Steven Birchfield A.M.A.

Spirit and Fortune: What’s the Difference? – Part 3

Published on February 18, 2018February 19, 2018 by Steven Birchfield A.M.A.4 Comments

Most sources tell how these Lots are calculated. Some explain further, how, for example, the Lot of Fortune was a potential candidate to be the hyleg in length of life calculations. There are a few sources where we can actually learn about how these two important Lots were delineated.[1]

Vettius Valens[2] is one of the few that takes great pains to describe these Lots. He quotes from an earlier text when discussing the Lot of Fortune,

For him who wishes to ascertain the matter of happiness more exactly, I will return to the Lot of Fortune, which is the most necessary and sovereign place, as the king[3] mysteriously explained beginning in the 12^th book saying,

“. . . for those who are born in the day, it will next be necessary to count distinctly from the Sun to the Moon and back from the Hōroskopos to prescribe an equality, and for the resulting place to see whatever star it meets with [conjoins], and what or which are in relation to it [i.e. aspects it] – – the squares or triangles, all in all, as it was placed among the stars. For from this consciousness of places you can make a clear judgement beforehand of the circumstances of those who are brought forth.”

Petosiris also explained the matter similarly in the ‘Boundaries’, though others have treated it differently, which we will also set out in the appropriate place along with other guidance for clarifying the argument concerning happiness. But for now we must discuss the method in question.[4]

For in the 13^th book, after the prooemium and the disposition of the zōidia, the king attacks the Lot of Fortune from the Sun, the Moon, and the Hōroskopos, which he mostly works with and makes mention of throughout the whole book, and which he judges to be a supreme place. Concerning the Lot of Fortune, he has indeed presented the inversion and reversal as a riddle.[5]

It would appear from Valens comment, “which he mostly works with”, that this earlier sage worked primarily from the Lot of Fortune indicating something of its former importance. Very inaccurately, many today call these the Arabic Parts. They are not Arabic and in fact, pretty much all of the lots the Arabic Era astrologers used were from a much earlier period.[6] But especially the Lot of Fortune is very old in origin.

There are other sources such as Paulus Alexandrinus who wrote:

And fortune signifies everything that concerns the body, and what one does through the course of life. It becomes indicative of possessions, reputation and privilege.

Spirit happens to be lord of soul, temper, sense and every capability, and there are times when it cooperates in the reckoning about what one does.[7]

When we come to the Arabic Era, Abu Ma’shār writes extensively on the Lots in the 8^thtreatise of his “Greater Introduction”,

This lot [Fortune] is called the lot of well-being [happiness], and it signifies those same things that are signified by the luminaries. But the peculiar qualities that it signifies are those things that concerns the soul (nafs): its fortune and its vigour and what concerns the life and the body and wealth and the poverty, gold and silver, those things which are easy and those difficult, praise and reputation, on recognition and the authority which one is born to, the support, the reign, the power, the elevation and all things which are desirable. It signifies moreover that which is present and that which is absent; that which is manifest and that which is hidden . . . This lot is first above the other lots in the same way that the Sun prevails in splendour on all stars and it is the highest and noblest of the lots.

Bonatti, later in the 14^th century, paraphrases Abu Ma’shār’s earlier work and writes in his “Liber Astronomiae”,

The extraction of the pars fortunae is extracted from the luminaries, which, as the ancients said, are of equal strength for good . . . And this part is preferred above all the other parts in the same way as the luminaries are preferred above all the other stars. Similarly, the Sun is more splendid than all the other stars and called the diurnal luminary because day occurs by his rising and is removed and made night by his setting. The Sun signifies the natural life and the other things, which have been discussed in the chapter on his signification, and the Moon is the luminary of the night and the benefic significatrix of bodies and of all things, just as was said elsewhere in her chapter . . .. This part signifies the life, the body, and also its souls, its strength, fortune, substance and profit, that is: wealth and poverty, gold and silver, heaviness or lightness of things bought in the marketplace, praise and good reputation, and honours and recognition, good and evil, present and future, hidden and manifest, and it has signification over everything.[8]

In order to clearly distinguish the differences and similarities between Fortune and Spirit, I would like to start by examining two quotes from Vettius Valens’ “Anthology”.

Whence the Lot of Fortune and the Spirit will have much power over the imposing and turning back of actions. For, the one [Fortune] shows matters concerning the body and handicrafts, the Spirit and its ruler, matters concerning the soul and the intellect, and actions through discourse and through giving and receiving. It will be necessary, then, to consider in what kind of zōidia [sign] the places [topical houses] and their rulers are, and to combine the natures of these zōidia for the determination of action and fortune, and for the kind of action.[9]

Actions,[10] then, are always taken especially from [the lot of] Spirit and its ruler. For there are some who have bodily actions such as working with their hands and bodily afflictions as a result of bearing burdens or exercise, and others [who have actions] from speech and knowledge and actualisations of the soul. Wherever more stars should incline,[11] whether to the lot [of Fortune] or to [the lot of] Spirit, [from] thence will be indicated the matter of action. It is necessary, then, to compare the actions and the general support, whether the nativity is notable or mediocre, or else happy or poor, or in dispute or irregular, so that the effects in the distributions should also become clear ahead of time.[12]

In the first citation, Valens tells us that both Fortune and Spirit are essential to, or have much power over, a person’s actions or “what they do” [the greater praxis]. He tells us that there are two essential distinctions:

1.) Fortune and its ruler signify matters concerning the body, bodily actions and “handicrafts” and the “qualities of the soul”. He further elucidates what he means in the second citation by emphasizing, “…such as working with their hands and bodily afflictions as a result of bearing burdens or exercise”. There is the direct connection between a person’s physical well-being and skills producing actions that are either fortunate or unfortunate.

2.) Spirit and its ruler signify matters concerning intellect and ‘actualisations’ of the soul (will). In the second citation, he further explains that Spirit produces actions originating in the intellect, speech, knowledge, and what he calls “actualisations of the soul”, what we call ‘the will’.

In order to clearly understand what is meant, since both the significance of Fortune and Spirit directly imposes or hinders actions, then, we perhaps need to examine a little closer what ideas the Greek word for action, praxis, is conveying. Praxis is an awkward word. Grabbing hold of it is difficult because it sounds so much like ‘practice’ and ‘practical’. All these words are of course related. In its most general sense, it did mean the actual experience of doing particular activities, which is the sense of the word used in the English translation.

It would appear that Valens, like the Stoics, Aristotle and Epicurus, accepted the principle laid down by Plato that all action is goal-directed, having a purpose or serving a purpose, and is undertaken in order to get something worth having for the agent or to avoid something it would be better not to have.

In its greater sense, praxis meant the process of doing things or of putting into effect and it included almost any activity which stood open to a free man of that time and it excluded from this wide frame only the manual labour connected with the work of the slave and to a certain degree, of course, also the theoretical activities of thinking, reflecting, and “gazing” or theoria.

Seen more precisely though, a further distinction between actions[13] was made by Aristotle in his Nicomacean Ethics, which has enormous bearing on our topic. In it, he makes a distinction which he calls praxis and poiesis. Poiesis represented a productive making, which means the artistic production and manufacture of goods and/or works, and the efficient management of concrete tasks. It was characterized by a type of technical (techno) knowledge, skill or ability (a.k.a. qualities of the soul). Praxis, on the other hand, referred to responsible, self-determined, ideal-guided action (doing), as is manifested for example in political or religious life. In this kind of action, praxis has qualities not necessarily found in poiesis.

Poietic actions always aim at a result, a product—the manufactured object—and its meaning and value are determined only to the doer by the outcome.

Praxis actions, on the other hand, always carry their meaning and value in the act. They fulfill their purpose only when “something good and just” is done, something that is greater than the merit to the individual acting. The greater purpose is independent of whether or not the action actually also succeeds in reaching what was wanted through the doing.

For example, building a bridge represents poietic action whose value is determined only by its result: the built bridge over which one can cross a ravine. On the other hand, a gift donated to the needy out of compassionate, brotherly love is good, even if for some reason it never reaches those for whom it was intended.

Let’s try and put these distinctions in terms that are more current. The recording studio technicians’ actions are to make a recording that is in itself both worthy to sell and is a reflection of his personal aptitude and technical skills. This is poietic action. On the other hand is the musician who is creating the music, the actualisations of the qualities of his soul, intellect and communicative processes. The music carries its worth in its making and it is directed for the “good” and “pleasure” of others! This is praxis action.

In these distinctions, we also find the essential differences between the significations of the Lot of Fortune (poiesis) and the Lot of Spirit (praxis) and the actions (the greater praxis) imposed or hindered by them.

Valens appears to simply reiterate Aristotle’s distinctions in the second citation when he says, “Actions, then, are always taken especially from [the lot of] Spirit and its ruler”. This is as Aristotle distinguishes in Nicomacean Ethics;

Choice is the starting point of action: it is the source of motion but not the end for the sake of which we act [praxis] . . . The starting point of choice, however, is desire and reasoning directed toward some end. That is why there cannot be choice either without intelligence and thought or without some moral characteristic [hexis]; for good and bad action in human conduct is not possible without thought and character. Now thought alone moves nothing; only thought which is directed to some end and concerned with action can do so.[14]

In both types of action, choice is the starting point. But the inherent difference is that praxis includes such motivational distinctions as character, human conduct, social awareness and that the end of the action is for some good greater than the individual. With poiesis, choice and the motivation for choice do not require any particular conviction, moral or otherwise – only necessity and desire. Praxis on the other hand requires these other convictions to set it in motion. Following Aristotle, Valens saw this type action as the most important action!

The Greek philosophy proposed an interaction/transformation of “matter” to “form”.[15] The Sun was attributed to “sameness” [nous] and the Moon was “otherness”. The Sun was archetypically seen as the perfect thought of Divine Intelligence while the moon was seen as the form that thought took which was something “other” than pure thought. Quite simply, the Sun represented “spirit” and the Moon “physical manifestation”. The cyclic change of seasons was considered one of the best examples of this.

The extraction of these Lots is from these individual parts, i.e. the Sun, the Moon and the Ascendant. The Sun was the author of life, the natural vitality or natural life, actualisations of the soul, eminence, reputation and honours. The Moon was more than just physical life, it was the soul incarnated in a physical body; the author of generation and corruption of all bodies (material form), and the Ascendant is the native’s physical body and qualities of the soul. When we consider then either the Lot of Fortune or Spirit, we are considering the native’s life and its well-being, his actions and how the qualities of the soul ultimately translated into such things as a native’s wealth and reputation and what one is endowed with in order to obtain those things.

The Part of Fortune is the Lot of the Moon and closely associated with the Moon and the physical manifestations. It was regarded as just what made a person not only happy but successful or unsuccessful, eminent or unknown, and was an indication of physical illnesses.

The Part of Spirit was associated to the Sun and therefore more interested in the “why” we do things, the action of doing, the moral convictions (or lack of them), will, character and the intellectual state as well as the related illnesses.

The Lot of Fortune then, originating in the Divine Will and executed through relational proportions of the planets, is a passive process setting parameters wherein the “source of motion” [choice] is influenced in regards to the physical and material actions of the native and what they can and cannot produce. It either “imposes or turns back” the realm of purely material actions. It will give significations for health, wealth, profession, eminence, reputation and all material things that profit the native physically and materially.

In like manner, the Lot of Spirit sets parameters influencing actions. These actions are vitally different carrying their significations and values in the act and fulfil their purpose only when something is done that is greater than the merit to the individual acting. Like the Lot of Fortune, Spirit will also give significations relevant to health, wealth, profession etc. –But with this difference; it will be useful in determining motivation distinctions such as character, human conduct, and social awareness telling us something of the actualisations[16] of the qualities of the natives’ soul, intellect and discourse!

Which is more Important – Fortune or Spirit?

It is clear that Valens considered the Lot of Spirit important for indicating actions that were “worthy of merit” by virtue of the action itself. These noble and ideal actions could bring reputation, honor and wealth to the native.

In practice, however, both the Lot of Fortune and Spirit were important, each giving a particular signification.

