jupiter are at the full crank in Angelina Jolie’s chart, we imagine that the things those planets stand for are pervasive through the life, including the people, events, and things encountered in it. It’s as if the life is being pumped full of Venus and Jupiter energy or those gods are very busily at play there. In Angelina’s case, Venus and the Moon are also very significant for the character and personality, but this is not because of the advancement, but due to other factors we’ll cover later. The only thing that advancement tells us is that the significations are loud and likely to be quite broad. The person is nearly constantly encountering things signified by that planet for better or worse.
Ben Dykes on Advancement
I largely follow Dr. Benjamin Dykes interpretation of advancement and retreat as found in his commentary on his translations of Persian introductory astrological works, Introductions to Traditional Astrology. Discussing the commentary on advancement and retreat by Al-Qabisi and Abu Ma’shar he notes the following:
What this suggests is that advancing planets will show active assent, engagement, and success in whatever they signify–whether that is helpful or harmful. (Dykes, 2010, p. 121)
Taken with advancement, retreat suggests that such planets are more likely to show opportunities missed, ignored, or responsibilities dropped. (Dykes, 2010, p. 121)
Busy Places Versus Good Ones
I follow Dykes and Robert Schmidt of Project Hindsight in distinguishing these busy degrees from the advantageous places of Timaeus (more on those in later lessons). The advantageous houses or places are those that have a certain relationship with the rising sign (signifying the self) so they are advantageous in a more personal sense (i.e. good for the individual). Advancement is a relationship to the birth itself (the location of the chart), so pertains to the life circumstances as a whole (i.e. busy in the life).
Schmidt suggests an interpretive difference which seems promising: (1) by being related to the angles alone, the Nechepso version […] identifies planets busy or advantageous or advancing in the life as a whole, regardless of the specific relation they have toward the native as an individual. […] But (2) by being configured to the ascending sign, the Timaeus-Dorotheus version […] identifies planets which are more directly busy and advancing relative to the native and his interests as an individual. (Dykes, 2010, p. 122)
From Busy Degrees in the Length of Life Technique to Advancing Planets
Advancement is a concept that tends to be ill-understood today. Advancement was used primarily within the context of the longevity techniques of Hellenistic astrology (techniques to determine the length of life). It became a more basic part of astrological technique during the Persian period. In the Hellenistic period, the regions approaching the angles were often singled out as particularly busy or operative degrees. Those receding from the angles were singled out as inoperative.
The origin of the doctrine appears to be an early lost foundational text attributed to Nechepso. In this work, the four places of the angles and those places following them (in the order of the signs) were viewed as the 8 busy or advantageous places. The other four were seen as diminished in operation. As a number of separate Hellenistic astrologers set up quadrant-based divisions (i.e. based on the four regions created by the angles) to find the busy degrees in the context of the length of life technique and the 8 advantageous places of Nechepso appear to figure into the technique, it is likely that quadrant-based divisions, the 8 advantageous places, and the operative degrees all come to Hellenistic astrology from the Nechepso text in the context of the length of life technique.
Quadrant Division but Not Quadrant Houses
As this technique is quadrant-based, it inspired the later widespread adoption of quadrant house systems (Lesson 6 will discuss houses). A house system is a means of assigning twelve major topics of life (such as marriage, children, friends, etc.) to different areas of the chart. However, in Hellenistic astrology the quadrant divisions are almost exclusively used to determine the busy-ness of the planets, not to assign topical categories to areas of the chart. When it comes to assigning topics we will do so according to the order of the houses of the planets (i.e. the signs) as the Hellenistic astrologers did.
Advancement/Retreat is Terminology of Arabic Origin
I adopt the Arabic terminology for the technique which uses the language of advancement (‘iqbal) and retreat (‘idbar). This terminology readily captures the physical phenomena of the planet advancing toward the key crosshairs of the location and then retreating. It also captures the most salient indication I’ve observed related to it, which is that of increasing and decreasing loudness across life circumstances. The Greek terminology in which it is characterized as busy (chrematistikos) is also helpful.
Busy-ness in Hellenistic Astrology
Valens
Valens gives a good thorough exposition of advancement in Book III, Chapter 2 of the Anthology. The chapter is dedicated to explaining the concept which for Valens defines the “operative”, “average”, and “inoperative” degrees (not to be confused with the operative and inoperative places which are another matter). Valens finds the operative and inoperative degrees by dividing the distance into thirds by zodiacal degrees. For instance, if there were 120 degrees between two angles, then each third would be 40 degrees in length.
Then it is necessary to take the distance in degrees from the Ascendant to the IC (moving in the order of the signs), to consider one-third of that total distance to be the “operative” degrees in the configuration of the angles, and to consider the stars in these degrees, whether benefics or malefics, to be powerful. (Valens, Anthologies, Book III, Ch. 2, Riley trans., 2010, p. 59)
Thirds of Varying Power
He instructs to make the same type of division between each of the angles. He describes the power of the thirds as follows.
So then, the first third from the Ascendant will be operative and powerful, the second third will be average, the third third will be crisis-producing and bad. The stars <in these regions> will act in the same way. (Valens, Anthologies, Book III, Ch. 2, Riley trans., 2010, p. 59)
In the above quote, he seems to imply that a planet becomes more malefic (i.e. “bad”) when retreating. However, I think Valens is referring to it being bad when a major health significator is in such a position because it is weakened. The section is presented in the context of a length of life technique. My experience is that retreating planets do not signify as prominently, but do not signify more malefic things, i.e. that it is a general strength consideration only.
Dorotheus
Dorotheus does not discuss advancement much but does have a few instances where he brings up a 15-degree rule. A planet that is not in the rising sign but which is approaching the Ascendant within 15 degrees is said to have equal power as a planet in the rising sign. This rule is found Book I, Chapter 7, #7, as well as book III, Chapter 1, #23, of Carmen Astrologicum. The rule also appeared in Porphyry in a section attributed to Antiochus.
Ptolemy
Ptolemy also defined certain regions of power where a planet relevant to longevity matters was to be found. In his discussion (Book III, Ch. 10) one of his regions is from 5 degrees above the Ascendant to the 25 degrees below it. Thus the region of strength here appears to be the 25 degrees up to the angle, and the conjunction seems to extend 5 degrees.
Practice Using Advancement
Now let’s look at some example charts using a fluid sense of advancement. We are interested in finding the busiest planets. The chart drawings are from the Morinus program, but the charts are also available on Astro-Databank. I’ve provided the link to the Astrodatabank chart. Remember that here we are looking at one factor of general prominence in the life, which may be compared with volume or busy-ness. Later we will look at other factors of general prominencend factors as well as factors that signify personal prominence and even self-identification.
Hitler
In Hitler’s chart, Saturn (darkness, death, challenge), Mercury (rationality, writing, voice), and the Sun (leadership, power, confidence) are all very strongly advancing, while the Moon (deep significance, nurture, the irrational) and Jupiter (generosity, spirituality, loftiness) are retreating. Mars and Venus are advancing fairly strongly.
Adolf Hitler’s Natal Chart (Ctrl-click to enlarge)
Kurt Cobain
In Kurt Cobain’s chart, Mercury (rationality, writing, voice), Venus (beauty, creativity, love), and Saturn (darkness, death, challenge) are strongly advancing together. The Sun (leadership, power, confidence) is retreating.
Kurt Cobain’s Natal Chart (Ctrl-click to enlarge)
Billy Graham
In Billy Graham’s chart, Jupiter (generosity, spirituality, loftiness) and the Moon (deep significance, nurture, the irrational) are strongly advancing. Mars (violence, physical work, aggression) is retreating, but is also closely with the Moon.
Billy Graham’s Natal Chart (Ctrl-click to enlarge)
Conclusion
Take the celebrity examples from the last lesson, for Bjork, Obama, and Einstein. Look up their charts on Astro-Databank and evaluate advancement as an exercise. You will find that some planets that you thought would be strongly advancing are not so, and vice-versa. Advancement is only one piece of the puzzle. Prominence involves additional factors which we’ll get to in subsequent lessons.
Think of advancing planets as loud and busy, signifying across many areas of life. Think of retreating ones as quieter, and more directed toward specific topics.
Look at your own chart, and those of your friends, family, and favorite celebrities. Make note of the planets you would expect to be advancing compare that with what you find. As we proceed you’ll come to better understand the exceptions, where you met the unexpected.
References
Dykes, Benjamin, trans. and ed., Introductions to Traditional Astrology: Abu Ma’shar & al-Qabisi (Minneapolis, MN: The Cazimi Press, 2010).
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
Image Attributions
Featured image of Astronomical Clock from Cathedrale St-Jean in Lyon, France (cropped from original): This Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons image is from the user Chris 73 and is freely available at //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cathedrale_Saint_Jean_Lyon_Astronomical_clock.jpg under the creative commons cc-by-sa 3.0 license.
Horn Speaker with Girl by Paul G. Andres, in public domain.
Glyphs and Crosshairs images are in the public domain.
A return, also called a revolution, is the arrival of a transiting planet to the same position it held at the time of one’s birth. The solar return, or return of the Sun, occurs approximately at a person’s birthday. It was regarded as a very important event in Hellenistic astrology, the original form of horoscopic astrology. The solar return provides indications of the major events for the year. Similarly, the Moon’s return, or lunar return, can be used for indications regarding the month.
I have personally come to regard solar returns to be one of the most informative and indispensable predictive techniques. In this series of articles, we will start with some Hellenistic basics of return interpretation. Future article may add additional ways of interpreting returns as given by later Hellenistic and medieval astrologers.
