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Night & Day Planetary Sect in Astrology by Robert S. Hand
T able of Contents Introduction . ...
1
Introduction to Sect ........ • . . . . .. . . . . . . .
2
Basic Definitions ....
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Additional Basic Definitions Concerning Sect
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Other Sect Issues .. . . . . . . . A Sample Chart - FDR
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The Meanings of the Planets in Diurnal and Nocturnal Charts . .
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General Natures of the Planets According to Sect
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Other Manifestations of Sect. . . . . . . . .
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Lots and Sect . . .................. . .
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Sect and the Hyleg or Apheta
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Sect and Firdar ....... .
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Sample Charts ......... ..... . Chart # 1: Adolf Hitler Chart #2: Eleanor Roosevelt . ....•. . ........ • ....•.. Chart #3: President Clinton ..... . .. . . . ... . .. .. • .. . ..... Chart #4: Ric hard M. Nixon ..... . . . . . .. .• . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........... . .... . ..... Chart #5: Charles Dederick Chart #6: Tony Costa ...
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Concluding Remarks . . . .
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References . .
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56 60
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Introduction This is the first of a series of short works designed to assist both students and more advanced astrologers in understanding particular features of traditional Western astrology, features that are either unfamiliar to modem astrologers, or that are employed in ways in traditional astrology that are unfamiliar to modem astrologers. Those of us who have been working with the original writings of ancient and medieval astrology feel very strongly that the best way of becoming familiar with their teachings is to read them directly. However, we also recognize that the language, even in translation, of these works is difficult, and the concepts often unfamil iar. We, who have been doing the actual translations, have had, and continue to have in some cases, our own struggles with their language. Therefore we are writing these short works to provide the reader with assistance based on our understanding of the major principles in traditional astrology derived from our work. The reader must be aware of several matters, however. First of all, this and all subsequent booklets in this series must be regarded as preliminary. Neither we, nor anyone else that we know of, has fully mastered all of the concepts involved in ancient and Medieval astrology. We are learning as we go just as the reader is. As we work more with these texts, it is safe 10 say that we will learn more, and Ihat some of what we learn will force us to modify what we say here now in these booklets. As we learn more, we will make the proper changes in these texts. Therefore these texts are of necessity somewhat fluid, for now is not the time 10 try to make definitive statements. Second, the reader should be aware that these booklets will suffer from the same flaws as other secondary sources, namely, that there is a layer of perception, that of the author, between the reader and the original authors. Whatever may be our point of view, whatever may be our limitations, these will be imposed upon these writings however much we may try to prevent it. Therefore we urge our readers to use these booklets to assist in reading the original works, and not to use them as a substitute for the originals. Only the original works can serve as a corrective to any errors or distortions that may arise within these booklets. We will do the best that we can to be adequate guides, but we are only guides. The original authors themselves are the territory.
Introduction to Sect
I
To an astrologer of the late classical period one of the most important questions that influenced the interpretation of the chart was very simple
and yet very fundamental: was the native born by day or by night? In other words, was the Sun above or below the horizon? This simple criterion affected the computation ofJife expectancy, the computation of most orthe lots (known to us somewhat incorrectly as "Arabic Parts"), the succession of planetary rulerships in time ' and the rulers of the triplicities. However, what was even more important than any of Ihese is that eve!), planet, every aspect, and every house position was interpreted differently according to whether the chart was ofa day or a night birth! Nor was it so
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that the day birth was more powerful and benevolenl than the night birth. In fact this was not true. Day births and night births were equally powerful, but had to be interpreted differently, with the planets having different capabilities, powers, and functions in the two types of charts. This monograph deals with the changes that occur in planetary symbolism in night and day chans, and is intended to provide the reader with the basics for applying this teaching to modem interpretations.