And I will set down this [division], which is a potent one … from the Lot of Fortune and Spirit, which signify the Sun and the Moon. For the Moon, being cosmically fate and body and breath (since it is near the earth and sends its effluence to us) produces something of like kind as it is the lady of our body. The Sun, being cosmically mind and spirit through its own activity and pleasant nature, since it arouses the souls of men in undertakings, is established as a cause of action and motion.[17]

The Lot of Fortune, which is the lot of the Moon and derived from the Moon, signifies material well-being because of actions (poiesis) influencing material fortune. It signified in what ways a man’s material destiny was apportioned. That is to say, it is to a great extent about what happens to someone because of their “passions”, in the original sense of the word. But the Lot of Spirit, being relative to the Sun, signifies ones actions (praxis) and what one does based on some motivation originating in ones will and ‘moral’ character, which is the polar counterpart to passions. Valens then explains in which way these two should be differentiated,

When, then, we seek times for bodily matters, such as crises or weaknesses or bloodshed, falls, injuries, sufferings and whatever appertains to the body, for strength, enjoyment, pleasure, beauty, and loveliness, then it is necessary to project zodiacally from the Lot of Fortune… If we are inquiring about action or reputation, then we will make the beginning of the releasing zodiacally from the Lot of Spirit…[18]

This consideration of the Lot of Fortune as pertaining to the ‘physical’ or material manifestations surrounding an individual is why it was used as a potential ‘hyleg’ in length of life calculations. It is also, why it was considered to have the same “power” as the Ascendant! We further see the distinctions between the Lots of Fortune and Spirit in Valens general delineations of the Profections of these Lots.

The Lot of Fortune giving or taking over in prospering places, with benefics present or testifying, indicates good fortune and advancement, actions and reputation and setting matters aright and the fulfillment of expectations, and benefits arising from deaths. But when it is declining [being profected to a cadent sign] or witnessed by malefics, it makes actions and reputation less and transitory, or it makes whatever the natives might accomplish be with impediments and dangers and judgments and insults.[19]

In this delineation, we can see the clear emphasis on the purely material actions that benefit the native in the form of wealth, reputation, health and general good fortune. There is nothing idealistic or noble in these actions since their benefice or malfeasance is to the native in doing them.

Spirit giving or taking over in prospering places, with benefics present, produces resolutions [decisions and will] pertaining to what is on one’s mind, discerning and easily effected reckonings, helpful counsels of friends, alliances with superiors, gifts and reputation; and it produces those who are successful in regard to attacks, and those who are puffed up in intellect, having very many beliefs. But, when it falls amiss or is witnessed by malefics, it introduces suspense and mental tortures, insensibilities and contrary purposes; it produces those who consider their own errors to be successes and those who bring charges against others, and those who miss the mark in most things. Whence such persons loose heart at times and contrive something dangerous for themselves by themselves and they are regarded as mad and come into a state of mental distraction.[20]

We see different actions at work in this delineation, that is those actions that have worth because the actions are worthy in themselves e.g. taking decisions and counselling a friend. There are vital differences between Fortune and Spirit, and while both produce actions in the greater sense of the word action, i.e. the actual experience of doing particular activities, each signifies its own particular and specific type of action.

In the post Hellenic and Arabic Era, we can also read this differentiation. Abu Ma’shār called the Lot of Fortune the most important Lot and in his opinion,

This lot is first above the other lots in the same way that the Sun prevails in splendor on all stars and it is the highest and noblest of the lots.[21]

His opinion, reflecting the ancients’ opinion also, was obviously that the material well-being, reputation and honours of a native were the most important. Material good, reputation, and honours are no doubt the criteria for how the world in general judges “well-being” and “happiness”. As it applies to any particular human, it is the most relevant and as I pointed out in the previous chapter, it is essential to understanding the essence of how Divine Will apportions and binds together the circumstances of a man’s life making it unique.

Bonatti in paraphrasing Abu Ma’shār’s treatise on the Lots writes,

After the Part of Fortune, which exceeds the other parts in strength and fortune, the part of things to come or pars futurorum, which is called the pars solis,[22] ought to be spoken of.

This, immediately after the Part of Fortune exceeds and is more worthy than all the other parts, although some astrologers seem to care little about it, but it does not seem consistent to me since it is reputed by the wise to be extremely useful for this work…

The pars futurorum signifies the soul and the body after the pars fortunae and the quality [esse] of these, and faith, prophecy, religion and the culture of God and secrets, cogitation, intentions, hidden things and everything which is absent, and courtesy and liberality, praise, good reputation, heat and cold… and so these two parts [Fortune and Spirit] work above all others both for good and for evil. And their significations are similar to the significations of the luminaries.[23]

It is very important that we take time to consider carefully what Bonatti (and ultimately Abu Ma’shār) is saying in this quotation. First off, he recognizes the importance of this Lot saying that “This, [the Lot of Spirit] immediately after the Part of Fortune exceeds and is more worthy than all the other parts”. It is so important he considered it inconsistent of some astrologers to not consider its signification and worth. The difference in opinion as to which of these two lots is most important is not really an issue in my opinion. Both Valens and the later medieval astrologers recognized that both were extremely important. Their differences in preference as to which was most significant lies predominantly in the delineation of their operations and Aristotle’s philosophy in his Nicomacean Ethics that says that true actions are those that are praxis and not just poiesis. Outside of Valens’ single statement saying that, “Actions, then, are always taken especially from [the lot of] Spirit and its ruler”, there is nothing to indicate that he recognized any preferential differences other than both lots’ inherent essential differences.

Secondly, and this is very important, Bonatti states, “The pars futurorum signifies the soul and the body after the pars fortunae and the quality [esse] of these.” This is something that most modern astrologers do not realize, that the Lot of Spirit signified, like the Lot of Fortune, the well-being of the soul and body. To demonstrate just how consistent this was with the practice of Vettius Valens, consider this quote from Valens,

Often, then, when the Lot of Fortune or its lord falls amiss, the Lot of Spirit divides both bodily matters and those that pertain to action. Similarly also, Fortune will divide both [bodily matters and actions] when the Lot of Spirit or its lord falls amiss.[24]

If the Lot of Fortune or its lord “fell amiss” in the nativity, then the Lot of Spirit would give signification for the same things that Fortune would have if it had not fallen amiss. What Valens is giving us in this quote is a qualifier that justifies the Lot of Spirits importance! To understand this qualifier, we must understand what he meant by “falls amiss”.

To fall amiss was a general term used to describe certain accidental conditions of the planetary ruler(s) of a sign, house or Lot. A planet that fell in a “foreign” sign where it had no essential dignity, i.e. peregrine, was said to have fallen amiss. A planet falling in an evil house, e.g. the 6^th, 12^th or 8^th was said to have fallen amiss. In this particular case, as we’ll see a little later, when Valens says the ruler falls amiss, he is also referring to a planetary ruler that falls inconjunct (what he also calls aversion) or cadent the sign the Lot falls in, or its own domicile. This was a standard Hellenistic concept that if a planet that could not see[25] its domicile then it could not properly administrate the affairs of the house signified by the sign.

Thirdly, it is also important to see that Bonatti, in his quote, recognizes the primary difference between the Lot of Spirit and the Lot of Fortune, i.e. “faith, prophecy, religion and the culture of God and secrets, cogitation,[26] intentions, hidden things and everything which is absent, and courtesy and liberality, praise, good reputation, heat and cold”. This list contains the actions and source (motivation) of Aristotle’s praxis actions, namely, “there cannot be choice … without some moral characteristic [hexis]; for good and bad action in human conduct is not possible without thought and character. Now thought alone moves nothing; only thought which is directed to some end and concerned with action can do so.” This thought and moral character (or lack of it) is found in religion and secular religion, faith, and moral philosophy, ones intentions, courtesy and liberality and character! These are all qualities that describe moral intent and motivation, things indicated by the Lot of Spirit rather than fortune!

The reason the Lot of Fortune was sought first and foremost is because its signification was above all concerned with the physical and material well-being and happiness of the native! If the Part of Fortune was in good condition, the relationship between the native and their physical world was supportive and enabled them to live well. If the Part of Fortune was in poor condition, the native had a harder time living in relationship with the world that supports them. The same can also be said about the relationships of the Part of Fortune and health. The ancients, being pragmatic realists, knew happiness was not just a “state of mind”. The reason both are important is because if one or the other should be inoperative for some reason, e.g. the Lot or its lord(s) falling amiss, then the other would be sought for both indications.

[1] See Appendix 1 – “Quotes and Commentary from the Historical Record”

[2] Born 125 C.E. died ca 175 C.E. A contemporary of Ptolemy he wrote a massive compendium consisting of 12 treatises on Greek Astrology. It is probably the largest Greek astrological text still extant from this period. He offers over 135 astrological charts and delineations that he says he himself made.

[3] This “king” is believed to be Nechepso, the Egyptian pharaoh who presumably wrote an important astrological textbook along with Petosiris between 200 – 400 B.C.E

[4] Section 3 of Book 2 – – “The Anthology” – – by Vettius Valens, translated by Robert Schmidt and published by The Golden Hind Press 1994 (Project Hindsight)

[5] Section 11 of Book 3 – – “The Anthology” – – by Vettius Valens, translated by Robert Schmidt and published by The Golden Hind Press 1994 (Project Hindsight)

[6] There are some lots that are very special exceptions. Those were primarily dealing with mundane astrology, the rise and fall of religions and dynasties and their prophets and kings. Those appear to be of either a Persian or a Babylonian origin and extracted specifically for mundane considerations. Al Bīrūnī considered that some astrologers took extracting Lots too extreme.

[7] Chapter 23 – “Late Classical Astrology: Paulus Alexandrinus and Olympiodorus” – translated by Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum, M.A. – published by ARHAT

[10] Praxis – ‘what one does’

[11] Prosneuō – This is a criterion for determining whether the Lot of Fortune or the Lot of Spirit should be used for ‘activities’. The astronomical term ‘incline’ means to approach, in other words to apply to [aspectually or by conjunction].

[13] What I will refer to as the greater praxis

[14] EN 1139a31-36

[15] What we call individuation today! Excerpt from Robert Hand in his article, “On Matter and Form in Astrology” – 2006

[16] ac•tu•al•ize -ized¿, -izing – vt.

1 to make actual or real; realize in action

2 to make realistic

ac¿tu•al•i•za¿tion – n.

[18] Ibid

[19] Ibid – section 25

[20] Ibid

[21] Book VIII – “The Great Introduction” – by Abu Ma’shār

[22] These are two of the Latinised words used to call the Lot of Spirit.

[23] This is from the 2nd part of Bonatti’s treatment of the Revolutions of the Year of the World in his astrological compendium Liber Astronomiae. The Latin title is Mathematici de Astronomia Tractus X universum quod judiciariam rationem nativitatum or simply Bonatti on the Arabic Parts as translated by Robert Zoller © 2000 New Library Limited. This particular treatise is a paraphrase by Bonatti of Abu Ma’shār’s Book VIII in his “The Great Introduction”.

[25] This is within the Greek conception of aspects where the planets did not have aspects but had them because the signs had them!

[26] I.e. serious or deep thoughts and meditations

The Lots of the Luminaries – Part 2

Published on October 18, 2017 by Steven Birchfield A.M.A.4 Comments

Some Thoughts on Spirit and Fortune: What’s the Difference?

Vettius Valens[2] is one of the few that takes great pains to describe these Lots. He quotes from an earlier text when discussing the Lot of Fortune,

For him who wishes to ascertain the matter of happiness more exactly, I will return to the Lot of Fortune, which is the most necessary and sovereign place, as the king[3] mysteriously explained beginning in the 12^th book saying,

“. . . for those who are born in the day, it will next be necessary to count distinctly from the Sun to the Moon and back from the Hōroskopos to prescribe an equality, and for the resulting place to see whatever star it meets with [conjoins], and what or which are in relation to it [i.e. aspects it] – – the squares or triangles, all in all, as it was placed among the stars. For from this consciousness of places you can make a clear judgement beforehand of the circumstances of those who are brought forth.”