The Solar Return as a Set of Transits to the Natal Chart
For the most part, in early Hellenistic astrology, solar returns were not regarded as separate charts in their own right. Rather they were viewed in terms of transits to the natal chart. That is the approach of Dorotheus (1st century CE). In this post, I address Dorotheus-style returns, in which we examine returns as a series of transits about the natal chart. The rules for interpreting returns in Dorotheus do not rely heavily upon exact timing of the return. Therefore, questions of precession and relocation of the return chart are largely irrelevant. To find the transits of the return, we look to “…when the Sun enters the beginning of the minute in which it was on the day of the native’s nativity” (Dorotheus, Book IV, Ch. 1, #4, Pingree trans., 2005, p. 245).
Dorotheus on Returns
Dorotheus of Sidon gave some guidelines and aphorisms for the interpretation of transits “on the day on which that native was born” and “in the turning of the years”. These guidelines can be found in Book IV of his Carmen Astrologicum (#185-233 of Pingree trans.; Ch. 4 of Dykes trans.). His approach focuses on planetary transits into specific natal houses, such as those occupied by certain natal planets.
For a complete understanding of the guidelines given by Dorotheus, I urge the reader to pick up a copy of his work (click image below for best translation). It is essential reading in Hellenistic astrology, and one of the most influential astrological works of all time. Later Persian and European medieval astrology owes a great debt to Dorotheus.
Dorothean Return Guidelines
For the reader’s convenience, I summarize some of his guidelines below. Generally, there are many guidelines that relate to the bad indicated when a return malefic is with, opposed, or square itself or an important natal position. By contrast, there are many good indications pertaining to when a return benefic is with or trine itself or an important natal position. There is even good pertaining to a return benefic dominating (right side square) a natal malefic (see below).
1st Rule: Return Oppositions to Natal Positions Show Difficulties
These are whole sign oppositions of a planet to itself. For instance, if Mars were in Capricorn in the natal chart but in Cancer on the solar return. Note that this configuration is impossible with the return Sun, Mercury, or Venus (except in regards to their twelfth-part positions).
2nd Rule: Transit of Out of Sect Malefic to Natal Sect Light or Benefic is Difficult
This pertains to the out of sect malefic of the natal chart transiting to the sign containing the sect light or sect benefic in the natal chart. For instance, take a person born by day with Sun or Jupiter in Sagittarius. If the solar return Mars is in Sagittarius this would indicate difficulty concerning those placements. From Dorotheus (Book IV, Ch. 1, #188, Pingree trans., 2005): “It is worse for this [native] and more difficult in its maleficence if Mars is reaching the place in which Jupiter or the Sun was by day, or [if] Saturn is reaching the place in which the Moon was by night.”
3rd Rule: Watch Malefic Squares and Oppositions, and Benefic Trines
Overall, it is good when a malefic (Saturn or Mars) is in a whole sign trine to its natal position. It is generally difficult if the malefic is in a whole sign opposition or square to its natal position, particularly if dominating the natal position. It is also good if a return benefic (Jupiter or Venus) is in a dominating position to a natal malefic. If dominating a return malefic, it is also likely to ease the difficulty. Similarly, it is good when the benefics are trine their natal positions. However, it is difficult when the malefics are trine the natal positions of the benefics. For instance, take one with Mars in Gemini. It would be good for Mars to be in Libra or Aquarius at the return. Furthermore, it is especially good if return Venus were in Pisces because that sign is in a dominating position to Gemini.
4th Rule: Watch Transits to Dark Places of the Natal Chart
It is difficult when a return planet is in a place (i.e. house) of the nativity which is bad. This is especially so if it also occupies such a place in the natal chart. According to Dorotheus (Book I, Ch. 5), the best places are the 1st, 10th, 11th, 5th, 7th, 4th, and 9th, in that order. The worst places are the 6th and 12th, while the 8th, 2nd, and 3rd are moderately bad (from worst to least bad).
For instance, take one born with Aquarius rising and Mars in Capricorn. It will be particularly bad if Mars is in Capricorn (natal 12th) or Cancer (natal 6th) in the return. Cancer would be the most difficult as it would also be opposed its natal position (see above). It could also be difficult if Mars is in Virgo (natal 8th), Pisces (natal 2nd), or Aries (natal 3rd). Of those placements, Aries would be more difficult due to the square to the natal position, while Virgo would be least difficult due to the trine to natal position.
5th Rule: The Natal and Return Moon are Particularly Important
The house of the return Moon is a focal area, as are return planets reaching the house occupied by the natal Moon. The Moon is particularly important for health. Overall, the idea is that the return Moon with benefic natal planets shows good things,while with malefic natal planets shows bad things. It is similar when return benefics and malefics reach the place of the natal Moon.
Dorotheus notes many miscellaneous indications for the Moon. The return Moon with natal Mercury shows work pertaining to the signification of natal Mercury. Solar return Moon in natal 1st can show health danger. The solar return Moon in natal 10th shows public events which are good or bad in accordance with influence of benefics and malefics. Return Moon in natal 7th shows success over enemies. Solar return Moon in natal 4th shows secret matters and/or success with writing a will.
Overall, these four whole sign places, also called the angles or stakes of the chart (the 1st, 10th, 7th, and 4th), give indications regarding important life matters. For instance, take one born with Pisces rising and Saturn as the out of sect malefic in the natal 10th (Sagittarius). The Moon transiting in Sagittarius in the return could be indicative of some difficult public event, and even of health problems pertaining to cold or depletion.
6th Rule: Annual Profection of the Ascendant Shows the Most Important Places
The natal and return factors in the sign of the annual profection of the Ascendant are particularly important. The ruler of the annual profection is also highlighted, both in terms of return transits to it and in terms of its solar return placement.
Solar returns were meant to be used with profections as part of a suite of annual predictive techniques. Therefore, the fourth book of Dorotheus explains both profections and solar returns. For example, Dorotheus noted, “If the year reaches the sign in which Saturn was and Saturn is in it or aspects if from trine or quartile [i.e. square] or the seventh [i.e. opposition], then the native will have a bad reputation, and there will reach him folly and injury and hostility from men …” (Book IV, Ch. 1, #23, Pingree trans., 2005).
I will examine the return by look first at the annual profection and indications related to it from the natal and return, then the impact concerning the angles of the chart and the Lights, especially the Moon. For each example, ignore the numbers on the outside of the chart, as those are for the house positions in the return chart itself, which Dorotheus ignored.
Example 1: 10th House Mars Opposed Natal 4th House Mars
Example 1
Mercury-Saturn and the Profection
Example 1 (above) is the 1958 return of someone born in 1935, and thus is that of someone who has turned 23. Age 23 signals an annual profection of the Ascendant to the 12th place, Gemini, ruled by and natally occupied by Mercury.
Mercury in the return is transiting in the natal 2nd, which is considered one of the bad places. Natally, Mercury is in the 12th, which is considered one of the worst places. Therefore, by rule #4, we are getting the sense that the year could be difficult for this native, relating to Mercurial themes of movement and communication. Furthermore, the out of sect malefic Saturn, is transiting through the 6th of the natal, opposing Mercury. This is difficult in itself given Mercury’s status as lord of the year, but it also emphasizes the natal configuration of Saturn dominating Mercury. Natally, Saturn in IX dominates Mercury, and IX concerns religion and foreign influence. Saturn transiting in the 6th in the return dominates (right-hand square) natal Saturn, exacerbating the maleficence of Saturn (see rule #3).
Influence of Venus
The transit of Venus through the sign of the profection, Gemini, is mixed. She is the sect benefic and has influence upon the lord of the year. Venus provides a positive and protective indication but she is transiting through one of the worst places (the 12th), and occupies a bad place natally (the 2nd). She rules the 4th of land and origins and the 11th of friends and aid, so she connects the native with those themes.
Example 1
4th House Mars and the Angles
Both Jupiter and Mars are transiting in natal angles. Jupiter in the 4th, where natal Mars is, signifies some degree of fortune as concerns land, origins, and workings in secret. However, Mars is opposed to it and opposed to its natal position (see rule #1). This activates the worst of the difficulty signified by Mars in the 4th. With return Mars in the rather public and authority-oriented 10th, it is bringing violence from on high from authority. Additionally, return Mars is in a dominating position to the natal Sun, signifying the threat of violence to the native.
Return Moon in IX with Saturn
The return Moon is in the 9th of foreign influence and religion.It is with natal Saturn, the out of sect malefic. This is a sign of great difficulty and threat. The Moon and the 9th naturally signify journeys, so it suggests a focus on a journey, with great difficulty.
Dalai Lama XIV
Example 1 was the chart of the 14th Dalai Lama (chart rated A for accuracy). The solar return is that which preceded his fleeing his country, Tibet, which he had previously ruled. He fled in fear of his life to his exile in India, amid the spring 1959 Tibetan uprising.
Example 2: 7th House Saturn Opposes Natal 1st House Saturn
Example 2
1st House Profection Ruled by 11th House Jupiter
Example 2 is the chart of someone turning 72, and as 72 is a multiple of 12. Therefore, the annual profection was to the 1st place, Pisces. Pisces is occupied by natal Saturn and ruled by Jupiter. Jupiter, the lord of the profection is returning to its natal position in the 11th. The 11th is Jupiter’ joy and this is a great placement, significant for popularity, friends, aid, and so forth. This person is a movie star and did in fact have a dozen films in the works in the year under consideration.
Saturn, the 1st House Occupant
Deeper inspection reveals that not only is natal Saturn highlighted by the profection to the 1st, but Saturn is also transiting in an angle, the natal 7th, pertaining to partnership and sexuality. Saturn is opposed to its natal position (see rule #1). The natal Sun is additionally dominated by that angular Saturn in the 7th (as is Mercury). Therefore, we find Saturn (constriction, death) in the house of partnership and sexuality (VII) activating the adverse indications for the body (I) and reputation (Sun in X) signified by the natal partile Sun-Saturn square.