Basic Definitions Sect or Condition - In Greek this was hairesis, in Latin condido or conditio_ The English word 'sect', however, comes from the Latin seco which means 'to cut' or 'divide '. A sect is therefore a division. In the case of the planets there are two divisions. 1 All of the planets are either of the
I This refers to two systems, the first of which will be touched upon somewhat in this work, triplicities and their rulership over the thirds of life, and the second of these systems Firdar or Aljridaries, a system of planetary period rulerships simi lar to the Hindu dasa system. These will be taken up only briefly in this monograph, but will be taken up in greater detail in a latcr onc. 1 This derivation is from the standard Lewis and Short, A New Larin Dictionary, originally published by Oxford University. However another derivation is given by the OED. It states that the English word 'sect' comes from the Latin secta, a point on which both sources agree, but that the Latin secra comes in tum from seCl jtus, the past participle of the sequor, 'to follow ', The problem that I have with this etymology is that a stressed 'u', such as in secutus,
2
solar, diurnal secr or of the lunar, nocturnal sect. The sect of a planet is independent of its sex. I The following passages from Ptolemy Tetrabiblos, Book l, refer to these matters. Chapters 5 and 6 provide introductory material that IS useful fo r understanding the logic of sects set forth in chapler 7. 5. Concerning Benefic and Malefic Planets
With these things being so, since of the four fluidities two are the fertile and productive ones, that of the hot and that of the wet (for, everything is compounded and increased by them), while two arc destructive and passive, that of the dry and that of the cold (through which all things are in tum separated and destroyed), the ancients accepted two of the planets, the star of Zeus {Jupiter] and the star of Aphrodite [Venus] , and the Moon as well , as being benefic because of being temperate and having their surplus in the hot and the wet. But they accepted the star of Kronos [Saturn] and the star of Ares (Mars] as being productive of the opposite nature, the one on account of its excessive coldness, the other on account of its excessive dryness. And they accepted the Sun and the star of Hermes [Mercury] as being capable of both because of the commonality of their natures, and as changing in keeping with that planet which they should happen to be attending. 6. Concerning Masculine and Feminine Planets
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Again, since the primary genera of natures are two, the masculine and the feminine , while, of the powers mentioned above, that of the wet essence happens to be especially feminine (for, in general this part is innate to a greater degree in all females , but the others arc more in males), they have fairly handed down to us that the Moon and the star of Aphrodite [Venus] arc feminine because of having their excess in the wet. But the Sun, the star ofKronos [Saturn1, the star of Zeus [Jupiter], and the star of Ares [Mars] arc traditionally masculine. And the star of Hermes [Mercury] is common to
tends not to be dropped as a word evolves, so that it seems to difficult to sec how secuws could have become 'sect'. Otherwise this etymology is plausible. I Actually the division of planets into diurnal and nocturnal may be a rival system of polarity to the division into masculine and feminine, rather in the way that sign-rulerships and exaltations may have originated as rival systems of rulerships.
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both ge nera, in accordancc with which he is productive eq ually of the dry essence and the wet essencc. And the y say that thc stars are being made masculine and femini ne during their fi gurations to the Sun. For, while they are cast relative to the Sun and preceding' him, they are becoming masculine, but while they are west relative to him and fol1owing/ they are being made feminine. This also happens during their fi gurations relative to the horizon. For, in the figurations from rising up to culminating, or from setting up to anti-culmination under the earth, they are becoming masculine, since theyare eastern; but in the remaining two quadrants they arc being made fcminine, since they are western. 7. Concerning Diurnal and Nocturnal Planets Similarly, since the two most conspicuous of the intervals which make up time are these, and the interval of the day happens to be more masculine because of the heat and vigor in it, but night is more femin ine because of its moisture and gift of rest, they have accordingly handed down that the Moon and the star of Aphrodite [Venus] are nocturnal, but that the Sun and the star of Zeus [Jupiter] are diurnal , and the star of Hermcs [Mercury] common in regard 10 these, being diurnal in the morning figure and noclUmal in the evening figure .l And they also assigned to each of the sects the lWO planets of the destructive essence, not howcver for the same physical reasons but for the opposite ones. For, when stars that are similar to stars ofa good mixture become familiar with them, they make their beneficial character greater, though when unfamiliars to the destructive stars hold intercourse wi th them, they undo much of the ailliction.' Whence, since the star ofKronos [Saturn]
That is, earlier than the Sun in the ordcr of the zodiac. That is, later than the Sun in the order of the zodiac. ~ The preceding references to figures are to the Greek word, schema, and the phrasing is translated literally. However, we and virt uall y everyone else assume that morning figure .. morning star, and evening figure = evening star. Also Ptolemy in the Phases defines ' phase' as a 'figure' , so that we can mentally subslilUte 'phase' for 'figure', which makes it even clearer. • This implies an interesting defi nition of what other astrologers call "benefic" and "maldie." A benefic is a planet which improves its nature when that nature is reinforced, whereas a malefic is a planet whose nature is improved when it is counteracted. I
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is productive of cold, they apportioned it to the heat of day. But sinee the star of Arcs {Mars] is dry, they apportioned it to the moisture of the night. For, thus each star, in meeting with due measure by mixture, is made akin to the sect that provides the tempering. The table at the right shows the planets in order of sect from most diurnal 10 mosl nocturnal although there might be some question as to whether the Moon or Mars is the mosl nocturnal.