Petosiris also explained the matter similarly in the ‘Boundaries’, though others have treated it differently, which we will also set out in the appropriate place along with other guidance for clarifying the argument concerning happiness. But for now we must discuss the method in question.[4]

For in the 13^th book, after the prooemium and the disposition of the zōidia, the king attacks the Lot of Fortune from the Sun, the Moon, and the Hōroskopos, which he mostly works with and makes mention of throughout the whole book, and which he judges to be a supreme place. Concerning the Lot of Fortune, he has indeed presented the inversion and reversal as a riddle.[5]

There are other sources such as Paulus Alexandrinus who wrote:

And fortune signifies everything that concerns the body, and what one does through the course of life. It becomes indicative of possessions, reputation and privilege.

Spirit happens to be lord of soul, temper, sense and every capability, and there are times when it cooperates in the reckoning about what one does.[7]

When we come to the Arabic Era, Abu Ma’shār writes extensively on the Lots in the 8^thtreatise of his “Greater Introduction”,

This lot [Fortune] is called the lot of well-being [happiness], and it signifies those same things that are signified by the luminaries. But the peculiar qualities that it signifies are those things that concerns the soul (nafs): its fortune and its vigour and what concerns the life and the body and wealth and the poverty, gold and silver, those things which are easy and those difficult, praise and reputation, on recognition and the authority which one is born to, the support, the reign, the power, the elevation and all things which are desirable. It signifies moreover that which is present and that which is absent; that which is manifest and that which is hidden . . . This lot is first above the other lots in the same way that the Sun prevails in splendor on all stars and it is the highest and noblest of the lots.

Bonatti, later in the 14^th century, paraphrases Abu Ma’shār’s earlier work and writes in his “Liber Astronomiae”,

The extraction of the pars fortunae is extracted from the luminaries, which, as the ancients said, are of equal strength for good . . . And this part is preferred above all the other parts in the same way as the luminaries are preferred above all the other stars. Similarly, the Sun is more splendid than all the other stars and called the diurnal luminary because day occurs by his rising and is removed and made night by his setting. The Sun signifies the natural life and the other things, which have been discussed in the chapter on his signification, and the Moon is the luminary of the night and the benefic significatrix of bodies and of all things, just as was said elsewhere in her chapter . . .. This part signifies the life, the body, and also its souls, its strength, fortune, substance and profit, that is: wealth and poverty, gold and silver, heaviness or lightness of things bought in the marketplace, praise and good reputation, and honours and recognition, good and evil, present and future, hidden and manifest, and it has signification over everything.[8]

In order to clearly distinguish the differences and similarities between Fortune and Spirit, I would like to start by examining two quotes from Vettius Valens’ “Anthology”.

Whence the Lot of Fortune and the Spirit will have much power over the imposing and turning back of actions. For, the one [Fortune] shows matters concerning the body and handicrafts, the Spirit and its ruler, matters concerning the soul and the intellect, and actions through discourse and through giving and receiving. It will be necessary, then, to consider in what kind of zōidia [sign] the places [topical houses] and their rulers are, and to combine the natures of these zōidia for the determination of action and fortune, and for the kind of action.[9]

Actions,[10] then, are always taken especially from [the lot of] Spirit and its ruler. For there are some who have bodily actions such as working with their hands and bodily afflictions as a result of bearing burdens or exercise, and others [who have actions] from speech and knowledge and actualisations of the soul. Wherever more stars should incline,[11] whether to the lot [of Fortune] or to [the lot of] Spirit, [from] thence will be indicated the matter of action. It is necessary, then, to compare the actions and the general support, whether the nativity is notable or mediocre, or else happy or poor, or in dispute or irregular, so that the effects in the distributions should also become clear ahead of time.[12]

Fortune and its ruler signify matters concerning the body, bodily actions and “handicrafts” and the “qualities of the soul”. He further elucidates what he means in the second citation by emphasizing, “…such as working with their hands and bodily afflictions as a result of bearing burdens or exercise”. There is the direct connection between a person’s physical well-being and skills producing actions that are either fortunate or unfortunate.
Spirit and its ruler signify matters concerning intellect and ‘actualisations’ of the soul (will). In the second citation, he further explains that Spirit produces actions originating in the intellect, speech, knowledge, and what he calls “actualisations of the soul”, what we call ‘the will’.

Valens, like the Stoics, Aristotle and Epicurus, accepted the principle laid down by Plato that all action is goal-directed, having a purpose or serving a purpose, and is undertaken in order to get something worth having for the agent or to avoid something it would be better not to have.

Poietic actions always aim at a result, a product—the manufactured object—and its meaning and value are determined only to the doer by the outcome.

Praxis actions, on the other hand, always carry their meaning and value in the act. They fulfill their purpose only when “something good and just” is done, something that is greater than the merit to the individual acting. The greater purpose is independent of whether or not the action actually also succeeds in reaching what was wanted through the doing.

Choice is the starting point of action: it is the source of motion but not the end for the sake of which we act [praxis] . . . The starting point of choice, however, is desire and reasoning directed toward some end. That is why there cannot be choice either without intelligence and thought or without some moral characteristic [hexis]; for good and bad action in human conduct is not possible without thought and character. Now thought alone moves nothing; only thought which is directed to some end and concerned with action can do so.[14]

In like manner, the Lot of Spirit sets parameters influencing actions. These actions are vitally different carrying their significations and values in the act and fulfill their purpose only when something is done that is greater than the merit to the individual acting. Like the Lot of Fortune, Spirit will also give significations relevant to health, wealth, profession etc. –But with this difference; it will be useful in determining motivation distinctions such as character, human conduct, and social awareness telling us something of the actualisations[16] of the qualities of the natives’ soul, intellect and discourse!

[3] This “king” is believed to be Nechepso, the Egyptian pharaoh who presumably wrote an important astrological textbook along with Petosiris between 200 – 400 B.C.E

[4] Section 3 of Book 2 – – “The Anthology” – – by Vettius Valens, translated by Robert Schmidt and published by The Golden Hind Press 1994 (Project Hindsight)

[5] Section 11 of Book 3 – – “The Anthology” – – by Vettius Valens, translated by Robert Schmidt and published by The Golden Hind Press 1994 (Project Hindsight)

[7] Chapter 23 – “Late Classical Astrology: Paulus Alexandrinus and Olympiodorus” – translated by Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum, M.A. – published by ARHAT

[10] Praxis – ‘what one does’

[11] This is a criterion for determining whether the Lot of Fortune or the Lot of Spirit should be used for ‘activities’. The astronomical term ‘incline’ means to approach, in other words to apply to [aspectually or by conjunction].

[13] What I will refer to as the greater praxis

[14] EN 1139a31-36

[15] What we call individuation today!

[16] ac•tu•al•ize -ized¿, -izing – vt.

1 to make actual or real; realize in action

2 to make realistic

ac¿tu•al•i•za¿tion – n.

The Lots of the Luminaries – Part 1

Published on October 13, 2017 by Steven Birchfield A.M.A.4 Comments

The Astrological Signification of the Lots

Now you are probably wondering, “What does astrological influence have to do with this study of the Hermetic Lots?” The answer is simply, everything!

Understanding the signification, application and delineation of these Lots begins with understanding them in the context in which they were conceived. Otherwise, they become totally useless and irrelevant and why reformist astrologers virtually abandoned their use altogether with the exception of one, the Part of Fortune, and that one with doubts!

The problems we’re faced with are difficult. As with the planets, the ancients never directly address the issues of just what the purely essential natures of the Lots are. With the planets, we have practical lists of their significations (as in Al Bīrūnī, Ibn Ezra, and William Lilly) or just a purely materialist physical description of their elemental natures such as in Ptolemy.

We are faced with much the same problem with the Lots. We are told of their existence, how to extract them, when and where to extract them, and for what purpose they are extracted. Only superficially, in practical demonstration, are we given any indication of where they get their essential natures, what those natures are and how and why they have a signification for a native through the natal constellation. This is why it is important to understand the nature of astrological influences and the philosophy attached to their conception.

We must look to the context of the philosophy in which the Hermetic Lots were conceived. This was the philosophy of the Platonists, and Hermeticists. As I briefly explained, this philosophy asserts that influence is NOT exclusively natural physical laws but rather that the natural physical laws are evidence of the power and influence originating on the level of the Divine Intelligence and Will, in the supercelestials (the Empyrean), and is given its form in the material world conforming to the active Will of the Creator.

The conceptual influence of the Lots is not the result of natural materialistic laws. The power of the Lots originates on the level of Divine Intelligence and Will. In this case, however, their substance receives its form as mathematical proportions of the differing active essential natures of the planets involved in their extraction.

To get to the heart of this matter I would like to look to the fourth century Byzantine astrologer, Firmicus Maternus.

[12] Now that we have carefully explained the course of the Moon, let us turn to the discussion we promised in this work, namely, the explanation of Fortune. We cannot explain the essence of Fate unless that place is investigated carefully. We must consider the Part of Fortune with as much care as all the other points in the chart; I shall point out easily how it is discovered. When you find it, observe the combinations and aspects of all the planets and then you will be able to understand the uses of the Part of Fortune.[1]

With these words, Firmicus introduces the reader to the importance of the Lot of Fortune. There are a couple of essentials in his opening words. First, he tells the reader that you cannot explain the “essence of Fate” unless the Lot of Fortune is examined carefully. What is the “essence of Fate”? At the beginning of Project Hindsight’s’ efforts at recovering the astrological record of the Hellenistic Era, Robert Schmidt wrote an article that dealt with this concept of the “essence of fate” in Greek philosophy. It is worth quoting here.

Fate, what the Greeks called Moira, is perhaps best understood in this context as a cosmic principle of binding apportionment, at work both in the heavens and on Earth. It does not make a man a man, or a planet a planet, or in any way constitute the essences of things; thus, it is not a metaphysical principle in the sense that it concerns being as being. Instead, it takes as its province what is generally regarded as contingent or accidental — matters that were excluded from serious philosophical consideration by the Athenian philosophers themselves as being ultimately unintelligible. It is Moira that makes a man such and such: dark-haired rather than light-haired, wealthy rather than poor, healthy rather than ill, and so on. Moira is a principle of apportionment in that it counts out, divides, or distributes. From all the possible events that can befall human beings, Moira selects and distributes to each individual his or her “due portion.” It is also Moira that measures out the span of the individual human life and arranges that the appropriate events happen in “due time.” At the same time, Moira is a principle of recombination and synthesis. It binds together the various allotments in the different areas of the individual’s life into a whole. From this point of view, a human life is a “package deal.” Ultimately, the triumphs in one’s life only make sense when we consider the tragedies, the peaks when we consider the valleys. The various events in a given human life can be truly bound into a whole only if they are binding on a given individual — that is, if Moira attaches to him or her, a destiny. Thus, from this point of view, the ultimate meaning of an individual human life is inextricably bound up with the fate concept.

Relative to human beings, the planets are the instruments of Moira… However, the stars and planets are themselves no less subject to Moira than human beings. For instance, it is Moira that divides the ecliptic circle into twelve signs and apportions to each its own unique astrological role in the cosmic soul, which constitutes its own destiny. Without the operation of Moira, the zodiac is simply a continuous band of space without any obvious beginning or end, lacking any astrological meaning. But it is also Moira that recombines the signs of the zodiac into a system, so that they may be related to each other according to the triplicities, quadruplicities, etc.[2]

The Greek word for ‘lot’ is klēros (plural klēroi). This word means ‘lot’ in the sense of an allotment or apportionment. It is essentially synonymous with moira which also means ‘lot’ and ‘fate’. If we want to understand the essence of fate, or “binding apportionment”, the essence of Divine Will that apportions the accidents and circumstances that make an individual’s life unique, then we must understand the significance of the Lots in the nativity. As Robert Schmidt explains, “It binds together the various allotments in the different areas of the individual’s life into a whole.”