Return Mars in the 10th
Looking at other angular factors, we find that return Mars, the out of sect malefic, is in the 10th and actually conjunct the Sun within a degree. Given the affliction of the 1st house and the Sun by both malefics, we are seeing some major indications of danger to the health and reputation.
Example 2
Return Moon
Examining the Moon we find that it is in the 2nd, ruled by Mars. The Moon is opposed to its natal position (see rule #1). It is also in a bad place (2nd) and occupies a bad place in the natal chart (8th). Additionally, in the natal chart she is in the 8th pertaining to death and she is with Mars, the out of sect malefic. Mars (violence) with the Moon (physicality) is a natal indication of bodily harm. The return Moon’s opposition to that configuration while under the rulership of Mars (Scorpio) reinforces the difficult natal indications in that regard. Therefore, we have strong indications of threat to health in the chart.
David Carradine
Example 2 is the chart of David Carradine (chart AA rated for accuracy). His 2008 solar return preceded his death by autoerotic asphyxiation. His manner of death had a particularly damning effect upon the public image he left behind.
Example 3: Out of Sect Saturn Conjoins Natal Sun
Example 3
I will briefly touch on one more chart to emphasize the difficulty of return malefics with Lights. Example 2 had return Mars (out of sect malefic) conjoin the Sect Light (Sun) reflecting Rule 2.
Profections Alone Are Not Enough
Example 3 is the 1994 return of someone born in 1967, thus 27 years of age, in a 4th place profection. From the profection alone, the indications appear to be largely positive. Jupiter is lord of the profection and natally is in its joy in the 11th. However, the solar return reveals a different story. What is striking about the return is the occurrence of a conjunction of transiting Saturn to the Sun within a degree in an angle of the chart. Additionally, Saturn is returning to its natal place and the return Moon is square to natal Saturn (and all the other planets in Pisces).
Kurt Cobain
Example 3 is the chart of Kurt Cobain (rated A for accuracy). The solar return is the one from 1994, which preceded his suicide.
Return Malefic to Natal Light
This theme of a close conjunction between a malefic and a Light occurs with some frequency in returns that precede death, even those by suicide. It can strongly indicate a threat to health, even from one’s own self! For instance, Ilya Zhitomirskiy, one of the founders of the social network Diaspora, had a similar tight Sun-Saturn conjunction in the return preceding his own suicide. I wrote about that configuration at the end of my article on Diaspora.
Conclusion
So far, I’ve only looked at a few solar return examples, and very briefly. From Dorotheus we learn that returns can be significant as a set of transits to the natal chart itself. The natal angles, the Lights, and the annual profection help to guide our way and show which significations are most important. Dorotheus looked at the overall influence of the benefics and malefics. He paid particular attention to the role of sect, house, and aspect in modifying indications for better or worse. Later astrologers would expand on these notions. In the medieval period, the houses and Ascendant of the return itself also came to be important. However, the guidelines laid out by Dorotheus provide us with a solid foundation from which to start our examination of the year from the solar return.
References
Dorotheus of Sidon. (2005). Carmen Astrologicum. (D. Pingree, Trans.). Abingdon, MD: Astrology Center of America.
This article was edited for clarity on 12/16/2018. Some additional links were also added at that time including a link to a superior translation of Dorotheus which was published after the original publication of this article.
In this installment of the series on sign qualities, I’ll explore sign sect and sign sex. There was a diversity of opinion regarding the classifications of signs into diurnal (day) signs and nocturnal (night) signs (i.e. sign sect) expressed in the 1st century CE, particularly in the work of Manilius. However, the typical arrangement where masculine signs are diurnal and feminine signs are nocturnal was dominant. In that arrangement, fire and air signs are both masculine and diurnal while water and earth signs are feminine and nocturnal. After exploring some of the early diversity in characterizing sign sect and sex, we will look at some uses of both sect and sex in the early tradition.
Three Types of Sign Sect in Manilius
Manilius composed his Astronomica, the oldest surviving complete book of Hellenistic astrology, in the 1st century CE. In it he noted (Book II, lines 203-222) a diversity of opinion regarding the sect of the signs. He himself actually favored a sect classification that is no longer used by traditional astrologers.
Fail not to perceive and from true rule deduce what signs are nocturnal, and what diurnal: they are not those that perform their function in darkness or daylight (the name would apply to all alike, since at regular intervals they shine at every house, and now the nocturnal ones accompany the day, and now the nocturnal ones accompany the night), but those on which nature, mighty parent of the universe, bestowed sacred portions of time in a permanent location. The signs of the Archer and the fierce Lion, he who looks round on the golden fleece of his back [Aries], then the Fishes and the Crab and the Scorpion of stinging lash, signs either adjacent or spaced at equal intervals, are all under like estate termed diurnal. The others, identical in number and in the pattern of their spacing, for they are inserted into as many places, are called nocturnal [i.e. there is six of them opposite the six diurnal signs and with the same pattern]. Some have also asserted that the diurnal stations [signs] belong to the six consecutive stars [signs] which begin with the Ram and that the six from the Balance [Libra] count as nocturnal. There are those that fancy that the masculine signs are diurnal and that the feminine class rejoices in the safe cover of darkness. (Goold trans., 1977, p. 99-101; bracketed notes added by me)
Fire and Water Signs as Diurnal
We find that by the first century CE, there were already at least three different means of classifying the signs as diurnal or nocturnal. Manilius appeared to favor the one that didn’t survive at all. His favored classification is by triplicity, with two triplicities as diurnal, and two as nocturnal. The diurnal ones are those we associate with fire and water. The other two triplicities are nocturnal (those we associate earth and air). However, note that Manilius did not actually associate the triplicities with the four elements as we do today.
This scheme consists of two adjacent diurnal signs, followed by two adjacent nocturnal signs, and so forth; an alternation in pairs, starting with a Pisces-Aries diurnal pair. Note that these associations have a natural relation to the triplicities themselves (the subject of the last article). The cardinal members of the diurnal triplicites mark spring and summer, while those of the nocturnal ones mark fall and winter. One of the stranger consequences of this arrangement is the fact that both Cancer and Leo are diurnal by this method. Cancer is the home of the Moon, lord of the nocturnal sect. It seems strange to have her home as a diurnal sign. This arrangement did not catch on, and as far as I know is present only in Manilius.
Northern Celestial Hemisphere by Durer
Sect=Sex
The sect classification of the signs that came to dominate in Hellenistic astrology and through later strands of the tradition, is that which Manilius mentioned last. This arrangement matches sign sex with sign sect. Masculine signs are diurnal and the feminine signs are nocturnal in this scheme.
All ancient astrologers appear to agree that the masculine and feminine signs alternate through the zodiac; Aries masculine, Taurus feminine, Gemini masculine, and so forth. The association of odd numbers with the masculine and even numbers with the feminine is a Pythagorean one. The sex of the signs causes each of the five non-luminaries to have one masculine home and one feminine home. When this is extended to a sect distinction, each of the five non-luminaries has a day home and a night home.
This scheme also results in two day triplicities and two night ones. In this case fire and air are diurnal and masculine, while earth and water are nocturnal and feminine. A convenient way to remember which signs are masculine and which are feminine, is to know that fire and air have a propensity to stir and rise, while water and earth have a propensity to fall and settle. Similarly, fire and air are light like the day (diurnal) while water and earth are obscuring like the night (nocturnal).
Astrologers Using This Method
Manilius (1st century CE) noted this method among others. Most other Hellenistic astrologers simply only used this method. Those astrologers include Dorotheus (1st century CE) and Paulus Alexandrinus (4th century CE). Additionally, Ptolemy and Valens (both 2nd century CE) appeared to use this method, as did Porphyry (3rd century CE). Rhetorius (6th or 7th century CE) also used this method in the material on the signs attributed to Teucer of Babylon (~1st century CE), though some of that material was added by Rhetorius himself. There are other instances of astrologers associating benefit with diurnal planets in masculine signs and nocturnal planets in feminine signs as well (c.f. Serapio and Manetho discussed below).
Note on the Incongruity of Mars
The conflation of sect and sex is common, both today and in ancient astrology. However, this does create some odd conflicts. For instance, it was considered beneficial for a planet to be in a sign of the same sex and/or sect as itself, but Mars is a masculine nocturnal planet. It does not have a domicile that is both its same sex and sect, as each other planet does.
Unfortunately, none of the sect arrangements discussed by Manilius resolve this incongruity. In the sect arrangement favored by Manilius, the same situation holds for Mars, as both Aries and Scorpio become diurnal signs, while Mars is a nocturnal planet. In the second classification (discussed below), Aries is masculine but still diurnal, while Scorpio is nocturnal but still feminine.
I favor the third sect arrangement given by Manilius, in which sect and sex are conflated. My own approach to astrology is not strongly influenced by Manilius as he was not a very influential astrologer overall. It is my understanding that congruity with sect is more important than congruity with sex. It is often suggested (from Ptolemy, Book I, Ch. 7) that the sect of the malefics represent the fact that their extreme qualities are tempered and thus they are made more productive. Therefore, it may be that Mars runs so hot that his position in a nocturnal chart and/or in a nocturnal sign serves to cool him off and make him more productive.
Incongruity of Saturn?
Note that Saturn has been described as feminine and feminizing at times in ancient astrology. Dorotheus appeared to have described Saturn as feminine in Book I, Ch. 10 of Carmen. However, Dorotheus also associated Saturn with male family member rather than female ones. Additionally, Carmen has had some textual issues and errors due to transmission through a number of languages. It is unclear whether Dorotheus actually did consider Saturn to be a feminine planet. It doesn’t appear that other Hellenistic astrologers did so.
Nevertheless, whether masculine or feminine, Saturn is a cold and dark planet, yet a diurnal one. As with Mars, the contrasting quality of Saturn’s sect (diurnal in this case) helps to balance it and make it more productive. I would add that Jupiter, characterized as a moist and warm planet by Ptolemy, and as a fertile planet promising children by many Hellenistic astrologers, would seem to be a better contender for a feminine planet traditionally characterized as masculine.