Solar & Diurna l
0 Additiona l Basic Definitions Concernin g Sect
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As already staled a chart is diurnal if the Sun is above d the horizon, i.e., in houses 7 through 12. The chart is } nocturnal if the Sun is below the horizon, i.e., in houses I through 6. Lunar & Signs are also diurnal or nocturnal. The diurnal Nocturnal signs are the same as those signs which are called masculine or positive, T, n, Q. ~, ;t, =, while the nocturnal signs are the same as those which are called feminine ones, ts. 0, T1], ffi. 1"l. H. A planet may be placed diurnally or nocturnally in a chart regardless of whether the planet is diurnal or nocturnal according to its own nature, and also regardless of whether the sign in which the planet is located, or the chart itself, is diurnal or nocturnal. Any planet is placed diurnally when it is above the horizon in the daytime or below it at night. Any planet is placed nocturnally when it is below the horizon by day or above it by night. Therefore we have three facto rs which can relate to the sect of a p lanet: I) Whether the chart itself is diurnal or nocturnal. 2) The nature of the placement, that is (whether the p lanet is diurnally or nocturnally placed). 3) The sect of the sign (whether the sign is diurnal or nocturnal). A diurnal planet is most benefitted when it is in a diurnal chart diurnally placed in a diurnal sign. Similarly a nocturnal planet is most benefitted when il is in a noclurnal chart nocturnally placed in a nocturnal sign. In Medieval astrology this set of relationships was one of a set of conditions pertaining to a particular planet that was generally known as "being in its own similitude." In addition to sect a planet's similitude also 5
included agreement between its sex and the sex of the sign, which is the same as agreement between the sect of the sign and planet for all planets except Mars, which is masculine but nocturnal. There was also possible agreement in sex between a planet and its quadrant. (See Ptolemy Book J, chapter 6 quoted above.) The quadrants in the southeast between the Ascendant and the Midheaven and opposite in the northwest between the Descendant and the I.e. were considered to be masculine. The quadrants in the northeast between the I.e. and Ascendant, and the opposite in the southwest between the Midheaven and the Descendant were considered to be feminine . I As will be seen below, the conflict between the sex and sect of Mars has given rise to some ambiguity. Although no ancient writing ever states this explicitly, it would seem from these writings that the most important of these relationships is that a planet is of the same sect as the chart. Diurnal planets work best in diurnal charts and nocturnal planets in nocturnal charts. That the condition of the chart is the most important of the three sect factors can be inferred from the fact that many of the Greek texts only mention the chart's diurnal or nocturnal status in relation to the sect of the planet. Little is said about the agreement of the sect of the planet with that of the sign or placement. Second in importance is that a planet is correctly placed above or below the horizon; diurnal planets are best above the horizon in the daytime or below it at night, while nocturnal planets are best above the horizon at night or below it by day. A planet whose sect is not in accord with the chart is more effective than it would otherwise be if it is correctly placed by hemisphere within the chart. Last in significance, a planet is reinforced somewhat by being located in a sign whose sect agrees with its own. If a planet's sect is not in accord with anyone of these three factors, the planet is to that degree out of sect and is to that extent altered in its expression in the chart. The manner of the alteration as we have inferred it from the ancient writings seems to be a mixture of quantity and quality, that is, in some ways a planet out of sect seems to be merely inhibited in
I The logic of this seems to be as follows : Planets in the southeast and northwest quadrants are either ascending to their extreme high altitudes or descending to their extreme low altitudes. This seems to have been perceived as masculine. The planets in the other 1\.,.0 quadrants are corrung back toward the horizon from their upper and lower extremes of altitude. This seems to have been perceived as feminine.
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its expression, as if its power were lessened; but some planets, especially the malefics, seem to be made more malefic in quality, and not lessened in quantity of power at all. Similarly if a planet's sect is in accordance with the chan, its placement in the chart, and the sect of its sign., it is a quite powerful dignity which was called Hayz, Haim, or Aym, 1 all of which are Latin corruptions of the Arabic word Hayyiz. There was one curious exception to the definition of Hayz, however. Mars, while nocturnal in sect is and was considered masculine in sex. Mars was considered to be in Hayz only when it was in a nocturnal chart, above the horizon (nocturnally placed), in a masculine (diurnal) sign. The logic of sect suggests that this is a later change from an older doctrine in which Mars should have been in a nocturnal (feminine) sign. However, this has not yet been completely proved. The opposite condition in which a planet is completely out of sect has no traditional name. However, it seems to be an important debility, especially for the malefics. Therefore I have taken the liberty of giving it a name derived from the Latin word for sect mentioned above, condicio or conditio. I prefer the second spelling of the word as it is more familiar to us through the English word 'condition' . I have simply translated the phrase ' out of sect ' into Latin as extra conditione. The pronunciation can be considered close enough if it is pronounced exactly as written except that the 'e' at the end is not silent. Whenever the English word 'condition ' by itself occurs in this text it should be understood in the conventional, general sense, not having any technical meaning with regard to sect. One last basic matter pertaining to sect has to do with the phase of the Moon. The Moon is always at its root a nocturnal planet. However, according to Julius Firmicus Maternus, it is favorable applying to diurnal planets when it is waxing and unfavorable when applying to nocturnal planets. Similarly the waning Moon is favorable when applying to nocturnal planets and unfavorable when applying to diurnal planets. There is no one place in his writing where he states this principle, but one finds examples of it all over his work. It is as if he assumes that the reader is familia r with the idea. I have found this distinction between the applications of the waxing and waning Moon to be useful in my work.