With this thought in mind, let us consider one of the oldest extant Astrological texts we have,

Thy mind well purg’d from vainer cares compose, for now my Muse is eager to disclose, the nicest secrets; which observ’d, impart Fates laws, and prove the surest guides to Art…

…Our studies, poverty, wealth, joy and grief, with all the other accidents of life she parcels out; to proper stars confines the Lots [apportionments], in equal number to the signs. These graced with proper names and place contain the various fortunes incident to man…

… when the birth’s first minute hath decreed the first Lot’s station, then the rest succeed in following signs; each fortune takes its seat in proper order, till the round’s complete…

… These Lots which thus decreed to signs contain the various fortunes incident to man; As planets join with a malignant ray, or <like> kind; or as the rolling skies convey to different Hinges,[3] so the Fortune spreads, and well or ill the whole design succeeds…

… Fortune’s the first: This name our art bestows and what it signifies the title shows. Where house is found for all that may conduce to house, either for ornament or use. What train of servants, what extent of field shall aid the birth or give him room to build: When large foundations may to houses, roof’d if friendly planets aid…[4]

With verse, Marcus Manilius introduces the reader to the Lot of Fortune, the chart it produces and the fortunes that are bound together as the result of its significance, “the Fortune spreads, and well or ill the whole design succeeds.” The Lot of Fortune, the sign it was allotted, and the planet that ruled it was what bound all of the subsequent fortunes (Fortuna houses) to the native and the nativity.

And since my venturous Muse hath bound in rhyme, the various labors of the round of time,…Which to the twelve Lots conveniently assign’d determine all the Fortune of mankind… But lest you should imperfect schemes complete, now justly suit each labor to its seat; first find the place by Fortune’s Lot possessed, (Fortune the first, and leader of the rest) that done, to following signs in order join the Lots, and give each labor to its sign:[5]

It appears to me that these lots, Fortune and Spirit, work in ways that guide and direct the apportionment of circumstances concerning actions; sometimes seemingly appointing what the nativity seems incapable of producing.

The binding of an individual’s destiny[6] is through the Lots and they signify the actions imposed or hindered of each person and the execution is performed through the planets in the signs and houses! In other words, without the essential signification of these lots, an individual life has no cohesive meaning; it is just a random and inconsequential series of events. And the two Lots most strongly signifying this “binding apportionment” are the Lots of Fortune and Spirit! This is why, secondly, Firmicus tells the reader, “We must consider the Part of Fortune with as much care as all the other points in the chart.” The words that are important are, “with as much care”!

[1] Book IV, chapter XVI – “Matheseos Libri VIII” – By Firmicus Maternus – translated by Jean Rhys Bram and published by Astrology Classics

[2] “The Facets of Fate: The Rationale Underlying the Hellenistic System of Houses” – by Robert Schmidt

[3] I.e., to different angles or pivots

[4] Book III, Chapters 1-3 – Astronomica – by Marcus Manilius (c. 10 – 20 AD) and translated by Thomas Creech 1697 AD

[5] Ibid

[6] Destiny in this sense is the total of the circumstances and events that are unique to each individual. The topics of “Destiny” are common to all men, that of the 12 houses, but they are unique in experience to each individual; what the medieval authors called “accidents”.

Did Abū Ma’shār use whole sign houses or houses using a division?

Published on July 20, 2017July 21, 2017 by Steven Birchfield A.M.A.2 Comments

20196756_321493324964826_121579938_n I was recently reading Chris Brennan’s “12 reasons why whole sign houses is the best system of house division.” It is a very interesting and helpful analysis and in typical Chris Brennan style well documented and thought out. I have been using whole sign houses since the 90’s and would not go back to any other. Like Chris explains, I also note where the Midheaven and Ascendant fall as the Midheaven is valuable but interpretations can be very different when using the whole sign or quadrant division. As an example I would like to refer to Abū Ma’shār.

In “Argument 3” Chris states, “By the time of Abū Ma’shār (c. 850 CE) and after there was a sudden shift to quadrant houses.” I am not sure here if Chris is stating that Abū Ma’shār was using a quadrant house division, but I would like argue, that at least where Abū Ma’shār was concerned, he used whole sign houses. In Abū Ma’shār’s Book of Religions and Dynasties there are four charts presented.[1] In two of the charts, all the house cusp degrees are mentioned whereas the other 2 only mark the ascendant and Midheaven and are clearly whole sign house charts much as Māshā’āllāh and his colleagues used. So just from the charts listed in the manuscript it is 50/50 and any of the charts could be the elaboration of later transcribers. The charts, as evidence by themselves, do not necessarily indicate or prove the use whole sign houses. However the written proof is probably the most reliable and for that we can look at one section from his text in chapter 8 of Part 2, the same chapter that we find one of his charts using cusp degrees of a quadrant based system of houses.

“[31] We say that, if Saturn and Mars are in conjunction in the ascendant, this indicates general harm common to the subjects as a whole. If this happens in the second or eighth place, it indicates the corruption of properties, the obscurity of the reputation of the rich, and the appearance of need, poverty, and weakness among the common people. If it happens in the third or ninth place, it indicates the appearance of blight in mosques and houses of worship, and hated occurrences, together with calamities concerning building and worship. If this happens in the fourth and tenth place, it indicates that ruin occurs to building in the cities. If this happens in the fifth or eleventh place, it indicates the death of babies, and a great number of soldiers and arms. If this happens in the sixth or twelfth place, it indicates a great number of gazelles and riding animals and the taking of them, and that sometimes harm occurs to these two kinds of animal. If this happens in the seventh place, it indicates the insurgence of enemies and of harmful people against most of the regions. If this happens in the Midheaven, it indicates the death of the greatest of the kings in the climes, especially the kings of the countries indicated by the sign in which they conjoin.”

The text is Charles Burnett’s translation direct from Arabic manuscripts. I have emphasized certain words because they illustrate an interesting distinction that needs a comment. He says a little earlier in this paragraph; «If this happens in the fourth and tenth place, it indicates that ruin occurs to building in the cities». At the end of the paragraph he says, «… if this happens in the Midheaven it indicates the death of the greatest of the kings…» In all of the preceding delineations he assiduously uses the term “place” which tells me he is using whole signs as houses (by counting) but when talking about the degree of the Midheaven it is clear he is referring to its division. In my humble opinion he is pointing out the fact that the 10^th place and the Midheaven are not necessarily the one and same sign! You will find these same distinctions as well in Māshā’āllāh.

We can look at a couple of charts in Māshā’āllāh which are presented much the same way and in his delineations he makes a clear distinction between a “place” which he calls “by counting”[2] to the Midheaven which he calls “by division”[3].

Mashaallah chart 1a

The first chart is the Ingress at the Great Conjunction indicating the Great Flood. In the delineation he says,

“No planet except Jupiter can be found for the guardianship of this year because it is the Lord of the ascendant, and the lord of its triplicity is the sun alone and it confers its power upon it, and (it receives power) from Venus because she (Venus) is the lord of the domicile of the moon, and she is in her exaltation, and it (the Moon) is in the sixth place displaced from its position, and Saturn is in the twelfth, retrograde, and Jupiter and Mars in the eleventh, they will be by division in the tenth,…”

You will notice that Jupiter and Mars are in the 11th whole sign, Libra. And Māshā’āllāh says clearly, “Jupiter and Mars in the eleventh…” Yet he says as well that “…they will be by division in the tenth.” This was the practice of the time.

In another chart, the chart indicating the rise of Islam and the birth of the Prophet.

Mashaallah chart 2b

“Māshā’āllāh said that when he looked at this picture and the position of its planets, he found the strongest of them and the strongest in witnesses to be Saturn, because it entered the ascendant and it is the lord of its exaltation; and the Moon is lord of the light of the night, conferring its counsel upon it (Saturn) from the tenth by counting and (this is) the ninth by division, the place of prophecy, and Jupiter confers counsel upon it (the moon). Mars is found in Gemini, it being the ninth by counting in the highest (part) of the orb (mințaqa) ascending to its extreme. It accepts the counsel of the sun, Venus, and Mercury, (which is) retrograding. All that: plus the place of the first lot, it being Saturn in Scorpio, and its lord in the place of religion, indicate that there would be born in the second year of this conjunction a prophet in Tihama, the land of the Arabs, and that is because the place of the first lot is in Scorpio, and because of the connection of the moon with Venus. If the ascendant was a sign having two bodies and Saturn was in a sign having two bodies, I would have said that his birth would be in the second conjunction because of the reception of Venus and Mars in their places. The place of the moon in upper midheaven indicates that he will be secure from being killed, and because Venus escaped combustion (he means [its] emergence from the ray), this indicates that he will meet hardships and go into hiding for a while; then he will establish connections and be strengthened, and become well known, and the people of his doctrine will rule. Because the place of the moon is in upper midheaven and Mars is in the house of religion (these) indicate that he will seek religion and its being established by struggle. And because of the connection of the moon with Venus the people of his doctrine will have the nature and manners of Venus.”

Again the astrologer distinguishes between places arrived at by counting the signs, “by counting”, and the place arrived by division! “Moon is lord of the light of the night, conferring its counsel upon it (Saturn) from the tenth by counting and (this is) the ninth by division…” And more than once he re-iterates that the Moon in the ninth by division yet in the tenth by counting “…is in the upper midheaven…”

It is obvious in the charts drawn and explicated that Māshā’āllāh is using whole signs (by counting) with his floating Midheaven (by division)…. just as Abū Ma’shār does. There is no difference. It is not inference of whole sign houses when they use identical language! It is a common tradition! Looking at the tradition and the charts given and explained it is easy to understand there was no problem of house division because the signs determined the houses. It was such a tradition that no one even bothered to take the time to explain in their texts.

In a comment to this original post in my Notes on Facebook, Chris Brennan says, “Benjamin Dykes actually found a passage recently in the Arabic version of Abū Ma’shār’s book on solar returns where he talks about the difference between whole sign houses and quadrant houses quite explicitly. What is interesting is that it looks like this passage was not translated into the Greek and Latin versions of the work, and so it would not have been transmitted to the later Medieval and Renaissance astrologers. Ben and I were talking a bit about how this could have contributed to the loss of whole sign houses in the later tradition.”

It is clear that from the 9^th & 10^th centuries, the changes were happening with regards to house systems. Ibn Hibintā was a contemporary astrologer with Abū Ma’shār and reproduced Māshā’āllāh’s book on the Great Conjunctions and world history. Within that volume we find Ibn Hibintā’s chart of the true conjunction indicating the rise of the Buwayhids. That chart as well is without house cusps only listing the ascendant and Midheaven.

As Chris mentions it is very hard to pinpoint where and when house cusps began being an issue. It would appear that especially the Persian line was clearly persuaded of the Hellenistic tradition of whole sign houses. However as astrology spread among the Arabs, it seems house division became more and more an issue.

I would tend to argue that from the 9th century and the change of caliphate in Islam, astrology came under very hard attack from Islam. In my own opinion the astrologers tried more and more to align astrology and its practice with “science”. Its existence as a conceptual language came under hard attack on its spiritual principles and therefore compromise and accommodation began. This accommodation has been continuing since and especially during the 15th century Europe to reconcile it with another religious law maker, Catholicism. I would say starting in the 10th century a war was made to make astrology as scientific as possible. The result, like today, is something that is no longer astrology but falls under psychology and archetypal psychology. It has been placed under the pseudo-science of psychology to maintain its credibility to sell to the masses. Of course that is my own opinion.

[1] 1 chart is found in Part 2, chapter 8 and the other 3 in Part 8 chapter 2

[2] In Arabic ´adad or ‘by number’

[3] In Arabic, qisma

My notes on the 2nd round of the French election

Published on May 8, 2017May 9, 2017 by Steven Birchfield A.M.A.4 Comments

France 2nd round election

(the chart: Opening of the Polls 2nd round France, 7 May 2017 8:00:00 CED -02:00:00, Paris, France 02e20’00 – 48n52’00)

I took the ascendant for Macron as he won the first round and is the favorite to win the election. Therefore the 7th is Le Pen. The degree of the Midheaven is the office or the prize if you want.

Mercury, the lord of the Ascendant (Macron), applies to Saturn, the Lord of the 10th (by division – 9th whole sign) (the office). However, that being said there is something that makes me question whether or not Macron in fact will win. Saturn is retrograde in the angle of the 7th and Mercury is applying from the 11th and the domicile of Saturn’s fall, Aries. Now the medieval astrologers called this “returning” (radd in Arabic). When the pushing planet (Mercury) applies to Saturn, which is retrograde then it returns the matter to Mercury.