Northern and Southern Signs
Manilius provided one additional classification. This one has the signs from Aries through Virgo as diurnal and those from Libra through Pisces as nocturnal. This is logical from the perspective of the tropical zodiac in the northern hemisphere. Aries begins with the Spring Equinox, a moment where the quantity of day increases over the quantity of night. Libra begins with the Autumnal Equinox, a moment where the quantity of night increases over the quantity of day. In other words, in this classification, the Sun is in diurnal signs when the length of the day exceeds that of the night, while the opposite is true when the Sun is in nocturnal signs. The converse situation holds in the southern hemisphere.
Equinoxes and Solstices from Space (courtesy of NASA)
In Persian medieval astrology, this is the classification of the signs as Northern or Southern (c.f. al-Qabisi, Dykes trans., 2010, p. 59). The passing of the Sun into Aries is also the point when the Sun passes north of the celestial equator (i.e. the north pole is inclined toward the Sun). Similarly, when the Sun passes into Libra, the Sun goes south of the equator (i.e. the north pole is incline away from the Sun). Some may not realize that this apparent passing of the Sun north and south of the equator, due to the tilt of the poles relative to the Sun, is what creates the seasons. The Earth is actually closest to the Sun (i.e. at perihelion) around January of each year, during winter in the northern hemisphere.
Friendship and Commanding Signs
The northern or diurnal signs in this arrangement were called the “commanding” signs in a fragment attributed to Dorotheus, while the southern or nocturnal ones were called “obeying” (Dorotheus, XVIII, #4, Dykes trans., 2017, p. 340). The same fragments attribute the Moon in these commanding signs with suitability for friendship. It is unclear whether this suitability pertains to a friendly person or to a good electional time to make friends, or possibly both. For more on the concept of commanding and obeying, see the article on sign symmetry relationships.
Sign Sect by Ruler? Not Exactly
Some early Hellenistic astrologers did not explicitly mention an inherent sect of the signs. For instance, I know of no such use of sign sect in Maternus, though he does mention sign sex. Additionally, Vettius Valens (2nd century CE) didn’t clearly delineate the sect of the signs but did associate being ruled by a sect mate as beneficial. This is worth a closer examination as some have taken it to imply that sign sect is determined by the sect of the sign ruler. Furthermore, some comments in Porphyry (3rd century CE; but text has additions) suggesting that sign sex can be determined by the sect of the sign’s ruler have been taken to support this view.
In such a scheme, both Aries and Scorpio are nocturnal as both are ruled by Mars, a planet of the nocturnal sect. Similarly, in this scheme both Capricorn and Aquarius are diurnal due to rulership by Saturn, a diurnal planet. However, I am not aware of any Hellenistic astrologers explicitly associating sign sect with the sect of the ruler, akin to the many references to sign sect from sign sex. A closer examination reveals that the confusion may arise due to the close relationship between sect and triplicity. Additionally, there are passages in both Valens and Pophyry which imply that they assigned sect to signs in the usual manner (masculine/feminine and pertaining to triplicity).
Inherent Relationship Between Sect and Triplicity
Water and earth signs always have nocturnal planets as triplicity rulers. Similarly, aside from Mercury as a triplicity ruler of air, fire and air signs always have diurnal planets as triplicity rulers. In fact, this is one of the reasons why the arrangement of masculine (fire and air) signs as diurnal and feminine (water and earth) signs as nocturnal makes so much sense. It is not just an association between sect and sex but it reflects the already existing association between sect and triplicity which was built into the system.
Valens on Sect Mate Rulership
Valens did not explicitly associate signs with sects in his exposition of the signs. However, he did sometimes speak of the sect of a sign as significant (Book I, Ch. 20P; Book VII, Ch. 41). Valens often mentioned triplicity and sect together, noting that planets of the same triplicity or sect can help each other out. In Hellenistic astrology, triplicity rulers are typically seen as supportive in a way that is suggestive of relatives. The planets of the same sect are similarly viewed as helping to support each other. By contrast, planets of the other triplicity or sect can exacerbate harm.
At one point Valens explicitly advised that astrologers should take note of the sect of the sign.
Is it the ruler of a lot, of the Ascendant, or of a triangle? Likewise with the sign in which the star appears: is it of its own or of another sect, and which other signs does it have in aspect? (Valens, Book I, Ch. 20P, Riley trans., 2010, p. 22)
Ruler: Domicile or Triplicity?
My impression is that Valens often refers to rulers of the same sect and rulers of the same triplicity interchangeably. This can lead to some ambiguity in the couple instances where Valens noted rulership by a sect mate as a positive thing. Traditional astrologers today, who stress domicile and ignore triplicity, are all too ready to interpret the ruler of the same sect as being the domicile ruler. However. Valens used the same terms, typically translated “ruler” or “houseruler” for both domicile and triplicity rulers. He also placed much greater stress on triplicity than most tradiitional astrologers today, discussing triplicity much more often than domicile (often specified as ruler of the sign). Furthermore, sign sect is intimately linked with triplicity for Valens, as we’ll see.
Triplicity Pertains to the Subdivision of the Zodiac into Sects
Valens made explicit the close connection between sect and triplicity in his chapter on triplicity which opens as follows:
1. The Triangles
When the zodiacal circle is subdivided according to similarities and differences, we find two sects, solar and lunar, day and night. The sun, being fiery, is most related to Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, and this triangle of the sun is called “of the day-sect” because it too is fiery by nature. The sun has attached Jupiter and Saturn to this sect as his co-workers and guardians of the things which he accomplishes[…] (Valens, Book II, Ch. 1, Riley trans., 2010, p. 25)
Additionally, he closed the chapter on triplicities by noting that Mercury is common and works with both sects.
This chapter on triplicity shows how closely linked triplicity and sect are to Valens. Furthermore, the first sentence implies that Valens subdivided the zodiac by sect. The directly following discussion of triplicity implies that triplicity is the basis of this subdivision. Therefore, it is fairly safe to conclude that Valens did not have an alternate method of dividing the signs by sect but instead used the typical method, linking it strongly to triplicity.
Porphyry: Planetary Sect Determines Sign Sex?
The text of Pophyry has undergone some additions and possibly some corruptions on its way to us. For instance, it is well known that some later material was added by Byzantine compilers including chapter 53-55 which are from the Perso-Arabic astrologer Sahl. Sign sex is typically a non-controversial issue. Nearly every Hellenistic astrologer noted the sex of the signs and without variation. Porphyry notes the sex of the signs in a way consistent with those other astrologers but then has a particularly convoluted passage in the same section in which it is done another way. The passage is likely the result of corruption as it suggests that the sect of the ruler of the sign determines the sign’s sex. Note that while sometimes taken to support the view that the sect of the ruler determines the sect of a sign, the passage actually noted sign sex, not sign sect.
The [signs that are] masculine by sect are those of the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn. And let [every other one of] the signs be masculine [starting] from Aries. The [signs that are] feminine [by sect] [are those] of the Moon, Mars, and Venus. Let every other one of the [signs] be feminine [starting] from Taurus. (Porphyry, Ch. 40, Holden trans., 2009, p. 30)
Interestingly, while giving two different definitions for sign sex concurrently, the passage continues by apparently walking back the assertion that sign sex is determined by sect of the ruler.
But choose individually [from] the feminine [signs] Capricorn for Saturn, Pisces for Jupiter; and of the masculine [signs] Aries for Mars, [and] Libra for Venus; but [in the case] of Mercury, choose [both] Gemini and Virgo, for it has those in common. (Porphyry, Ch. 40, Holden trans., 2009, p. 30)
Deconstructing Porphyry’s Treatment
There are two things of note here. The first is the fact that the Sun’s triplicity is associated with masculine signs while the Moon’s triplicity is associated with feminine signs. This can be explained by the fact that the passage confuses triplicity rulers with domicile rulers. Triplicity is linked with the sect and sex of the signs. However, the assertion that domicile rulers determine sex is incorrect and confuses the two types of rulers. Either Porphyry or one of his compilers got some wires crossed here.
The second thing to note is that Porphyry does provide the typical masculine/feminine distinction as well. He even goes out of his way to note that Saturn and Jupiter each have feminine signs that they rule, despite the fact that they’re diurnal planets. He does the same with the nocturnal planets and their masculine homes.
In conclusion, Porphyry’s text, like that of Valens, illustrates a close connection between triplicity and sect, but does not imply an alternate methodology of assigning sect to the signs.
The Hephaistion Alternative
Hephaistos (5th century CE) had an alternate method of assigning sect to the stars. It is unclear if he actually used it though. In the first chapter of the first book of his Apotolelsmatiks, he classified some signs as diurnal and some as nocturnal. His method of assignment appears to be unique among the Hellenistic astrologers. The assignments of Hephaistos imply that the signs from Leo through Capricorn are diurnal, while those from Aquarius to Cancer are nocturnal. This cleaves the zodiac into diurnal and nocturnal halves at the cusp between the homes of the Sun and Moon.
As Hephaistos didn’t seem to actually use this distinction in practice and actually did not even note the sect of 5 of the signs, I bring this distinction up for the sake of completeness only.
What is Sect Anyway?
Sect is the division of the planets into a day and a night group. The Sun leads the day sect and the Moon leads the night sect. Each group also has a benefic and a malefic in addition to its leader or luminary. The Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn are diurnal. The Moon, Venus, and Mars are nocturnal. Mercury is considered neutral. Some considered it diurnal when rising before the Sun and nocturnal when rising after the Sun (see orientality below) but there were other schemes as well. For instance, the anonymous author of the Michigan Papyrus (~2nd century CE) instructed that Mercury is simply always of the sect of the chart (Anonymous, Col. VIII, Robbins trans., 1936). Also, see below on the sect of the chart halves for the Valens variant.