1 The 'm' at the end of the last two variants of the word may be a typographical misinterpretation . In Medieval calligraphy thc terminal 'm' and thc letter 'z' were nearly identical and easily confused.
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Examples will appear the sample charts.
Other Sect Issues In addition to the above there is another kind of placement that is sometimes related to sect It is also sometimes related to masculine and feminine. This has to do with the morning star, or matutine phase, as opposed to the evening star, or vespertine phase. It is generally held by the old astrologers that a star rising ahead of the Sun, a morning star, is either in a masculine, or a kind of diurnal, placement. Similarly a star setting after the Sun is held to be either feminine or nocturnal. This has very old roots. In Babylonian astrology, according to Knappich, a morning star Venus was considered to be a warrior goddess, whereas the evening star Venus was the very feminine goddess oflove. ' This idea is preserved in later associations with Latin version of the Greek name for the morning star Venus, Phosphoros. which in Latin is Luciferl Closely related to this is the idea that planets that rise ahead of the Sun, especially within one or two signs of the Sun, are better and more effective if they are diurnal planets. Planets that set after the Sun or Moon are better if they are nocturnal planets. However, as the doctrines relating to sect were passed to the Middle Ages, the relationship between the phase of a planet with respect to the Sun was related to the masculine and feminine sexual polarity rather than to sect, and only the three basic principles mentioned above remained connected to the diurnal-nocturnal polarity of sect.
1 Wilhelm Knappich, Die Geschichteder Astrologie, chapter 2. "The divinity most revered in the Near East was Ishtar (Phoenician Astarte), who also was reputed to be the daughter of the moon god and revealed hersclfin the shining star of Venus. Her identity as the morning and evening star was recognized in the earliest times and interpreted as a polarity. In the morning fonn she had a more masculine character and was known as lshtar of Akkad, a goddess of war. In the evening position she had a more feminine character and as Ishtar ofUruk she was the goddess of the sensual life and priestess of the gods." (Translation by the author.]
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A Sample Charl - FDR I
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II 17<' ID 55' R 12
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We present here a chart to illustrate the basic defmitions of sect. We are
1 The binh data are obtained from the Blackwell Data Base as follow s: "1882, Jan. 30 at 8:45 p.m. L.M.T. (0 I :40:56 U.T., Jan. 31) in Springwood, near Hyde Park, NY (Hyde Park: 41N48, 73W56). Binh data of the U.S. president is from father's diary entry according to The Rooseve/ts by A. Churchill (F. Muller Ltd., London, 1966)." This same infonnation is repeated in a number of other biograph ical references as well. All chans given in th is book use the Koch house system. However, this has little effeet upon the matters that we arc d iscussing in this text.