“But “returning” comes to be in two ways. One; that a planet would be joined to a planet under the rays, and it would not be able to retain what it received from it, and thus it will return it. Secondly, that a planet would be joined to a retrograde planet, and it returns to it what it received from it on account of its retrogradation.”

The second case is what we have in this event chart, Mercury joining to the retrograde Saturn. We are told that a returning either destroys the matter or that there can be situations in which the matter will come to pass none the less. “…perhaps the returning will be with fitness, or perhaps it will be with detriment.”

Abū Ma’shār goes on to say; “returning with fitness comes to be in three ways.”

1. “…that the planet to which it is pushed is receiving the pusher.” In our chart it would be fit in spite the retrogradation if Saturn received Mercury. Does Saturn receive Mercury? As I first said, it is in the sign which is Saturn’s fall. Abū Ma’shār in another place describes this as one coming to another from its enemies house. Mercury is only in the triplicity of Saturn which was a very, very, weak reception at best. Pretty much the consensus among astrologers was there needed to be at least 2 of these lesser dignities to indicate a semi-strong reception. Had Mercury been at 25 Aries he would have been in both the terms and triplicity so we could have said that it is received. But that is not the case and therefore cannot say he is received and finds grounds for fitness from this consideration.

2. “…that the pusher is direct in course and the one to whom it is pushed is burned up or retrograde, and both are in an angle or in the follower to an angle.” Well we do have this with Mercury and Saturn. Mercury is direct and in a succeedent house (the 11th) while Saturn is retrograde and in the angle of the 7th. So I honestly have to answer yes to this consideration. Both are either in an angle or what follows an angle (succeedent).

3. “…that the planet [receiving the pushing] would be burned up or retrograde, [or] cadent from the angles, and the pushing planet in an angle or in a follower to an angle. But if they were so, and the cadent or burned or retrograde one received the arrangement, it destroys the matter. If however the receiver returned to the pusher and the pushing one was in an optimal place, it will make the matter fit after destruction.” This is not the case here, since Saturn is in an angle while retrograde.

I therefore find the 2nd exemption to be a compelling one that supports the matter will be accomplished.

Abū Ma’shār further says, “Also, its returning with destruction comes to be in two ways.”

1. “…that the pushing one would be cadent, and the retrograde or burned one to which it is being pushed is in an angle or in one following an angle.” As already established, Mercury (the pushing one), is not cadent it is succeedent. So this consideration is not applicable.

2. “….that the pushing one and the receiver are cadent or burned, and it will return to it what it received from it with its arrangement destroyed, on account of its condition of retrogradation or being under the rays: and the pushing one could not be able to advance with that matter. Then it signifies that there is neither a beginning nor end to that matter.” This condition requires that both the planet applying and the planet being applied to, are either cadent or combust. Again this is not the situation. Mercury is succeedent, direct and free of the Sun, and Saturn while retrograde, is angular and free of the sun, so neither is this consideration applicable.

The lord of the 7th (Le Pen) is retrograde and not joined to the significator of the Midheaven. Therefore I have to give this contest to Macron. But what is interesting is that he is from the “house of the enemy” of the government. Poor France!

Note:

This prediction was first published to the private astrology group, Company of Astrologers, on Saturday the 6th of May, 2017. Following is a copy of my “activity log” from Facebook to document when I published it.

activity log

Quotes from Abū Ma’shār are from his “Greater Introduction”.

The Constitutional referendum in Turkey 2017

Published on April 16, 2017February 15, 2021 by Steven Birchfield A.M.A.1 Comment

The 16^th of April 2017, the people of Turkey will vote on sweeping changes to their constitution giving their president unprecedented power. Proponents of the “yes” campaign, say the proposed “Turkish style” presidential system will ensure the country no longer risks having weak governments, and insist the stability will lead to a long period of prosperity. The Yes campaign of course is proposed and is backed by the ruling Justice and Development (AK Party) Party of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (surprise surprise?)

Voting is taking place between 07:00 (7 a.m. – 0400GMT) and 16:00 (4 p.m. – 1300GMT) in Turkey’s eastern provinces of Adıyaman, Ağrı Artvin, Bingöl, Bitlis, Diyarbakır, Elazığ, Erzincan, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gümüşhane, Hakkari, Kars, Malatya, Kahramanmaraş, Mardin, Muş, Ordu, Rize, Siirt, Sivas, Trabzon, Tunceli, Şanlıurfa, Van, Bayburt, Batman, Şırnak, Ardahan, Iğdır, and Kilis. These provinces consist of 38% of the countries area but represents only 23% of the population.

For the rest of the country, ballot boxes opened at 8 a.m. (0500GMT) and people would be allowed to vote until 5 p.m. (1400GMT).

The reason for the time difference is that the sun rises and sets earlier in the east of the country than in the west.

I therefore have cast the chart for the opening of the polls at 07:00 but will use the capital as the location.

The Ascendant is 13° c 35’ (Taurus). Lady of the Ascendant is Venus (representing the people of the nation) in her exaltation Pisces in the 11^th house; a very strong position being oriental and direct.

An interesting note is that the Midheaven falls in the 9^th (the Law) and the moveable sign of Capricorn. The proposition being voted on of course is a change in the law! The 10^th whole sign is Aquarius. Both the 10^th by counting (Aquarius) and the 10^th by division (Capricorn) are the signs ruled by Saturn. However Saturn in Sagittarius falls in aversion to its domicile in Capricorn. It is therefore a poor significator for the law. I would look rather to Mars in the Ascendant which is the exalted ruler of Capricorn and also sends his aspect co-present with the degree of the Midheaven in Capricorn.

Very simply in this chart, the lady of the Ascendant, Venus holds a partile aspect with Mars in her domicile, receiving him and pushing her dignity on to it. There is nothing that could have been a stronger “yes” in the chart. But there is a second testimony equally powerful. We see that the Moon (universal significator of the common people) joined to Saturn.

For better or for worse, it would be difficult for me to see how this chart could not be indicating anything other than a resounding yes vote for the Constitutional amendments.

13:25

16.04.2017

Addendum 14:11 by Steven Birchfield

One comment from Behiye Kayran in Turkey was very significant, and that is that Venus has always been the significator of Islam. And we see it strongly receiving the constitutional amendments. On the other hand I just noticed in my chart that the Moon (common people) actually joins the Sun first (the opposition). However because the Sun falls in the the weakest part of the heavens in the 12th …. and the strength of Venus is more powerful and strong than that of the Moon I would have to say it is going to pass although it is clear there is a split between two divisions of the people…. those that are secular (the Moon) and the Islamist’s (Venus).

The American Presidential Election and why we wouldn’t make a Prediction on the outcome using birth times of the Candidates.

Published on September 29, 2016 by Steven Birchfield A.M.A.7 Comments

It seems a day hasn’t passed since the start of 2016 when there hasn’t been some news coverage regarding either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, other than the time taken up with the Brexit outcome here in the UK.

Things on the Internet are now starting to heat up especially since the first head to head between Trump and Clinton on the 26^th September.

Friendships have been lost either personally, or on Facebook over outcomes. Words are hurled over the Internet about others astrological takes on the outcome and, at times, it seems as though the small astrological community is at war with itself. (As we can see in the Libra Ingress chart a microcosm/reflection of the state of the nation)

Much of the animosity and finger wagging centres primarily on that most vexatious issue of unknown, or verified birth times for Hillary Clinton where times range from 8:02 am to 8:02 pm; as well as 10:48 am and yet another birth time of 02.18.

I copy the following from ISAR which is available on FB and other sites:

BREAKING NEWS!!! Hillary Clinton’s birth time has been found

ISAR ASTROLOGY·SUNDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2016

According to astrologer Marc Penfield, both the Cook County and State of Illinois record divisions last week verified a time of birth as recorded for Hillary Rodham that took place on October 26, 1947. If correct, it is not the commonly used birth times of approximately 8:00 am or 8:00 pm.

Marc will be on the closing Presidential Election panel 2016 ISAR Forecasting Symposium on Sunday, October 16, 5 pm (PST). He will reveal the Democratic contender’s time of birth then, and the process he went through to find this KEY missing astrological link for forecasting the 2016 USA Presidential Election.

So now, we have even more suspense building up to the most exciting astrological event of 2016!

Hope to see you onsite in two and half weeks! #isar2016 #astrology

This led to the following comments on the Politics & Astrology FB page:

Marc Penfield’s time he claims to have sourced is 02.18am. This certainly has a ring of déja vu about it. Zayin Cohen was originally reported as giving a time of 02.18am back in 2005 and ADB recorded this. He claimed to have accessed Hillary Clinton’s time of birth through a contact in the Chicago Records Office who sourced her birth certificate for him. It was then reported on astrology groups like the Noel Tyl site. However, I corresponded with Zayin Cohen a few weeks ago. Zayin Cohen then claimed the time he had actually found was 02.08am not 02.18am. He said it was incorrectly reported on ADB and elsewhere. However, with the death of Louis Rodden it never got resolved. Like Marc Penfield, Zayin Cohen claimed to have an anonymous source in the Chicago Public Records office. He has long said he cannot give out the certificate or details of the official as this is illegal. But I have been in contact with Patrick Watson today and he showed me evidence of a FB conversation with Zayin Cohen back in August when he was informed by Zayin Cohen that the right time was actually 01.18am not 02.18am. I am trying not to throw out accusations here but Zayin Cohen is clearly giving out conflicting times. So was the time on the birth certificate always really 02.18am which has been corroborated by Marc Penfield? In which case why is Zayin Cohen now altering his time? Did Marc Penfield really source this directly or is he just using the time that was widely attributed to Zayin Cohen earlier which he now himself disputes? Or maybe Zayin Cohen is playing games with us and the time was always 02.18am. Presumably, like Zayin Cohen, Marc Penfield will not be able to produce a scan of the birth certificate for legal reasons.

Leaving aside birth times for Hillary Clinton, there is also a modicum of doubt to be raised regarding Donald Trump’s Rising Sign. 23 seconds into the AA rated birth time of 10:54, the Ascendant moves from Leo into Virgo. So there is more Virgo in that minute than Leo. When I mentioned this fact during Hakan Kirkuglus’s talk at the AA Conference, Michael Lutin shouted and said how I could I be so stupid – of course Trump is a Leo, you just have to look at him. Well that is the common perception, but from a Traditional perspective, if Trump did have Virgo rising it would explain the multiple marriages and strong family ties and good relationships with his ex-wives even more than the fixed Leo Ascendant/Aquarius 7^th house. So to my mind there is doubt about both candidates and their Ascendants and therefore their personal house relationships.

There is no definitive “birth time” for the Republican and Democratic parties. So what could be used to call this election?

A traditional mundane method was always to look at the Aries Ingress and if needed, the other Ingresses of the quarters dependent on the Rising sign of the Aries Ingress. If a fixed sign rose, that chart was good for the year. (This is indeed the case with the UK Aries Ingress 2016). If a mutable sign, the chart was cast for both Aries and Libra Ingress’ and if a Cardinal sign rose, then each quarter you cast a new chart.

Taking Washington DC as the Capital for America, the Aries Ingress for 2016 had the mutable sign of Sagittarius on the Ascendant. The lord of the Ascendant, Jupiter, is also in a mutable sign together with the mutable ascendant emphasising the need to look at the Libra Ingress. The Libra Ingress chart has Scorpio rising and is valid for the period covering the election to the actual Inauguration of the Presidential Candidate on the 20^th January 2017.

In the UK with the Brexit vote, Mark Cullen the Moderator on Skyscript, put together a fairly comprehensive list of methods used by various astrologers to make their predictions. Of those 16 in his sample who correctly voted leave, 4 used opening of the Polls along with other techniques.

Maybe this method would shed some light on the potential outcome of this most bitter of elections?

Due to the time changes across America, the first State to open its polls is the New Hampshire state of Dixville Notch at 00.00 on the 8^th November 2016.

There are two ways we could look at this chart for Incumbent and Challenger; one way is to take the 1^st for the current Ruler and the 7^th for the challenger, or the 10^th for current King and 4^th for challenger or opposition.