Sect of the Chart
The most important consideration is the sect of the chart itself. If the Sun is above the horizon (i.e. by day) then diurnal planets become more benefic and less malefic, while the converse is true of nocturnal planets. When it is night (Sun below the horizon) then the opposite situation holds and it is the nocturnal planets which are in sect. In other words, your sect matters. If you are born during the day then you are diurnal, and he diurnal planets are like family. If you are born at night, then the nocturnal planets are like family.
Sect of the Signs; Sect of the Halves
The advice to consider the sect of the sign also may have merit and should be considered, perhaps in the way recommended by Ptolemy (see below). An additional consideration often noted is that diurnal planets want to be on the same side of the horizon as the Sun while nocturnal ones want to be on the opposite side. This was termed “halb” meaning half and is another consideration worth exploring. Is a diurnal planet that is in sect (i.e. by day) made less benefic if it is in a nocturnal sign and under the horizon? More work is needed in this area.
It is necessary to examine the sects of the stars: for day births the sun, Jupiter, and Saturn rejoice above the earth; for night births, below the earth. For night births the moon, Mars, and Venus rejoice above the earth; for day births below the earth. Mercury rejoices according to the sect of the houseruler in whose terms the star is located. Consequently for day births, if a nativity is found to have Jupiter, the sun, or Saturn favorably configured above the earth, this will be better than having them below the earth.
Likewise <for night births> it is advantageous if the nocturnal stars are found above the earth. (Valens, Book III, Ch. 5, Riley trans., 2010, p. 62)
Note that while this quote seems to imply that Valens chiefly considered halb, in practice he chiefly considered the sect of the chart. There are many examples in his text, but see for instance Book IV, Ch. 8, when he notes death being associated with Saturn in Sagittarius because Saturn is not in its own sect. The chart has Ascendant in Pisces and Sun in Cancer (V), so Saturn (in X) was above the horizon in a night chart, but still out of sect and difficult due to the fact that it was a night chart.
Aspects from Sect Mates
Aspects from sect mates were typically considered helpful in early Hellenistic astrology. By contrast, aspects from non-sect mates could be less helpful or more harmful. For instance, Valens noted in multiple places that difficult aspects were more difficult when planets were of opposite sect.
One must observe whether the stars of the night or of the day sect are configured with their sect mates. If they are, they will be more effective for good than the other stars and will be a cause of great good fortune at the times of their own transmissions and transits. If they are not so configured, they will prevent any advancement in rank and will hinder any benefits. (Valens, Book IV, Ch. 13, Riley trans., 2010, p. 81-82)
Similarly, in the length of life technique he allowed sect mates to add to the length of life indicated by the main significator.
The fellow-members of their sects, when in conjunction, in aspect, or in their own signs, add to the allotment, unless both sects in fact join in the allotment. (Valens, Book III, Ch. 11P, Riley trans., 2010, p. 69)
Use of Sign Sect
Note that all the uses of sign sect that I cite here seem to use the scheme where the sign sect is determined in the same way as its sex. This was the dominant scheme in Hellenistic astrology. Manilius (1st century CE) noted it as one scheme used by astrologers in his time. Dorotheus (1st century CE) also explicitly defined sign sect this way (Book I, Ch. 30), and not in any other. He also used it for a type of rejoicing condition (Book I, Ch. 1). It is typically inferred that Ptolemy intended this arrangement as well as he noted that the day is masculine and night is feminine (Book I, Ch. 7) and that planets are weakened when lacking any rulership of their position and in a sign of the opposite sect (Book I, Ch. 23). However, it is possible that Ptolemy was referring to rulership of the position by a planet of the same sect as the subject planet.
Rejoicing Conditions
As noted above, one use of sect was that a planet was said to rejoice in a sign of the same sect. For instance, Dorotheus noted that the planets rejoice in the domicile of the same sect: Saturn in Aquarius; Jupiter in Sagittarius; Mars in Scorpio; Venus in Taurus (Book I, Ch. 1). He also noted Mercury in Virgo, though that appears to relate more to Mercury being exalted there, as Mercury is said to be ambiguous as to sect. Other astrologers noted similarly regarding sign sect.
[..] diurnal stars rejoice in masculine signs and when oriental to the Sun; and those of the nocturnal sect rejoice in feminine signs and when occidental to the Moon. (Serapio, Holden trans., 2009, p. 68)
Note that in this passage the planets are identified by sect, not sex, but the signs are identified by sex. The implication appears to be that sect is the real consideration here, but by making reference to the sex of the signs it is certainly clearer which sense of sign sect is being used.
Sign-Based Strengthening
Ptolemy(2nd century CE) used sign sect in a way that is reflective of the rejoicing conditions. He noted that a planet is strengthened (maximally effective by sign) if it has at least two forms of rulership at its own position (see Tetrabilos, Book I, Ch. 23). This could be rulership by domicile, exaltation, triplicity, or bound. Ptolemy also noted two sign-based weakening conditions, which included fall, but not detriment. Detriment does not appear to have been part of the sign-based rejoicing conditions for any of the Hellenistic astrologers prior to the 6th or 7th century.
No, the other condition noted by Ptolemy is when a planet has no rulership in its position at all and also is in a sign of the opposite sect. Being in a sign of the same sect was considered by Ptolemy to provide a sort of indirect strength. This indirect strength could mitigate against the possible weakening and corruption of being in an alien position (a sign and bound where the planet had no rulership). In this scheme, Saturn in Leo would be strengthened by being in a sign of its triplicity and sect, but Saturn in Scorpio may be particularly weakened or corrupted if not in its own bound, as Saturn has no rulership and the sign is of the opposite sect.
They say they “rejoice”when, even though the containing signs have no familiarity with the [stars] themselves, nevertheless they have it with the stars of the same sect; in this case the sympathy arises less directly. They share, however, in the similarity in the same way; just as, on the contrary, when they are found in alien regions belonging to the opposite sect, a great part of their proper power is paralysed, because the temperament which arises from the dissimilarity of the signs produces a different and adulterated nature. (Ptolemy, Book I, Ch. 23, Robbins trans., 1940, p. 113, bracketed text is my correction of where the translation again says “signs”)
Use of Sign Sex
The sex of the signs were used in many practical applications in ancient astrology, typically pertaining to matters of gender and sexuality. I will only touch on a couple uses here. For more details see treatments of sexuality in the literature. Treatments of sexuality from sign sex tended to focus on indications from the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars. Other factors pertaining to sexuality, including some of the factors discussed further in this article were also considered.
Ease of Birth
Dorotheus (Ch. I.3) used the sex of the signs of the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant to assess the ease of birth. For a male, birth is easier if they are in male signs. For a female, birth is easier if they are in female signs. Additionally, he noted that Saturn in a stake can cause problems, especially if in a female sign (diurnal planet in a nocturnal sign). Also, that Mars can hasten birth along to be quick if in a stake, especially if in a female sign (nocturnal planet in a nocturnal sign). The sense is that male positions make things come easier for men, while female ones work best for women. Incongruity creates struggle.
Positive Character
Manetho also referred to sign sex, rather than sect, similar to the way it was used by Serapio. However, one of Manetho’s uses for sign sex is consistent with sect and pertains to benefit, a major association of sect congruity. Manetho attributed the lights in the signs of their same sex/sect with those that “easily accomplish deeds and tasks” (p. 235). To the contrary if both were in masculine signs then someone would be savage while if both were in feminine signs one would be subservient. Those with the Sun and Moon both in the signs of their opposite sex/sect would be socially awkward and unable to progress. Similarly, the sex of the person was important, as lights in masculine signs worked better for males than females, and vice-versa with feminine signs.
Predicting Sex
Twelfth-part sign sex, especially of the Moon, often figures heavily into prediction of the sex of someone who was born (yes, it’s easier and more accurate to just look). I addressed this in the article on the twelfth-parts. Both Dorotheus and Valens put a lot of stress on the sex of the twelfth-part of the Moon. Valens advised to also look at the sex of the sign of the ruler of the Moon’s twelfth-part. Dorotheus had a number of exceptions that pertain mainly to whether the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant are in male signs or a male planet is in the Ascendant.
Sex Beyond Signs
The early Hellenistic astrologers classified 4 planets as masculine (the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn), 2 as feminine (the Moon and Venus), and 1 as neutral (Mercury). This gender imbalance is notable. Ptolemy associated the feminine with moisture and the masculine with dryness which makes the gender imbalance all the odder as Jupiter is characterized by him as hot and moist. However, Ptolemy noted that planets can become masculine or feminine by way of their relationship with the Sun and their position by quadrant.
They say too that the stars become masculine or feminine according to their aspects to the sun, for when they are morning stars and precede the sun they become masculine, and feminine when they are evening stars and follow the sun. Furthermore this happens also according to their positions with respect to the horizon; for when they are in positions from the orient to mid-heaven, or again from the occident to lower mid-heaven, they become masculine because they are eastern, but in the other two quadrants, as western stars, they become feminine. (Ptolemy, Book I, Ch. 6, Robbins trans., p. 41)
Orientality
In a quote earlier in this article, the Serapio text contrasted stars oriental to the Sun (i.e. rising and setting before the Sun) as masculine, and those occidental the Moon as feminine. However, the contrast is typically between planets oriental or occidental to the Sun. The Serapio text is actually a late Byzantine compilation known to contain many errors and additions. This appears to be a distortion of the oft-cited instruction that oriental stars are given to the Sun while occidental (are given) to the Moon (c.f. Porphyry, Ch. 4). Planets rising before the Sun (i.e. visible in the morning before dawn) are oriental and masculine. By contrast, those rising after the Sun (i.e. visible at night after sunset) are occidental and feminine. Interestingly, Serapio associated this rejoicing condition with the sect rather than the sex of the planets (as did Paulus Alexandrinus in Ch. 4 of his Introductory Matters).