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not yet concerned with what these may mean. That will come later. The chart itself is nocturnal with the Sun in the fifth house. Therefore the diurnal planets are all out of sect in the most important of the three ways, while the nocturnal planets are all in their proper sect in the most important of the three ways. But let us take each planet and examine its situation according to sect one at a time. The Sun - The Sun is the ruler of the diurnal sect, and being below the horizon, its sect is not accord with that of the chart. It is in Aquarius, however, which is a diurnal sign. This gives back a linle of the Sun's sect dignity; it is not completely out of sect. However, Aquarius is also the sign of the Sun's detriment, so the Sun still has problems. This does not mean that FOR necessarily had problems because of his Sun; it only means that his Sun was not terribly solar. The Moon - The Moon is nocturnal as is the chart. It is above the horizon and therefore correctly placed. The Moon is in Cancer, a nocturnal sign. Therefore the Moon is completely in proper sect (or Hayz) and very powerful. It is also in Cancer, its own sign, and in the tenth house which is a powerful placement. This is an extremely strong Moon! Mercury - Mercury sets after the Sun and is an evening star, therefore it is nocturnal in this chart. Since Mercury cannot get very far from the Sun, it is unusual for Mercury to be nocturnally placed in either a diurnal or nocturnal chart. This can only happen if the arc between Mercury and the Sun straddles the horizon. An example of this would be Mercury in the first house with the Sun in twelfth (or vice versa), or Mercury in the sixth house and the Sun in the seventh (or vice versa). In FOR's chart Mercury is near the Sun and on the same side of the horizon as the Sun. Therefore Mercury is diurnally placed and is out of sect in its placement. It is also in a diurnal sign. In FOR's chart Mercury's being in sect according to the chart is neutralized by its being out of sect by sign and hemisphere placement. However, Mercury is restored to considerable power in the chart by the fact that it is emerging from the Sun's beams (greater than 16°) which the ancients believed was an extremely powerful placement. Mercury is also in its own triplicity. So while Mercury is more or less neutral in dignity by sect, it has considerable dignity from these other sources. Venus - Venus, a nocturnal planet, is in sect according to the chart, but, 10
like Mercury it is usually near the Sun. This makes it unusual for Venus to have its proper sect by placement. It does not have it here. Ln addition Venus is combust and in a diurnal sign. Venus' strength is more than neutralized; it is debilitated by the combustion. This is clearly reflected in his marital life. Mars - Mars is a nocmmal planet. It is nocturnally placed. If the Arabic astrological criteria are correct, then Mars should be in a masculine (diurnal) sign. Since Mars is in Gemini, a masculine sign, it is, according to the Arabic system, in Hayz. It is also in the tenth house, very close to the Midheaven. This makes Mars strong even though Mars has little dignity in Gemini (it is its own bounds or term according to Ptolemy's system). Mars is also trine to Mercury, its dispositor, which makes up for Mars' lack of dignity in Gemini. 1 Mars is very powerful in FOR's chart. This is very appropriate for one who was Under-secretary of the Navy at quite a young age and also the President of the U.S. during one of its most dangerous wars. Jupiter - Jupiter is a diurnal planet. It is in a nocturnal chart, nocturnally placed (above the horizon while the Sun is below) and in Taurus a nocturnal sign. Jupiter is completely Ollt of sect or extra conditione. It is also in the eighth house ruling the seventh house 2 and the fourth house. This tells us that he was likely to have at leasl a modest inheritance from his father, but signifies difficulty for his marriage. Saturn - Saturn is also a diurnal planet and has all of the same problems as Jupiter. It is nocturnally placed in a nocturnal chart in a nocturnal sign. It is also completely Ollt of sect or extra conditione. Its being square to Venus contributes further to Venus' difficulties in the chart. The outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, were nOI known to the ancients. Therefore we have no lore concerning their sect. For the present we will pass over them in ollr discllssion of planetary sect. Further on in this monograph we will do more work with sample charts, but for the moment we must tum to interpretation.
1 This is one fonn of an accidental dignity known as ' reception ', a more complex fonn of which is the familiar mutual reception. 2 We are using the traditional rulers of the signs here, so Jupiter rules Pisces.
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The Meanings of the Pla nets in Diu r nal and Noe.turnal Charts In this section we will show some examples of how various ancient writers made distinctions between the effects of planets in their own sect and those out of their own sect. In many of these writings the author seems exclusively concerned with the sect of the chart and not very much with the sect of the sign or placement. The grading of planets in sect into a system of being in or out of sect in varying degrees seems to have developed a bit later, but we do see most of it already in place by the time of Vettius Valens' Anthology, Book Ill , and repeated in Antiochus of Athens late 3rd Century C.E.I But in the passages that I will be quoting from Ptolemy, Julius Finnicus Matemus, the Liber Hermetis, and Paulus Alexandrinus a planet being in or out of sect will refer only to the planet's sect being in accord with the chart. Example I -
Matemus, Book III, 2.