We will look at both ways, although the actual significators using whole house signs doesn’t change.

opening-vote-us-elections-2016
We will start with the 10^th/4^th axis. The 11^th is for the supporters of the current King and the 5^th for the supporters of the challenger.

The 10^th is ruled by Mercury, who is under suns beams, his supporters are the Moon (also the common people). The challenger is Jupiter and his supporters are Saturn.

Taking Mercury to represent the incumbent party; Mercury has no rulership in 23° Scorpio and cannot see the 10^th sign of Gemini from the 3^rd sign, which simply means it is blind and cannot effectively manage the affairs of the house Gemini represents. We find Mercury just on the edge of Sunbeams moving out of the harmful rays. As Mercury leaves the rays of the Sun he applies to his ruler Mars, wanting to give his authority and management of 10^th house affairs to Mars which is in its exaltation. However before Mercury can exit from the rays of the Sun, the application is frustrated as Mars leaves Capricorn into Aquarius. This does not bode well for the incumbent party.

Jupiter representing the Challenger or opposition party has authority as participating triplicity ruler in Libra. Jupiter is applying to Saturn giving his power and authority to Saturn to manage Jupiter’s affairs [this is called the committing of his disposition], which Saturn accepts because Jupiter is in the sign of Saturn’s exaltation [reception]. Also, Saturn has authority in Sagittarius as participating triplicity ruler of Fire. Saturn in the 4^th is angular and has the strength to carry out the business of Jupiter.

Jupiter is operating out of the turned 11^th house from the 4^th. This is the house of Good Daemon and Jupiter is said to rejoice in the 11^th. Saturn is also indicator of Jupiter’s Seconds or helpers. Saturn is bang in the middle of Jupiter’s sign, giving his aid and assistance to Jupiter.

The Moon as indicator of the Incumbents Seconds is tucked away in the 6^th of sickness and labour. She can’t see her house and is in the sign of Saturn. Her next application is to Mercury, indicator of the current ruler. She perfects this aspect with a square, showing some difficulty. If we take the Moon to represent the people, it shows they are in slavery, sick and not very effective. The Moon takes the light of Mercury to Venus by Sextile. Venus in this chart disposes of Jupiter as he disposes of her. So there is some reception between these two planets.

Venus cannot see Mercury to give him her aid. The women are turned away from helping the Incumbent.

Taking the Rising sign of Virgo for the Incumbent and the 7^th for the challenger, we have the same planets as significators. All that has changed is their house positions.

Mercury is now in a cadent sign but can see the Ascendant sign. However, his power to act is weak as he is still blinkered by the Sun who rules the 12^th of enemies. The Sun is blinding him to what is going on? Jupiter on the other hand is in his participating triplicity rulership, oriental and strong. Jupiter can see neither Ascendant nor Descendant, but, through his application to Saturn in an angle, Saturn reflects Jupiter’s light to his house, Pisces (called rendering of light). In this changed situation in assigning different houses, Saturn is the means whereby he Jupiter can manage the affairs of the 7^th. Jupiter can also see his other house, the 10^th sign from the Descendant (Sagittarius). The same comments apply to Jupiter’s relationship to Saturn as mentioned in our first scenario (10^th/4^th axis).

If you look at this chart using house divisions, so the 10^th cusp is Taurus and the 4^th Scorpio, Venus is still in aversion to her sign (can’t manage). Mars can see his sign of Scorpio by sextile. The Sun (reputation, honours) is in the 4^th by division. Mars, the ruler of Scorpio, is exalted in Capricorn at the time of this event!

opening-vote-us-elections-2016_regi

No matter how you view this chart for the opening of polls, it appears to give the victory to the Opponent.

Turning now to the Libra ingress chart:

libra-ingress-2016

Traditionally the first thing to locate was the Lord of the Year of the Ingress chart.

The first consideration is to determine what planet will represent the people of the nation.

“You will also look, for the rustics and their condition, from the Lord of the Year and its place,”

(From the “Revolution of the Years of the World” by Māshāʿallāh translated by Benjamin Dykes PhD)

The ascendant of the chart always represented the people of the nation as did the Moon. The Lord of the Year was found from one of the lords of the ascendant (ruler, exalted ruler, triplicity ruler, or term ruler) or even the sect luminary. In this chart we have chosen Mars as Lord of Year since he is the lord of the Ascendant Scorpio. We do this in spite of the fact he is cadent from the ascendant in the 2nd house. The reason for this choice is that in fact all the rulers including the sect luminary, the Sun, fall cadent of the ascendant.

This very accurately describes the state of the people in America going into this half of the year.

Chapter 12: When the Lord of the Year is cadent

If the Lord of the Year were cadent from the Ascendant, not aspecting the Ascendant (in the eighth, sixth, second, or twelfth sign), then he will be in need, and therefore weakness will befall him, because he fell in a place removed from the Ascendant:

(From the “Revolution of the Years of the World” by Māshāʿallāh translated by Benjamin Dykes PhD.

Both Mars and the Moon representing the people are in aversion to the Ascendant. The people feel out of touch and powerless to act. The Martian types are in conflict and also out of touch with their national identity. For both significators there is a sense of helplessness, weakness, division, contention and fear. Note that the Moon’s application to the opposition of Mars further indicates the very obvious division of the nation.

The incumbent Ruling Party is shown by the Sun as ruler of the 10th sign/house. (Note: the Sun would not necessarily always be the significator of the ruling party if another sign were on the MC). Their opponents are indicated by Saturn as ruler of the 4th sign/house.

To discover the successor belonging to the current ruling party, we look to the second triplicity ruler of the Sign on the 10th. This gives us Jupiter as the Nocturnal Sect Ruler of Fire.

Jupiter is under Sunbeams, out of sight in the 12th sign. This suggests a weak successor who cannot be seen. This relates perhaps to Hillary not being so visible on the campaign trail. Obama has been actively campaigning on her behalf. Naturally the Sun being in Libra is in detriment and in the cadent 12th; the King is no longer strong. Hillary’s recent health problems and public collapse could also be indicative of this weak Jupiter.

To assess the condition of the opposition, we will take both the actual sign ruler (Saturn) and the diurnal triplicity ruler of Air – again Saturn. So Saturn indicates the opposing candidate. There is no other planet to consider as they (the opposition party) have put up their challenger.

Neither significator of the people (Moon & Mars) applies to join either candidate, again indicating the disconnectedness and “hatred” by the people for the two candidates. It appears in the history of the American Elections that no two contenders for this crown have been so reviled by their countrymen.

So how to discover the outcome?

We look at the individual strength of both significators and the actions between them.

As noted, Jupiter is combust, in the 12th and applies to Saturn from Saturn’s house of exaltation (Libra) and his house of joy.

As we saw in the other charts we looked at, this handing over of power is a very distinct action between the two because it indicates Jupiter handing the management of everything she is and represents, to Saturn who receives her gift!

Saturn standing alone is stronger than Jupiter, being free of sunbeams, and able to manage the affairs of his house of Aquarius.

The conclusion is that Saturn is the winner.

By Sharon Knight and Steven Birchfield 29.09.2016

Musings of an Astrologer

Published on August 28, 2016 by Steven Birchfield A.M.A.4 Comments

Musings of an astrologer

The methods used in mundane delineation are old and with their entrance into Europe in the 12^th and 13^th century via Spain some have been significantly revised. One of the last and perhaps most popular of the medieval Persian astrologers to use these techniques with real results was Abu Ma’shār.

When his works were translated into Latin, the translators and religious censors working with the translators were faced with some very real problems. The first was the lack of practical knowledge of the application of these techniques. They were first of all scholars, translating texts whose subject matter was totally outside their experience. As far as I have been able to see, not a single one was in fact a practicing astrologer. The second and probably the most critical, was the philosophies on which these techniques were based. In order to translate these texts and to receive acceptance by the religious authorities, compromises had to be made. Most often it was the text that was compromised. This particular problem was discussed by both Richard Lemay and Charles Burnett; both have written and given lectures on the corruption of certain Arabic texts when they were translated and transmitted into Europe. I’m not going to go into the details of these translation practices here, but it is quite well documented now that the original Arabic texts are being translated and compared to the same Latin translations. I can refer you to these articles though and particularly one by Dr. Charles Burnett:

“The Strategy of Revision in the Arabic-Latin Translations from Toledo: The case of Abu Ma’shār’s On the Great Conjunctions” by Dr. Charles Burnett in the publication, “Les Traducteurs au travail: leurs manuscrits et leurs methods”, ed. J. Hamesse, Turnabout, 2002, pp.51-113 and 529-540.

And,

“A Group of Arabic-Latin Translators working in northern Spain in the mid-12^th century” published in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1977, pp.62-108

Most of the current consensus is documented in articles in obscure journals, publications and University lectures. But I can assure you the evidence is quite authoritative!

Now the reason I’m beginning with this point is because it had a great influence in what later astrologers would have to rely on – which in many cases was not the original practice. But thanks to certain scholars today, such as Charles Burnett and Michio Yano (among others), we are gaining manuscripts and translated texts which reveal what was corrupted and where and when! I’ve personally devoted the last couple of years to these texts and practices and with the support and cooperation of scholars; (in particular I can thank Dr. Michio Yano and the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa in Tokyo, who more than graciously obliged my studies by supplying me with texts) I’ve been trying to restore these techniques and the full picture of what these things entailed.

Now, having said this, I can lay no claim to having a complete or full understanding of these things. I do have certain convictions about these things and having struggled with these texts, am convinced that there is more than simply meets the eye. Mundane astrology was one of the matters of which Abu Ma’shār claimed “was a secret of science”. This is a theme running throughout Abu Ma’shār’s works. Abu Ma’shār was fond of secrets. He was quite fond of speaking in riddles and metaphors. For instance, in discussing the relationship of Jupiter and Saturn to war, he refers to the square of these two superiors as “The Fortitude of the Sword.” Secrecy was a necessary part of Abu Ma’shār’s astrological practice. He worked for the secular and religious authorities from Egypt to Persia and India. It is to be assumed that he was exposed to or came in contact with secrets, both personal and political in the course of his work. We are not surprised when we read the following anecdote in Lynn Thorndike’s article, Albumasar in Sadan, which is the only biographical treatise ever written about Abu Ma’shār by his student Abu Ṣāʳid Schadsan, which was corrupted into Sadan in Latin.

«Abu Ma’shār said that when a native’s 2nd house is impeded at birth and its ruler also unfortunate, the native never prospers. When asked why he never mentioned this in his writings, he said: “The sage who writes down all he knows is like an empty vessel. Nobody needs him and his reputation declines. He should keep some secrets to himself and communicate them only to his closest friends.»

When you look at the written evidence alone, it is very clear that few, if any Medieval Western or Arabic authors give exhaustive expositions. As Robert Zoller wrote in a yet unpublished article,

“Certain parameters are given (in these texts) and the reader is left to figure out the rest himself. The reader is likely to conclude that none of these authors really knew how to predict. However, two facts mitigate this conclusion: 1) there are numerous reports of astrologers successfully predicting the death of this or that native. 2) The common experience of contemporary practitioners of this Medieval Astrology is that such predictions can, in fact, be made. 3) Errors in prediction can come from numerous causes, but incomplete or faulty knowledge of the proper technique is certainly a cause of error.”

Now these things are true, and for anyone spending any amount of time in these original texts, it becomes very obvious! I appreciate that there are people out there who are not rejecting some of these original concepts but instead are making sincere efforts to use them. However, as has been the case of the last thousand years, the foundations are still not recovered so that often those efforts are much the same as a “craps game” and the odds are very small that we can restore a functioning method by chance alone!

Thus I have to start at the beginning! In order to make heads or tails of these ancients methods, then we have to understand something of the foundation philosophy. In Abu Ma’shār’s case, his methods reflect the basic philosophy that the first thing to appear in universal political and social matters is the prophet and “the law” of the Prophet. Because of changes in ‘religion (philosophy)’ there arise new dynasties and kings.

«Since we have already provided in the first Part the means to know the matters that needed explanation concerning prophets, their Shariahs (Laws), and the like, let us mention, in this second Part, how to know the matters of dynasties and kings, and let us begin in this chapter with how to know the change of dynasty from one nation to another, and to which nation it comes, since the rank of kings follows that of prophets.»