Quadrants
In addition to sign sex and orientality, there is an additional sex consideration. This is the consideration of masculine and feminine quadrants. Planets approaching a meridian (i.e in the quadrants from Asc to MC or Dsc to IC – clockwise) were considered to be masculine. By contrast, those approaching the horizon (i.e. from IC to Asc or MC to Dsc) were considered feminine. To remember this think that going vertical (toward the point at the top or bottom of the chart; MC or IC) is masculine while going horizontal (toward the horizon; Asc or Dsc) is feminine.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there were 3 methods of classifying the sect of a sign in Manilius. The method favored by Manilius has all but disappeared. The common method of conflating sign and sex was present in some of the earliest astrologers of the tradition. An additional method survives in the concept of northern and southern signs. For more on the relationship between northern and southern signs, see the article on sign symmetry and antiscia.
Sign sect is strongly related to triplicity and the notion of a support network. I recommend the use of sign sect in the ways noted by Ptolemy and Valens. Through sign sect, a planet can have a form of minor strength, especially if also aspected by a triplicity ruler.
Dorotheus of Sidon, & al-Tabari, U. (2017). Carmen Astrologicum: The ’Umar al-Tabari Translation. (B. N. Dykes, Trans.). Minneapolis, Minn.,: The Cazimi Press.
Ma’shar, A., & Al-Qabisi. (2010). Introductions to Traditional Astrology. (B. N. Dykes, Trans.). Minneapolis, MN: The Cazimi Press.
Manilius, M. (1977). Astronomica. (G. P. Goold, Trans.). Cambridge, MA: Loeb Classical Library.
Porphyry, & Serapio. (2009). Porphyry the Philosopher. (J. H. Holden, Trans.). Tempe, AZ: American Federation of Astrologers.
Vampires and similar supernatural beings are very popular these days. From the TV show True Blood to movies like Cronosand Interview with the Vampire, these fearsome beings continue to probe our imaginations.
Watching True Blood one day, it occurred to me that the powerful trinity of vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters connects strongly with the astrological malefics. Viewing malefics this way allows beginners to easily grasp the essential nature of the malefic planets. Furthermore, it fosters and understanding of the term “malefic” itself. In this article, I ask the beginning student of astrology to imagine Saturn as a vampire, Mars as a werewolf, and Mercury as a shapeshifter.
What does it mean for a planet to be malefic?
In ancient astrology, certain planets were noted as being “malefic”, namely Saturn and Mars. These malefics tended to signify more difficult or extreme things. Subjectively, they relate to two types of unpleasant emotions: fear (Saturn) and anger (Mars). Objectively, few matters in life are more unpleasant than those of death, the macabre, and darkness (Saturn) on one hand, and violence, explosiveness, and invasiveness on the other (Mars).
Here we are getting at the heart of the malefics, Saturn and Mars. Saturn is dark, and slow, but arriving certainly, like death. Saturn signifies matters of death, cold, fear, isolation, depression, rot, doubt, rigidity, poverty, imprisonment, breaking things down to basics, and energy loss. In contrast to the certainty of Saturn’s looming threat, Mars is erratic, wild, and unpredictable. For example, Mars signifies violence, burn, inflammation, violation, anger, competition, sport, conflict, and an overload of energy.
Ptolemy on Benefic and Malefic Planets
Ptolemy, a prominent second century Hellenistic astrologer, best known for his sophisticated geocentric model, differed from the other ancient astrologers in the way he described the planets. He described the basic nature of the planets in terms of the basic Aristotelian qualities of hot/cold and wet/dry. According to him, Saturn and Mars are malefic because they represent extreme states. Saturn is an extreme cold. Mars is an extreme dryness. By contrast, Jupiter and Venus are considered benefic because they are temperate and moist (fertile).
Sun, Moon, and Mercury
Glyphs
The Sun and Moon also tend to be more benefic in their symbolism. However, they weren’t regarded as the benefics. The Lights, as they were called, are symbols of power and influence. As such they can signify fortunate or desirable matters.
Mercury is the most neutral planet, being strongly influenced by other planets that connect with it. In other words, Mercury has a broad range and can change forms quite readily. However, the Lot (or “Arabic Part”) associated with Mercury in Hellenistic astrology is one that has overwhelmingly negative significations. Therefore, aside from Saturn and Mars, Mercury is viewed as the next most capable of signifying adversity.
Mercury signifies cleverness, intellectualism, commerce, symbols, language, and so forth. All of these things involve a fair amount of complication and ambiguity. This complication is a ready basis for deceit, manipulation, misunderstanding, and trivial contention. For example, think about con artists and propagandists. They use language and complication to deceive and manipulate.
What does it mean for a malefic to be accidentally benefic?
The identification of Saturn and Mars as malefics, and of Mercury as ambiguous, in no way entails that their significations are just “bad”. It is recognized that they signify important and powerful facets of life which serve productive purposes. Additionally, it is recognized in ancient texts that the circumstances of the chart can make Saturn, Mars, and/or Mercury signify positive and fortunate circumstances. However, their more natural signification is of difficulty.
How Malefics Gain Benefic Significations
Different ancient astrologers had their preferred factors that they thought made a planet more benefic or malefic. In Hellenistic astrology, sect, place, and regard by other planets were commonly at the forefront of such considerations.
Maternus on Sect and Place
Below is Julius Firmicus Maternus (4th Century C.E.), excerpts from Book II, Chapter VII, “The Conditions of the Planets” (p. 38, Mathesis, Bram translation). He emphasized sect and place as factors that affect the benefit or difficulty associated with planets.
On diurnal planets:
Therefore, in diurnal charts, if they are in favorable positions, they indicate good fortune.
On nocturnal planets:
Favorably located in a nocturnal chart they indicate good fortune, unfavorably in a diurnal chart, the greatest evils.
Valens on Sect, Place, and Regard
Vettius Valens (2nd Century C.E.) also noted the important sect and place, as well as the influence of other planets. This excerpt is from Book I, Chapter I, “The Nature of the Stars” (5P, Riley translation).
The benefic stars which are appropriately and favorably situated bring about their effects according to their own nature and the nature of their sign, with the aspects and conjunctions of each star being blended. If however they are unfavorably situated, they are indicative of reversals. In the same way even the malefic stars, when they are operative in appropriate places in their own sect, are bestowers of good and indicative of the greatest positions and success; when they are inoperative, they bring about disasters and accusations.
Dignity?
Astrologers of the Medieval and Renaissance periods tended to put more emphasis on sign-based rejoicing conditions. Chief among those was whether a planet was in the sign that was its domicile, exaltation, fall, or detriment (note: detriment was not a distinct concept for the major Hellenistic astrologers). Eventually, these sign-based considerations became a system of “dignity”, and a weighted system of dignity pointing, which I am highly critical of on empirical grounds. For instance, I’ve discussed some of the history and problems associated with dignity. Also, I’ve given a poignant empirical show of how misleading the approach is. Therefore, I don’t recommend using so-called dignity by sign to judge whether a planet is made more benefic or malefic.
Qualities and Quantities
Benefic or Malefic?
The factors that make a planet more benefic or malefic in a chart are often referred to as “qualitative” considerations. That is, they affect the quality of the planet, making it indicate along more productive or destructive dimensions. These factors include sect, place, and planetary influence by configuration (regard and rulership). Often, I refer to them as factors that associate the planet with “good” and “bad”, as subjective and judgmental such an outlook may seem.
These factors can be contrasted with those that make a planet stronger or weaker in power and pertain to prominence or pervasiveness. Such factors are more “quantitative”. Additionally, factors such as advancement, stations, and phasis act to accentuate and draw attention to the importance of a planet’s indications.
Mean and Range
A planet is never wholly good or bad. Everyone’s chart will show a unique range of pleasant and unpleasant possibilities associated with any planet. These are ready to manifest at various times, with varying degrees of inevitability. Perhaps they are even affected by the person’s own will and consciousness. All the same, when Saturn, Mars, or Mercury signify positive things, they will still do so with a sense of their own nature. Saturn may show success through control, discipline, fear, and difficulty. Mars may indicate it through atheleticism, competitiveness, and sheer drive. Saturn can show a certainty fortified against negative possibilities. Mars can show a courage that can surmount the most difficult of obstacles.
The public image of the malefics
The malefics have been ostracized. We may even try to ignore them out of existence. By this I mean that we tend to view horrible things that happen in this world, such as genocide and plagues, as against the natural or spiritual order. However, ancient astrology has a language that encompasses the full good and bad, pleasantness and unpleasantness, of this world. Try as we may, we can’t ignore the fact that murder, violence, war, death, disease, oppression, poverty, and deception exist in the world. Clearly, they are natural elements of our existential reality.
Furthermore, we can’t ignore the human tendency to ostracize these things and to hate them. We view them as abominations, as existential errors, caused by an original sin, a flaw in the system, an indication that God doesn’t exist, or the work of a devil. In other words, on a fundamental level we view certain categories of things as naturally malefic, evil, devilish, or bad. At the very least they are unpleasant, undesirable, and challenging.
Dark Supernaturals
The supernatural creatures of vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters strike a chord. They help us to understand the malefics. I particularly like their representation in True Blood. In that show they are part of nature but fashioned to feared and dangerous extremes. Furthermore, they are ostracized and pushed into a hidden world, a sub-conscious realm. Similarly, malefics can signify things that the individual may be comfortable with but which society doesn’t accept or approve of. The depiction of the vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters in True Blood really resonates with the spirit of Saturn, Mars, and Mercury in traditional astrology. Such mythological personifications help flesh out these forces. Or perhaps these forces flesh themselves out in our mythologies? Importantly, they give us insight into the more extreme and super-natural aspects of being human.