By day Saturn located with respect to place in the Horoscope, that is, if [Saturn is] in that part in which the Horoscope is, causes one 10 come forth from the birth with a great cry. He who is born, moreover, will be the elder of all of the brOlhers, or, if one shall have been born before him, he is separated from the parents. Always, however, by day this god in all of the four angles wi ll make those who are born the firsl·born, or the first to be nourished or [it deslroys] Z those brothers who will have been born before him. [Saturn in this position] makes them inflated and lifted up in the spirit of pride. But if, when Saturn is located in the Horoscope by day, Mars possesses another angle in the geniture, it signifies the advent of many evils. For it will make the greatest dangers and the destruction of the patrimony; frequently in fact, if no benevolent star joins itself to these by a strong ray, located in a good place in the geniture, and if Mars accepts the rays of the waxing Moon, it makes a violent death. If however by night Saturn is placed in the region of the Horoscope, that individual who has it thus is hindered by the grcatcst weariness and is always pressed down wilh great labor. For some it will give a profession
The relevant passages are qUOIed below. See page 19. There is a lacuna which probably contained the verb. However, this combination is found in many works and always wi th [he proviso that elder brothers die before the native. Hence this is a very likel y reconstruction . I
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concerning water, however in slich a way that they are always worn down with laboriolls usages. In this example the sect of the chart and its effect on the planets is illustrated in several ways. But first of all we must remember these few points: I) Saturn is a diurnal planet. 2) Mars is nocturnal. 3) The waxing Moon is malefic when applying to a nocturnal planet. First of aU, we must note that Saturn in the first house is quite positive if the chart is diurnal. If Saturn is not afflicted in this house, it means that the native will most likely be the one to inherit the father's estate (assuming a patrilineal system with primogeniture). Notice also that Saturn seems to make the native arrogant, a quality not often associated with Saturn in modem literature. However, Saturn in this position does frequently confer a quality of self-righteousness that could easily be seen as arrogance. Mars' affliction of Saturn from an angle undoes all of the good things of the diwnal, first house Saturn not merely because Saturn and Mars are naturally hostile to each other, but because Mars is nocturnal and out of sect in a diurnal chart. In fact any combination between Mars and Saturn must take place with one of them out of sect. Ancient astrology does not merely assert that Mars and Saturn are hostile, it explains why. When we add the waxing Moon to the combination of a diurnal Saturn afflicted by a nocturnal Mars in a diurnal chart, matters get worse. The Moon is of course a nocturnal planet, but the waxing Moon is somewhat diurnal and, therefore, does not make good combinations with nocturnal planets (in this case Mars), especially a malefic. The combination is sufficiently bad according to Maternus to indicate violent death. It is probable that if the waning Moon made the application to Mars, the violent death indication would be contradicted.
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Example 2 -
Maternus, Book Ill, 4.
Ifhowever the Horoscope [Ascendant) is placed by night in the domicile of Mars, namely in his masculine sign, I and Mars is found in that same sign, that is, the Horoscope, and Jupiter is with him with respect to place in that same sign or looks back at him with a finn ray, he makes leaders of wars to whom all of the anny will be entrusted, lords oflife and death, and of whose app roach cities and the greatest provinces will always have a horror; lucky, strong, serious men, whose wrath is ever brought forth by great provocations. But placed thus, Mars permits him to love nei ther a wife nor children wit h lovi ng affection. By day however if Mars in respect to its location is found in the Horoscope, it makes men hot-tempered, rash, furious, and wandering, and always unstable in everything, and those who, whatever they dare, can complete nothing according to plan, but always whatever they have obtained nows away from their hands; the inheritances of those who have Mars thus situated are dispersed. But also they lose the substance of life, even wives and children, and nothing is saved either for them or by them from their paternal substance, and they lose these thi ngs at the earliest age. But if Jupiter looks back at Mars thus positioned by day, himself located in his own domicile, or in his own exaltation, or in his own tenns, with a trinal ray, or if with respett to location, he is with him,l the evil of this placement is mitigated to some extent. But [myselfknow,Just as I have found in many genitures, that many persons with Mars located in the Horoscope, who have been exiled, right ly and actively guided the state. )
Mars is a nocturnal planet. Therefore it works better in a nocturnal chart. In this passage we have Mars aspected by Jupiter in both the nocturnal and diurnal chart, but in the nocturnal chart it shows a great, if fe arsome, military person, while in the diurnal chart it makes a general fai lure. Even a Jupiter aspect to a diurnal Mars only improves things somewhat, with the likelihood of misfortune even when one does well.