Now the ancients’ use of conjunctions is very much built on this foundation! It was not just any conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, but it was especially those conjunctions which occurred at the beginning of a shift of the conjunction into a new triplicity. This is where it becomes very difficult. I struggled for a long time with this conception because 1) all of these astrologers used a theoretical conjunction based on the mean motions of these two planets and 2) these ‘mean’ conjunctions do not occur in reality! The whole of these considerations is based entirely on a ‘theoretical’ conjunction! Were they aware of this fact? Absolutely! In the introduction to this chapter On Conjunctions in his text book, Kūšyār Ibn Labbān writes;

«[1] Many people of this art have another method in general judgment. It is by means of the conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn. The Persians are the wisest of them in their conviction, and the most devoted to bringing together happiness and misfortune through it, according to their claim, from the conjunctions of these two planets. They set in motion each one of Jupiter and Saturn with their mean motion and they lay down the following scheme – the two ‹planets› make twelve conjunctions in each triplicity and sometimes thirteen conjunctions; what is between two conjunctions is roughly twenty years. They fix chronology by it from the conjunction occurring at the beginning of a triplicity to the conjunction occurring at the beginning of another triplicity.

[2] If this method were correct for us, we could spare much trouble in worrying about the equations of the planets and their correction. When there is dependence on the corrected positions of the two ‹planets›, the number of the conjunctions of the two ‹planets› in the triplicities could not be grasped, neither could the days and years which are between the conjunctions nor the ascendant of the time of the conjunction of the two planets be obtained, because of the slowness of their motion and because of the difficulty of inquiring into their conditions which are dependent on precise observation.

[3] Thus they made the ascendant of the year in which the conjunction occurs the ascendant of the conjunction, and they judged what things are caused by the conjunction from this ascendant, just as judgments are made concerning the other things that happen from the ascendants of beginnings of these ‹happenings›. When we are true to ourselves we know that this ascendant is artificial, but we follow the people in their opinion, and we are polite to them in associating ‹with them› and we support them concerning their belief, and we do not think it utterly impossible that a conjunction of the two spheres of the orbs of the epicycles of two has influence in the world. Thus we choose from their sayings what is closer to ‹our› thought and what is more inclined to analogy. »

In this text we’re made to understand a couple of things; first that these astrologers were quite aware of the fact that the physical positions of Jupiter and Saturn had nothing to do with their conceptual positions through their ‘mean’ motions. Second, that the actual degree of the conjunction had nothing to do with the casting of the chart of the conjunction and that they used the ingress chart of the year of the conjunction. In other words, these astrologers willingly and knowingly used an ‘ideal’ conception to make delineations. As I said I had a very hard time coming to terms with this thought. By profession I am a Civil and Structural Engineer. I deal with physical laws and mathematics on a daily basis. For me to accept this conception was certainly a trial for my ‘scientific’ sensitivities. However, come to terms with it I did! The main reason in coming to terms with it was the fact that this is not the only place in astrology where an ‘ideal’ conception lies at the roots of delineation! The zodiac in its beginning and end is an ‘idealised’ conception! The signs are not nicely distributed in handy 30° increments! Aspects between planets are an idealised concept based on the totally natural human attribute of vision. The dwads or dōdekatémoria are 2½° conceptions that idealise the physical relationship of the Suns ‘mean’ motion and the moon’s ‘mean’ motion! The various lots are mathematical constructs based on longitudinal positions and their relationships. So there are many such ‘ideal’ conceptions. All of these things made me realise that perhaps there was a lot more to astrologers like Abu Ma’shār; especially with regards to ‘influence’ of the astrologicals.

A lot of people are going to say that these methods are too complicated and there are too many factors to consider. This has always been the complaint over Abu Ma’shār’s techniques in natal astrology. I’ve heard individuals say if we practiced what he taught it would take months to delineate a chart. First of all that is not true although it cannot be done overnight either. Secondly I marvel that people spend years in educating themselves in secondary schools and universities and if we hear of a doctor, lawyer, engineer or any other professional getting ‘certified’ without that kind of education then we are sceptical about their ability, and for good reason. Yet when it comes to the complexity of delineation, well we so easily accept ‘hobby’ astrology. As an engineer and I am working on a complex building project it takes me weeks to months to calculate the static forces that affect that construction and arrive at a structure that will handle the various forces that affect all buildings. I didn’t learn this as a ‘hobby’. Why people would expect delineation of a natal or mundane chart to be a simple 1-2-3 process when it contains so many relational and proportional elements is beyond me! An individual is a complex being! A society and culture is complex and more importantly the variables that contribute to the rise of cultures, societies and nations and religions are complex. I should expect that the methods of determining outcomes would also reflect to some extent the complexity of the system it describes. I have often marvelled at how similar my profession is to that of an astrologer where we have to demonstrate with the conceptual language of mathematics the relationships existing between so many variable physical factors!

To explain a little of the levels of this complexity with regards to the ancient’s methods of delineation let me try and put it into a schematic but I am going to work backwards from the simplest element. We have the individual and we are told by several of the ancient texts that that individual must be seen in the context of his mundane situation! How can you predict long life and riches to a man whose home is invaded and bombed by a rival nation or ethnic hate or political machinations? The natal delineation must be seen in the context of other greater ‘universals’. This native is a member of a cultural nation. What happens to that nation is predisposed also to ‘greater’ universals.

Steven Birchfield A.M.A.

The Classical Astrologer and Family Planning

Published on February 18, 2015February 18, 2015 by Steven Birchfield A.M.A.Leave a comment

Today, huge amounts of time and money are spent on genetic research, pre-natal medical counselling, and direct medical intervention such as fertility treatment to help couples who, for one reason or another, have difficulty in conception. While we may like to think of this as an enlightened modern pre-occupation, it is not by any stretch of the imagination. The desire to unlock the mysteries of procreation has occupied man for a long, long time!

In the past, the astrologer employed in the courts of the ruling class and nobility was the first and most important figure upon whom a ruler or noble would depend for counsel to ensure a primogeniture to whom the reins of power or authority would pass.

The traditional or classical astrologer had to be proficient in not only natal delineation, but he had to be skilled in the Arts of Questions[1] and Elections.[2] It was not enough that the astrologer could delineate the possibility of children from the subjects’ nativity, but the question of a successor was so paramount that his aid and direct participation was sought to find the best moment for the act of intercourse to result in the successful generation of a child; and in most cases the desire for a male child. The ancient classical and medieval astrologer, by all accounts, was expected to not only arrange things so that a child of the requisite sex was conceived but also, it was expected that the child would be born at the proper time. This was tantamount to nothing less than a type of astrological genetic counselling!

In his role as ‘family planner’, the astrologer would first delineate the natal charts of the couple, see if child birth was possible, and perhaps see anything that might hinder conception. A couple might also come to him with specific questions which were presented in the form of «interrogations» or horary questions. We can see several of the typical questions that were anticipated in the text of the 9^th century Arabic astrologer, Sahl Ibn Bishr.[3]

«… if a man or a woman has asked whether or not he or she will have a child, look at the Ascendant; if there were benefics in it, or if the ruler of the Ascendant was in the Ascendant or in the tenth or in the eleventh or in the 5th, and Jupiter was in the best house from the Ascendant, a child will be born to him; and if the ruler of the Ascendant was in the Ascendant or in the 4th or in the 7th and Jupiter was in a good place from the Ascendant, a child will be born to him with some delay after [the time of] his own question. But if you have found a malefic in the Ascendant or if it aspects it by opposition or by square aspect, and the ruler of the Ascendant was in a bad place, and Jupiter was cadent or in the house of death or under the Sun beams, it signifies few children, and who will live only a short time if there are any…»

« …if the question was about some woman, whether or not she is pregnant and whether or not she will bear a child or whether it would be fortunate for her or not, look at the ruler of the Ascendant and the Moon, which are the significators of children. If you have found the ruler of the Ascendant and the Moon in the house of children, and if the ruler of the house of children is in the Ascendant free from the malefics, say that she is pregnant; and if the ruler of the Ascendant and the Moon have given, i.e. if they have committed, their own disposition to any planet in an angle, there will be a pregnancy, and all the more so if it was received; and if they were joined to a planet cadent from the Ascendant, it signifies loss, and the pregnancy is in vain; and even more so if the Ascendant was a mobile sign or if there was a malefic in an angle, or if the Moon was joined to a malefic, because all of these signify loss…»

« …if you have been asked whether she will bear a male or a female, look at the ruler of the Ascendant and the ruler of the house of children; if they were in masculine signs, there will be a male in her belly; and if they were in feminine signs, there will be a female in her belly; and if one of them was in a masculine sign and the other one was in a feminine sign, look at the Moon’s sign and at the planet to which the Moon is joined; if the Moon was in a masculine sign and was joined to a masculine planet, she will bear a male, but if the Moon was in a feminine sign or was joined to a feminine planet, she will bear a female. And know that Mercury, when it is oriental, i.e. when it is behind the Sun, will be feminine, if God wills!»[4]

He would then «elect» the most auspicious time for conception to occur.

«When you want to elect an hour for intercourse, i.e. when you want to have intercourse with your wife, so that you can beget a male child, let the Ascendant and its ruler and the Moon and the ruler of the house of children be in masculine signs or in a masculine quadrant of the circle in the hour of intercourse, and in that hour you should not put any planet but a masculine one in the Ascendant and in the sign [house] of children. And if you want it to be a female, let these significators be in feminine signs and in a feminine quadrant of the circle…»[5]

Next, the astrologer/physician would cast a chart at the time of conception to determine the length of the pregnancy and find out how long the woman would carry the developing child! The ancient astrologers/physicians believed that fertilization occurred at the time of insemination. They did not know that conception was a process that involved the fertilization of an egg by the male sperm. They simply assumed that the woman’s womb was a protected environment where the man’s «seed» would develop into an infant! Their idea of conception was formed largely from watching plants. It was not until the microscope in the 18^th century that physicians learned what true conception was and it was not until the 20^th century that physicians learned that true conception might not occur until days after coitus, therefore, it is difficult to credit astrological dicta.

One of the older extant texts containing the astrological instructions for determining the term of a pregnancy and the time of conception can be found in the writings of the Greek astrologer Vettius Valens![6]

It is difficult in such a short synopsis to go into all the details of the method for calculating the term of the pregnancy. In general it is based on the conception that the degree of the sign in which the Moon is at the time of the infusion of sperm will be the degree of the ascendant in the nativity and that the degree that was ascending at the time of conception will be the same degree as the Moon in the sign it will be posited in the nativity!

Vettius Valens writes,

«The Moon at birth will indicate the hour of conception in respect to the zoion[7] in which it took place,[8] while the hōroskopos of conception will have as many degrees as the Moon has at birth.»

It is later quoted as the 51^st aphorism in the Centiloquium.[9]

«Make the sign occupied by the Moon at the time of birth the ascending sign at the conception; and consider that in which she may be posited at the conception, or the opposite one, as the sign ascending at birth.»

The method postulates that there are three terms of the pregnancy;[10] a least, a middle, and a greatest. The difference between each term is fifteen days. Which term was chosen depended on the position of the Moon in the chart of the conception. The least term is 258 days which was when the Moon was in the degrees of the descending sign above the horizon. The middle term was 15 days more than that, or 273 days and was attributed when Moon was in the ascendant. The greatest term was 15 days more or 289 days, when the Moon was in the degrees of the descendant below the horizon.

Let us say for example, 10º Cancer is rising, then, 10º Capricorn is setting. The conception is that between the setting degree (the least term) moving in the order of the signs to the eastern horizon[11] (the middle term) there are 180º, which are the equivalent of 15 days. Therefore, 30º equalled 2½ days, which can be further divided. 2½ days is 60 hours so 1º was equal to 2 hours. Likewise, from the Ascending sign continuing to move below the horizon in the order of the signs towards the west, those 180 º also equalled 15 days.

So depending on where the Moon was posited, above or below the horizon, then a certain number of days and hours was added to either the least or middle term and that was the length of the pregnancy.