Saturn the Vampire
Vampires are dark, cold, and dead, like Saturn. Vampires and Saturn are about the dark side of things, about fear and the macabre. They exploit the limitations, vibrancy, and uncertainty of life. The key concept with both vampires and Saturn is the idea of sucking the life out of something. They need to control out of fear of the unknown and an identification with the dark.
Ironically, Saturn is of the diurnal sect, fitting in with the more respectable and principled order of day time. Saturn is made tamer and less malefic by day. However, like a vampire, Saturn becomes the most dangerous by night. Saturn is in touch with the past, with history and tradition, the soil, real estate. In other words, Saturn is less alive, but more certain, and more tangible. Furthermore, there is a dark cynical humor behind the knowledge that there’s nothing new under the Sun, and everything will die and be lost.
Mars the Werewolf
I particularly like the portrayal of the werewolves in True Blood. The werewolf is presented as rough, naive, instinctual, aggressive, and lacking manners. By contrast, the refined vampire is desensitized and matured to a controlled extreme. Similarly, Saturn’s temperament, like that of the vampire, has been characterized as melancholic. By contrast, that of Mars, like the werewolf, is choleric.
Mars is of the nocturnal sect, led by the Moon. Mars seems more animal-like, connected with the hunt and predation. We all know Mars types who like machismo, sharp objects, dangerous things, getting their hands dirty, and hanging out with their “pack”. Mars rules over the gangs and bikers of the world. Werewolves hunt in their packs, where violent initiation is the norm. They are not particularly “bright” but they have strong instincts and reflexes. Werewolves involve themselves in work with sharp or dangerous things. They enjoy working with tools and affecting material things whether by building them or blowing them up.
Mercury the Shapeshifter
Less ostracized than the more malefic vampire and werewolf, the shapeshifter is still a source of suspicion. Mercury’s involvement with intellectualism and commerce is not without controversy. Furthermore, stereotypes ostracizing intellectuals and businessmen abound. For instance, we see this in the extreme in racist views of the Jewish people from their associations with money lending in Renaissance Christian Europe.
Where there is cleverness and complexity one fears a deceptive trickster may be at hand, especially if money is involved. Additionally, Mercury is associated with theft and con artistry in ancient astrology. Interestingly, we see these themes play out in True Blood with Sam, the shapeshifter. He is the major local business owner and previously he was a thief. Furthermore, he has a brother shapeshifter who is a thief and a liar. Mercury, like the shapeshifter, can be a bit too clever for his own good. Mercury is both the magician, as well as the trickster. The portrayals of the shapeshifters in True Blood bring out these qualities of the planet.
Your Opinion
What mythological creatures, gods, or spirits do you most readily associate with Saturn, Mars, and Mercury? What about the other planets? I’d love to hear your opinions in the comments.
References
Maternus, J. F. (1972). Mathesis: A fourth-century astrological treatise. (J. R. Bram, Trans.). NY, NY: New York University.
Is there an astrology of religion? Can we look at a birth chart and tell if or when someone will come to believe in God or the supernatural? In this series, I critically ask that question by looking at the charts of more extreme cases (religious figures and outspoken atheists) using the basic symbolic tools of ancient astrology.
Please note that I’m not starting a series of posts on skeptics and atheists to in any way belittle them or marginalize them. This is simply an important and interesting area of traditional astrological inquiry. I’m not an atheist myself, but I do consider myself to be a skeptic. I’m certainly a critical thinker with a high regard for rationalism, empiricism, and falsifiability. While I’m not an atheist, I think theirs is a perfectly acceptable point of view. Does astrology entail theism? I’m not completely sure. There may be means of explaining astrology non-theistically.
The Rules of the Game: Ingredients
In this post, I just want to highlight a few features of the chart very quickly that would pertain to skepticism, dislike of spirituality, or bad experiences with religion. I may delve into some traditional special techniques for such things in subsequent posts, but here I just want to look at a few major general factors.
The factors I’ll look at are:
Jupiter, natural significator of religion.
9th Place, house of God and religion.
Mercury, natural significator of rationality and critical thought.
Saturn, natural significator of doubt, fear, challenge, and rot.
Additionally, we will look at the rising sign (1st house) as symbolic of the self or individual in the chart.
Ancient Astrologers on these 4 Factors
Jupiter
Of the seven traditional planets, Jupiter is most strongly associated with religious faith and spiritual experience.
The nature of Jupiter is hot, moist, airy, and temperate. And he signifies the nutritive soul and life and ensouled bodies. […] And he signifies the wise and doctors of the law and just judges, and firmness and wisdom and intellect and the interpretation of dreams, truth and divine reverence, faith and the teaching of the law, religion, and the veneration and fear of God, charity, piety, also the unity of faith and its foresight, and the fitness of morals and responsibility. (Abu Ma’shar, Great Introduction to the Science of the Stars, Dykes trans., 2010, VII.9.1425-54, p. 240)
The Ninth House
The ninth house is called God. […] It signifies all things concerning the gods and kings and foreigners and dreams and religious observations. […] The good [stars] being in this house make good fortune in foreign places and pious persons and righteous in religious observance, especially if the ruler of the house is also well situated and in its own domicile or exaltation and not aspected by malefics. (Rhetorius, Holden trans., 2009, Ch. 57, p. 87)
The ninth house was called God. It was strongly associated with religious observation, astrology, and philosophy (love of wisdom) since ancient times.
IX Friendship, travel, benefits from foreigners, God, king, magnates, astrology, oracles, appearances of the gods, mystic and occult matters, associations. (Valens, Riley trans., 2010, Book IV, Ch. 12, p. 80)
Mercury
Mercury has a diverse set of significations, but most of them pertain to analysis, rationality, and communication. In the ancient world, one often performed such tasks through the church, so Mercury was often associated with religion also, but Mercury’s nature was known to be amoral and connected to its planetary influences.
Mercury bends with his nature toward the one who is complected to him […] And he signifies divinity and the oracles of prophets, sense and reason, speech and conversations and stories and the committing of them to memory. Also wisdom, belief and the beauty of learning, sharpness of character. And intellect and literature and philosophy and a gift of knowledge, also arithmetic and geometry and the measure of higher and terrestrial things. (Abu Ma’shar, Great Introduction to the Science of the Stars, Dykes trans., 2010, VII.9.1541-80, p. 257-258)
Saturn
Saturn is not often explicitly connected with doubt in ancient texts. However, the overall nature is one of difficulty, challenge, and tangibility so doubt is a natural reading in connection with matters of belief.
Saturn also causes humblings, sluggishness, unemployment, obstacles in business, interminable lawsuits, subversion of business, secrets, imprisonment, chains, griefs, accusations, tears, bereavement, capture, exposures of children. (Valens, Riley trans., 2010, Book I, Ch. 1, p. 1)
The First House
And so, the domicile occupying the rising [place] is called the horoscope; the effect of this [is] over the body and life of a man itself, and all his undertakings. (Abu Ma’shar, The Abbreviation of the Introduction to Astrology, Book I, 109, Dykes trans., 2010, p. 71)
The first place (rising sign) is the symbol of the individual in the chart.
I the Ascendant, life, steering-oar, body, breath. (Valens, Anthologies, Book IV, Ch. 12, The Names of the Twelve Places, Riley trans., 2010, p. 80)
Strength, Weakness, Beneficence
These will be analyzed in terms of strength/weakness and benefic/malefic tendencies. All of the factors considered here are explained in the lessons on ancient astrology which are available on this site.
Strength
I will consider the following as major considerations showing a strength of a planet:
Strongly Advancing (approaching the angles of the chart, i.e the Asc, MC, Dsc, or IC of the chart, within 15*) and to a lesser extent Advancing (more than 1/3 zodiacal travel from one angle to the next).
Stationing Direct (the planet turns from retrograde motion to direct within 7 days of the birth).
Being In Phasis (the planet moves into or out from the beams of the Sun, standardized to 15* from the center of the Sun, within 7 days of birth).
Being in a Stake of the Chart (the planet is in the 1st, 10th, 7th, or 4th place, i.e. the Ascendant or the signs 4, 7, or 10 signs from the Ascendant counted inclusively, e.g. a chart with Scorpio rising has Scorpio, Leo, Taurus, and Aquarius as “stakes”).
Weakness
I will consider the following as major considerations showing a weakness of a planet:
Retreating (planet has passed an angle by more than 5* but is not yet 1/3 of the way to the next angle).
Stationing Retrograde (the planet turns from direct motion to retrograde within 7 days of the birth).
Combust (planet is within about 8* of the Sun at birth and is not in phasis).
Being in a Cadent Place (the planet is in the 6th, 12th, 3rd, or 9th place counted inclusively from the 1st place/rising sign).
Beneficence
I will consider the following major indications of beneficence:
Naturally of a benefic nature (Jupiter, Venus, and to a lesser extent the Moon and Sun).
In Sect (if the Sun is above the horizon, i.e. a diurnal chart, then the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn are in sect; if the chart is nocturnal, then the Moon, Venus, and Mars are in sect; Mercury is of the diurnal sect when rising before the Sun, or nocturnal if rising after the Sun).
In a Good Place (in order from best to not as good, 1st, 11th, 5th, 10th, 9th, 7th, 4th).
With Jupiter or Venus (in the same sign) or regarded by Jupiter or Venus from the right side (i.e. a benefic is in a sign sextile, square, or trine from behind the sign containing the planet under consideration).
Maleficence
I will consider the following major considerations to show maleficence:
Naturally of a malefic nature (Saturn and Mars).
Out of Sect (i.e. if diurnal, then Moon, Venus, Mars out of sect; if nocturnal, then Sun, Jupiter, Saturn out of sect; Mercury as determined by rule above).