In other words in Aries not Scorpio. That is Jupiter can be with Mars or trine to Mars. Bram misses this completely omitting to translate the phrase, "aul si cum ipso partiliter juerit." l It is not clear in the Latin whether the exile precedes or follows their management of the state. I
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Example 3 -
Matemus, Book III, 6
In respe<:t to location Venus placed in the region of the Horoscope, if by night she is in this place, will make men of divine intelligence, and renders [them) friends of emperors and powerful men, and those to whom the business of emperors and great men may be entrusted, [t also makes the greatest orators and good men, according to the nature and qual ity of the signs. For if in respect to location she is in the Horoscope in human signs, she will make princes of the priesthood and those who themselves are dressed in purple and gold priestly vestments, and who predict the future_ Moreover she will make a graceful, channing, wealthy man, ifno malevolent star presents itself by some power of its rays to Venus so placed. lfhowever in respect to location she is found in a diurnal genilure, in the Horoscope she makes notorious, libidinous, and impure men; they will also be linen-weavers, or embroiderers, discoverers of tints, dyers, innkeepers or tavern-keepers. Venus is a nocturnal planet. However, recall the Babylonian sources in which the morning star and evening star Venuses are qu ite difTerent, the morning star Venus being the warrior goddess aspect of ishtar, with the evening star Venus the love goddess aspect of Ishtar. This distinction survives in the diurnal and nocturnal Venus c haracteristics l described by Maternus in the passages above. In other passages from Matemus a diurnal Venus amicted indicates all manner of sexual deviations, perversions and degene racy. Example 4 -
Matemus, Book III, 13
The Moon located in the tenth house from the Horoscope, that is, the Midheaven, if with respect to place she is found in a nocturnal geniture, in this house in those signs in which she is exalted or in which she rejoices, increasing in light, and Jupiter protects her with advantageous rays, will make the greatest emperors and powerful administrators, to whom is entrusted the power of life and death with good reason; when she is placed thus, she also gives consuls elected regularly each year. If however she precedes or follows the region of the Midheavcn, and is placed in the house
1 The reader should recall that a morning star placement is like a diurnal placemcnt, whcreas an evening star placement is like a nocturnal placement.
15
next to it or in the nearby regions, she will bring about tribunal leaders and administrators; genemlly however, if she is located in the same sign in which is the Midheaven, she renders persons great in all professions and adorned with varied kinds of happiness. Ifhowever the Moon, when she is so placed is carried toward Saturn, or Saturn possesses an angle in the gcniture, decrees hatreds and unhappiness with repeated cause. By day however the Moon, when placed in the Midheavcn, will make persons who are middling in life in every profession and those who are accustomed to be deceived often. lfhowever when the Moon is placed in this manner, the Sun is found with respect to his location in the Horoscope in his own domicile or in his own exaltation or in the domicile of Jupiter, he will make great administrators of the largest provinces or the largest cities, proconsuls, but inspiring fear in their administration; but if, when the Moon and the Sun are thus located (to wit, the Sun in the Horoscope in the signs about which we have spoken, the Moon in the Midheaven) it protects both equally or one of the two with a prospering my, it will make emperors very potent in [creating] happiness and justice and those whom everyone acknowledges with the trembling offear. The Moon of course is nocturnal. Notice the contrast between a tenth house Moon by night and one by day. The nocturnal placement COnfers power on its own without requiring assistance from anmher planet. But the diurnal Moon has little power unless assisted by the Sun or Jupiter, both of which a re diurnal. However, unlike Mars, the Moon is not malefic in a diurnal chart, merely less effective. Example 5 -
Liber Hennetis, Chapler XXVI
The Sun in the Ascendant, not made unfortunate, in a diurnal nativity, especially in his own house or triplicity or exaltation, shows the native born ofa noble father and the nalive in his own country, glorified wi th riches and possessions. Many kings have been made cosmocrators, i.e., those holding the world, or regents, but some are made dukes or presidents. But if Mars shall be present, or altain the M.e., or be in the opposition of it, or in the west, and aspect [the Ascendant], they will hold [their] kingdoms or [thcir] populations with treacheries and conflicts and dangers. But if the Sun is in Libra in the Ascendant, or in some other sign alien to him, in no way does it signify the noble birth of the father, nor does his fortune [look at Latin?] have beauty of this kind; but minor good things do happen. Bu! at night, the Sun being in the Ascendant shows that the native is of
16
a poor father, either ignoblc or one expelled [from his homeland] , or asia e, or th at hc destroys his paternal house; but someti mes [it shows] the orphanhood from the father, and it makes the life of the native laborious and without glory. Especially if an evil [planet] should aspect from an angle, it makes the evil double, and the father dies before the native, and, regarding his offspring, it makes a signification of sorrows and deaths.
Here we have two delineations of the Sun in the first house, one for diurnal charts and one for nocturnal charts. How can the Sun be in the first house and above the horizon (i.e., diurnal)? The Liber Herrnetis, like many ancient works, uses whole sign houses, in which the first house extends from 0° to 30° of the rising sign and the other houses are counted similarly. Therefore the Sun may be either above or below the Ascendant in the first house . In fact, in modem astrology many astrologers begin the first house above the Ascendant by something on the order of 5°, so that even in modem astrology a first house Sun can be above the horizon. In the case of the diurnal Sun the reader should notice the degree to which an aspect from Mars in an angular house can mitigate the good significations of the Sun. Remember that Mars is nocturnal and is more malefic when in a diurnal chart. Of course a diurnal Sun means that the chart is diurnal. The nocturnal Sun in the fust house loses almost all of its power according to the Liber Herrnetis. Obviously this is not in accord with the modem experience of a fust house Sun, but the reader should observe the nature of the effect of a nocturnal placement on the Sun, not necessarily the severity of the effect as described here. Ancient descriptions of effects often seem designed more to illustrate the principle of a combination by exaggeration than to present an actual and probable manifestation. At the very least, it is clear that the extreme delineations cannot be expected to manifest unless there is ample reinforcement in the chart, in other words, unless the chart itself is extreme. Example 6 -
Libel' Hermetis, Chapter XXXI
The Sun conjunct Mars at night, in its own signs or in a violent [sign], shows that the native and those born are violent, thoughtless, daring, hot, dangerous, of short life, and of violent death . But in the day the evils are made worse.