In our example then, if the Moon (for simplicities sake) was at 25º Taurus, then we could find the length of the pregnancy by counting the number of degrees between the descending degree of 10º Capricorn (280º longitude) and subtract that from the degrees of the Moon at 25º Taurus (55º of longitude). Since 55º is smaller than 280º, I add 360º to 55º, which is 415º. Now I can subtract; 415 – 280 = 135º. I can then divide that by 30º, which gives me 4 which a remainder of 15º. Each of those 30º divisions is equal to 2½ days, which gives me 10 days plus 15º, or 10 days and 30 hours,[12] or simply 11 days and 6 hours. This then would be added to the least term of 258 days giving 269 days and 6 hours as the term of the pregnancy.

Just as simply one could of course calculate the degrees between the Ascendant degree and the Moon and subtract the equivalent days from the middle term of 273 days.

I hope the reader realises this is a very simplistic overview of the technique. One finds much more complete instructions in Guido Bonatti’s text book, Liber Astronomiae Tractatus Decimus called, Trutine of Hermes on the Causation of the Length of Pregnancy. This of course, is not the only medieval text discussing the Length of Pregnancy. Dominicus Maria de Novarra[13] wrote an entire manuscript on the subject and found in the Biblioteca Paletina. There are several others from this period also.

What can I say as an astrologer? Does it work? I don’t know as I do not have enough experience in this particular ‘field’ to be able to judge one way or the other. That is the purpose of this short article, to expose this teaching in order to encourage further inquiry!

I do think it is fair enough to speculate in this regard and we should not just dismiss off hand such speculation. For while we may with no certainty say the method does or does not work, it was most certainly a major part of the medieval and classical astrologers ‘bread and butter’.

If such a method was effective and in fact widely practiced, then our predecessors were a long way ahead of us today in their medical ‘technology’ because such a method would be entirely without any deleterious side effects that are always present to some degree with our modern drug, hormone and surgery treatments! It would be an entirely natural solution!

[1] Horary astrology – casting a chart for the moment of an important question and determining the outcome from identification and particular circumstances of the significators of the querent and question

[2] Electional astrology – the art of determining the most auspicious moment to do something through examining the astrologicals at certain times

[3] The Arabian astrologer later known in the West as Zahel (or Zael), a Jew, who served as court astrologer to the governor of Khurasan in the period 820-822 A.D. and later to al-Hasan ibn Sahl (d. 850/851), the vizier of Baghdad during the reign of the caliph al-Ma^’mūn (reigned 813-833). Among the 18 books that are attributed to him to have written, five were translated into Latin by 12th century translators in Spain.

[4] The Introduction to the Science of the Judgments of the Stars, translated from the 12^th century Latin text by James H. Holden

[5] Ibid

[6] Vettius Valens was a young contemporary of Ptolemy. Valens tells us himself that he was conceived on the 13^th of May 119 C.E. and born 9 months later on February 8, 120 C.E. His death is a little more uncertain but he is presumed to have died in the time period 173 – 175 C.E. in his 50’s. His major literary contribution, called the Anthology (Anthologiae) is probably the most massive and comprehensive picture of Hellenistic astrology that exists and not only includes detailed natal methodology but also 125 charts of apparently, Valens own «clients». The Anthology was a major reference work for Byzantine and Medieval Arabic astrologers.

[7] That is, sign

[8] That is to say, that the Moon in the nativity is the same as the hour, or ascendant degree, of the conception.

[9] This work, as the name implies, is a compilation of 100 astrological aphorisms. It was also known by the name Liber Fructus or Book of Fruit and often attributed to Ptolemy. However, this attribution has become very doubtful since a majority of the aphorisms deal with horary, which is a subject Ptolemy appears to disdain and ignore totally in Tetrabiblos. Modern scientific historians also cast much doubt on this attribution and suspect it was rather an ambitious Medieval Arabic writer’s work in the 9^th century and assuming Ptolemy’s authorship in order to lend greater authority to his own writings!

[10] I.e. from conception to birth

[11] I.e. the ascending degree

[12] 1º = 2 hours

[13] Dominicus was the student of Marsilio Ficino, the great Florentine Platonist and advisor to the Medicis. He was also reputed to have been friend and associate to Copernicus.

Mundane Astrology and the Croatian Elections – Part II

Published on February 1, 2015February 1, 2015 by Steven Birchfield A.M.A.1 Comment

In Part I some important testimonies were established. 1.) A testimony concerning the length of the rule for the period of the current president. 2.) The testimony concerning the theme of change for the country from the revolution of the Year in Aries. 3.) The testimony concerning the very poor state of the general populace and how that state is the cause of the ruler’s state.

Now because the angles of the Revolution of the World Year in Aries were in common signs[1] and the Lord of the Ascendant was in a common sign, then especially there is yet one important revolution of this year; i.e. the Libra Ingress. And falling in the Aries Ingress just prior to the Libra Ingress is a conjunction of Mars/Saturn which had a special signification to political events.

I anticipate that the question most would ask is why we would want to consider the conjunction of Mars and Saturn? These conjunctions fall into the 2nd group of principles as explained by Abu Ma’shār. The first principles, as stated earlier is the change of the conjunctions first when it returns to Aries and then the shift of triplicities indicating dynasties, religions and prophets. Abu Ma’shār writes concerning the 2nd principle group:

[23] The second is proper to the sum of the parts of those universal , like the property of the indicators of the conjunction of the two malefics in Cancer, and the conjunction of the two superior in each of the signs, for the condition of chiefs among leaders and nobles in that transit.

The Mars/Saturn conjunction is going to give testimony concerning chiefs among leaders and nobles. More specifically,

…Mars is one of the superior planets and has a strong indication for kings and dynasties at its conjunction with Saturn… and, even if its conjunction with Saturn does not have such power over changes as that of the conjunction of Jupiter with Saturn, its indication is one of the things one needs when calling witnesses, commensurate with what the conjunction of Jupiter with Saturn indicates…

Again we need to return to the principles of Saturn and Mars. I looked at these two planets to determine the length of a rulers rule. And once again we can say that when they join they are going to indicate what changes can occur to rulers and their rule. Historically they indicated rebellions and upheavals in politics. Which is why the worst case scenario of Mars/Saturn conjunctions was when their conjunction fell in Cancer because Cancer is the fall of Mars and detriment of Saturn; both are very malefic in this sign generally speaking. But Rebellions don’t have to always be violent. When a majority decide enough is enough they can cause a revolution.[2] Mind you revolutions just mean turning and going the other way. And in modern western countries for the most part these revolutions are done at the ballot box. The call word of every opposing candidate seems to be “change”.

Croatia_conj Mars-Saturn 2014 — Croatia – Mars/Saturn Conjunction 2014

What is it we want to understand from this chart? Particularly, this chart will tell us the nature of the conjunction’s indication from the planet which has predominance over the principal positions. In other words, what kinds of change are in the works? Will the change be violent? Will it be generally a good and useful or bad and failed change? What is the nature of the change?

What are the principle positions? 1) The Ascendant 2) Lord of the Ascendant 3) Degree of the conjunction 4) Lord of the Conjunction and 5) the chart luminary. Now based on the number of testimonies in these places and the strength of that testimony then no other planet but Mars would qualify as the predominant planet. And the day and hour rulers (Moon and Mercury) testify to Mars and Venus (nocturnal benefic) confers her testimony to Mars.

So what can we say about the nature of the conjunctions indication? It will be the nature of Mars in his preferred domicile and in sect. Change, confrontation and conflict are principle natures and being in sect and in his strength then those states of being will be productive, with Mars very violent nature being mitigated and moderate.

Having judged the nature of its indication then we have to see where this conjunction falls in the Revolution of the World Year in Aries.

Bi-wheel of the Aries Ingress and Mars/Saturn Conjunction

We immediately see that the conjunction occurs in the place of the Moon in the Ingress chart. The Moon of course is general significator of the common people. And this is the 3rd house[3] which in mundane astrology signifies the practice of the laws and religion as well as the consideration of matters in the practice of doctrine and law and faith. It was seen as the house of “opinion and fighting amongst sects concerning doctrine and law”[4]. It is the 7th from 9th and signifies partners, conflicts and contentions of religious men and law makers.

So I say then, that “change” is coming because of the harm falling on the common people; because of arguments and unjust imprisonment and bonds; damages and afflictions from unjust practice of the law; the ruin of villages and towns and the forced migration of their people, and the lack of resources.[5] All of which are ultimately destroying the people’s wealth and livelihoods.

The testimony that is being strengthened in these current considerations is that “change” and “rebellion” if you will, is a strong motivation of the common people.

The next chart and the one most relevant to the election is the chart of the Libra Ingress for 2014 as the election will be held in this half of the year. Therefore we are told that the LOY of this chart will participate in the significations that began in the Aries Ingress.

I judge that the LOY of this revolution is the Moon because she is the nocturnal triplicity ruler of the Ascendant and is in the Ascendant and is the chart luminary. She is also Lady of the Day and the Hour. Mercury falls in aversion to his domicile and exaltation. There is no other planet as worthy to be the LOY.

I judge that in this chart the significator of the current ruler is Venus since the Midheaven falls in Taurus and she sees her domicile from the Ascendant. In this chart we can now look at the significator of the opposition and the rulers’ opponent. Scorpio is the sign on the IC but its ruler Mars falls in aversion. I judge that Saturn found in Scorpio is the opposition ruler.

I also find this supports the major political parties involved; the more liberal social democrat/left wing parties (Venus) and the conservative centre-right parties (Saturn).

At first glance it would seem that the LOY is joining Venus except that Saturn casts his ray to 19° Virgo and cuts off the Moons joining with Venus. This is, in my opinion, the clearest testimony that the people give their testimony and power to the opposition instead of the current ruler.

I find it significant that Saturn is aspected by this very intense Jupiter, in its nocturnal triplicity, rising oriental of the Sun and superior to Saturn in the 10th from Saturn. I also find it interesting that Jupiter is in Saturn’s triplicity and bounds and in the house of Saturn’s joy![6]

Sunrise chart 2nd round Croatian elections 2014 — Sunrise chart
2nd round Croatian elections 2014

This last chart I am going to consider is the sunrise chart on the day of the election. The reason I am choosing this particular time for the election is because in our astrological lore, sunrise and sunset were the two times ancient astrologers would look at the heavens for portents. When I look at this chart what struck me first is the heliacal rising of Saturn. In the Libra Ingress this I judged was the significator of the opposition so to see it is very significant. I also note that before this day is done the LOY, which is the Moon, will first conjoin with Saturn from Saturn’s exaltation and she confers her testimony to him and he receives it.

Judgment is about understanding the testimony from several indicators. I have made my judgments based on many different indicators and charts. The preponderance of testimony tells me that there will be a new President in Croatia. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović will be the next (and first woman) President of Croatia.

[1] I.e. mutable signs

[2] Aristotle described two types of political revolution: 1.) Complete change from one system to another; 2.) Modification of an existing system. The Oxford dictionary states that a revolution is: The overthrow of an established order which will involve the transfer of state power from one leadership to another. So a revolution can simply be the removal and replacement of a government and its leaders. Of course the revolutions that stand out in history are those that were violent and sweeping. However the whole idea behind a democracy was to establish a means whereby the people could bring about “revolution” without the bloodshed and total anarchy often following such upheavals. Unfortunately in today’s democracies, they only give the appearance of bringing revolution and change. In most cases the faces change but the powers remain the same.

[3] Interestingly Rhetorius places Banks in the 3rd. “The third house is called the house of the Moon, Goddess, overshadowed, authoritative, [and] metacosmic. It signifies the topic of foreign things, that of dreams and religious observation, and banking and friends and brothers and the Queen.” Cf “Rhetorius the Egyptian” Translated from the Greek by James H. Holden and published by American Federation of Astrologers Inc. I would imagine what is meant is “money lenders” since at that time in history there was no institution known as a bank.

[4] We find these significations in many medieval astrologers in delineating the houses in mundane astrology such as Saul, Abu Ma’shār and Ibn Ezra.

[5] I.e. the significations of the Moon joined to Saturn in the Ingress chart.

[6] I.e. the 12th house

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