In a Bad Place (in order from worst, 6th, 12th, 8th).
With Mars or Saturn (in the same sign) or regarded by Mars or Saturn from the right side, or by an opposition, or within 3* (i.e. scrutinizing).
The Rules of the Game: Recipes
Our initial hypotheses are as follows:
Jupiter and the 9th are significant for religious matters, so if they are weak then religion/theism is likely to be weakened in the person’s life and if they are made malefic then religion/theism is likely to be seen as “bad” in the person’s life. For Jupiter, this is as illustrated above, but for the 9th, this means a planet made malefic in the 9th or to a lesser extent a malefic that regards the place by square or opposition), as well as the condition of the ruler of the 9th.
Mercury and Saturn signify rationality and doubt/fear respectively, so the stronger they are, the more pervasive their effect in the life. The more malefic they are, the more they are geared to destruction, attack, and controversy, and the more malefic they make the things they are associated with.
James Randi
I have some measure of respect for James Randi, as I don’t like con artists, especially new age ones, and he works to expose such people.
Randi was also kind enough to give astrologers his birth time (though many have met it with skepticism, giving it a C Rodden Rating on that basis alone, even though other first-hand reports from birth certificates would get an A rating). I’ll take his birth information at face value.
James Randi’s Birth Chart
Randi’s Chart Analyzed in Brief
Jupiter
Extremely weak
Jupiter has none of the major strength considerations, and in fact is extremely weak It is retreating and cadent (in the 12th place, Taurus).
Made malefic
While Jupiter is naturally benefic, that is its only signification of beneficence. It is in fact made malefic by being out of sect, in a bad place, and assembled with the malefic, Mars.
Notes on Jupiter
Our initial expectation from Jupiter is that expansive spirituality and positivism is weak in his life and associated with bad things. Jupiter is associated with aggression and victimization (Mars), as well as loss, betrayal, and deception (12th place).
9th Place
Fairly strong and Saturnine
The 9th, Aquarius, is not occupied by any planets. Its ruler, Saturn, is Strongly Advancing in a stake of the chart, which makes the place more prominent in this person’s life. The 9th signifies religion but also the seeking of higher wisdom in general. When the 9th is strong, a person tends to be a truth seeker. When Saturnine, they tend away from spirituality due to a strong dose of doubt and fear associated with spirituality and religion. Their doubt or various obstructions may hold them back from achievement in higher ed. In any case, this shows more prominence for matters of belief in this person’s life than Jupiter did, and it is showing particularly that a strong doubt and obstruction of belief is prominent and pervasive in this person’s life.
Somewhat malefic
Saturn rules the 9th place and Saturn is malefic as will be discussed in the Saturn analysis. Additionally, Mars is square to the 9th place from the 12th. In terms of religion and belief, this signifies a hatred, challenging tendencies, contrariness, and overly critical attitudes.
Notes on the 9th Place
The tendency in the life is towards destruction of 9th place matters and towards their association with bad or difficult things.
Saturn
Very strong
Saturn is Strongly Advancing. In fact, is within 3* of the Descendant, i.e. setting right when the person was born. Saturn is in the 7th place which is a “stake” of the Ascendant.
Somewhat malefic
Overall, Saturn is malefic. This is because it is naturally malefic, and here it is also out of sect. Saturn is not extremely malefic though because it is in a good place and Venus trines it from the right side. Therefore, Saturn is somewhat mixed in terms of malefic/benefic tendencies. This brings both fortunate and difficult circumstances in the life, at different times and in relation to different matters. Saturn is also trined by Mercury, the ruler of the 1st place of the self, on the right-hand side. Therefore, Saturn integrates harmoniously into this person’s sense of self and personality.
Notes on Saturn
We expect doubt and/or fear to be a powerful and pervasive influence in this person’s life, integrated with the conception of self, and mixed in terms of pleasant and unpleasant associations.
Mercury
Rather neutral
Mercury is not very strong, nor very weak in the chart. Mercury is in phasis, but also retreating and cadent. We say Mercury is more weak than strong. However, it also rules the 1st place of the self, so while not pervasive in the person’s life, it still is prominent in terms of their sense of self, personality, and skill set. Additionally, there are many more minor strength considerations, such as being with the Sun, ruled by the Sun, trine the Moon, and with a very strong ruler.
Somewhat malefic
Mercury is a neutral planet, but is here out of sect, assembled with Venus, and square by both Jupiter and Mars from the right side. It’s complex, with a broad range of expressions. Given that it is a strong reflector of the person’s own moral range, we see quite a broad range from good to bad intentions and everything in between. This is always with a showy trickster type of expression due to Mercury’s nature and the strong public emphasis of the Sun.
Notes on Mercury
In short, he’s Mercurial, sometimes for good, sometimes for bad, but he is not a genius when it comes to intellectual and verbal matters. In other words, Randi is a skeptic (Saturn), not a scientist or intellectual (Mercury) for profession, though he was a magician (dash of Mercury, Venus, and Sun; trickster, art, and publicity; in the house of communications, the 3rd).
Parting Notes
James Randi’s chart illustrates how basic techniques in ancient astrology can shed considerable light on the nature of someone’s belief. In future posts, we will alternate between using these same factors to consistently analyze the charts of both the religious and the anti-religious.
Most people are more mixed in terms of their degrees of belief and doubt than we see with ardent religious figures and outspoken atheists. For such a mixed indication, timing techniques can be used to discover periods of greater belief and greater doubt. Please experiment with this methodology in your own chart and those of people you know. Let me know how it turns out in the comments.
References
Ma’shar, A., & Al-Qabisi. (2010). Introductions to Traditional Astrology. (B. N. Dykes, Trans.). Minneapolis, MN: The Cazimi Press.
Rhetorius of Egypt, & Teucer of Babylon. (2009). Rhetorius the Egyptian. (J. H. Holden, Trans.). Tempe, AZ: American Federation of Astrologers.
The Mathesis of Julius Firmicus Maternus is a large and influential astrological work written in Latin in the early 4th century. It is one of the longest and most important texts in the Hellenistic tradition. The four most notable long texts of the Hellenistic tradition that were written prior to 400 CE, are, in my opinion, this Mathesis, the Anthology of Vettius Valens (2nd century), the Tetrabiblos of Ptolemy (2nd century), and the shorter Introduction by Paulus Alexandrinus (4th century).
The translation released this year by James Herschel Holden, marks the first translation by an astrologer who is well versed in ancient astrology. Unfortunately, my copy of the text has not yet arrived so this article will not be a review. As I await my copy of the new translation, I’d like to discuss what makes the Mathesis important.
Mathesis and Sect
One of the great things about the Mathesis is that there are countless examples of sect in action. Numerous interpretations of planets in houses are given, and we see the sect principle illustrated in nearly all of them, as even a malefic planet in sect in a house is judged able to produce some good there, while even a benefic planet out of sect is accompanied by some problems or instability.
18. Saturn in the ninth house will make famous magicians, renowned philosophers, or temple priests noted for their reputation for magic. According to the nature of the signs he also makes seers, diviners, and astrologers. These are always outstanding in their responses. Some carry on the rites of tempIes or are in charge of rituals. Sometimes they become long-haired philosophers or interpreters of dreams.
19. Saturn in this house by night indicates wrath of the gods and hatred of emperors, especially if the waning Moon is moving toward him in any way. But greater evils are predicted from gods and emperors if Mars from any direction is in aspect to Saturn and the Moon.
The Eight Books of the Mathesis
The Mathesis is a book of natal delineation with a few timing techniques thrown in for good measure. This means that you get a cookbook approach at times. The cookbooks shouldn’t be taken literally as a pronouncement of the gods. Rather they are used to gather illustrations of broad principles that will allow you to make more accurate judgments in your chart work. Maternus himself says as much near the end of the fifth book.
The topics of the 8 books are discussed in the following sections.
Book I: Introduction
Maternus given his reasons as to why astrology is important and how it is useful.
Book II: Fundamentals
A presentation of the signs, houses, aspects, and other basics.
Book III: Planets in Places
A few more advanced fundamentals are discussed. Next, there is a cookbook-style delineations given for each planet in each place by day and night. Also, delineations are given for Mercury with each other planet in each place, and the Moon in the sign of the Lot of Fortune applying to each planet.
Book IV: The Moon and Some Special Topics
This book includes in depth delineation of possibilities with the Moon, including its regards, applications, and separations in a natal chart. There are also sections on the Lots of Fortune and Spirit, the chart ruler, length-of-life, profession, and different degree types (full and empty, masculine and feminine). The book ends with additional Moon considerations.
Book V: The Zodiac and Divisions
This book includes delineation of the different signs in each place and the delineation of the planets in the terms of each planet by day and night. Maternus concludes with some advice as to consider the whole picture and not just make pronouncements based on single factors such as a single planet in a sign.
Book VI: Aspects
This book contains some additional material on places. It also has some delineation of fixed stars. However, this book is primarily a lengthy set of delineations on planetary aspects or regards. Maternus includes complex aspect situations. There is also some predictive material on each planet as chronocrator (lord of the time).
Book VII: Special Delineation
At the end of Book 6, Maternus noted that this Book 7 would present the more complete picture of astrological practice. This is a book on delineating special topics, such as birth condition, deformation, slavery, illness, family, marriage, sexuality, children, power/fame, occupation, and so forth.
Book VIII: Errata and Fixed Stars
Much of this book is commentary on various special degrees, constellations, and other things of note to Firmicus.
Check out the New Translation
Many have hoped for a new translation of the Mathesis by someone well-versed in ancient astrology. The earlier 1975 translation by Jean Rhys Bram had some confusing passages and possible mistranslations. Finally, James Holden, an astrologer specializing in ancient astrology and translation, has produced this new, sought-after, 620 page translation.
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}