Here we see the effect of sect upon a conjunction of two planets of 17
different sect, the Sun being diurnal and Mars nocturnal. Neither conjunction is very benefic, but the Sun's debility by sect at night is not as severe in its effect upon the Sun as the debility of Mars by sect is upon Mars in the day. Here again we see how much worse Mars is supposed to be when it is out of sect. The Sun is only weakened when out of sect. Mars is made much more malefic when it is out of sect. Example 7 -
Paulus Alexandrinus, Chapter 24
[The following text refers to planets in the fourth house.] When Kronos [Saturn] is truly of its sect in this place, it indicates those who become rich and possessors of property from middle age; and sometimes it becomes the bestower of windfalls. But whenever Kronos is out of its sect, it bestows all bad things. At night, it diminishes one's patrimony and estranges from the father, or it makes for orphanhood, indicates that youth will be sickly, and contributes to ill-repute. When the star of Ares [Mars] happens to be upon this place in the day, it produces those who are sickly and have the falling sickness. At night, it will make for less sluggishness, and sometimes it will even bring the native into military service; except it afflicts the determination concerning nuptials and children, and makes those who are more often wronged and treated altogether ungratefully by women.
Here again we see the effect of sect on the malefics. Saturn in the fourth in a diurnal chart is quite positive, but almost completely negative in nocturnal chart. Similarly Mars in the fourth is almost wholly negative in the diurnal chart and somewhat positive in the nocturnal. However, in both of these examples, and also in most of the other examples, all we see is the sect of the placement as determined by the chart itself, that is, the chart is diurnal or nocturnal. We do not see here any reference to the sect of the placement, or the sect of the sign as mitigating or supporting the results of the sect of the chart. However, we do have ample evidence that these two other aspects of sect were taken into consideration in ancient times. First of all we have the word 'truly' in the passage above, which suggests that the best result may require more than the sect of the chart being correct. It may mean that the sign should also be of the proper sect. The sect of the placement however cannot be an issue with these because Saturn cannot be diurnally placed in the fourth house in a diurnal chart and Mars cannot be nocturnally placed in a nocturnal chart in the fourth house. 18
l l l l l
l
As evidence of the importance of nocturnal and diurnal placement we have the following passages. The fi rst is from Valens' Anthology, Book III, chapter 5, circa 175 CE. It is also necessary to consider the sect of the stars; for the Sun , Zeus, and Kronos rejoice when they are above the earth during the day, below the earth al night. But the Moon, Ares, and Aphrodite rejoice when they arc above the earth at night, and below the earth during the day. Hermes goes with the sect of the ruler in whose bounds illie5. 1 Whence, farthase who are born by day, ifsomconc should be found to have Zeus, the Sun, and Kronos well-figu red above the earth, it will be better than having them beneath the earth. Similarly also for the nocturnal planets, if someone should have them above the eanh [at night], il will be expedient. Aphrodite rejoices morc when it is marking the hour or culminating, and thc remaining stars rejoice when marking the hour or setting. l The second passage is from Antiochus of Athens, Chapler 44 (circa 250
C.E.). And during the day the diurnal planets rejoice when they are above the earth, while the nocturnal planets rejoice when they arc bclowthe earth. And again, during the night, the nocturnal planets rejoice when they are above the earth, while the diurnal planets rejoice when they arc below the earth. Example 8 -
Paulus Alexandrinus, Chapter 24
The twelfth widion [sign] from the H6rosiwpos [Ascendant] ,which is the true place of Kronos [Saturn], is called Evil Divinity and pre-ascension of the l/orosiwpos. When the star of Kronos occupies a masculine w idion for a diurnal birth, it alone rejoices in this place. And it will always make those who prevail over their enemies and oppress them, and those who arc proudly
1 The more common rule stated mostly in later sources is that Hermes is diurnal when it rises before the Sun as a morning star, and nocturnal when it sets after the Sun as an evening star. However the principle stated here is consistent with the general principle that Mercury, having no real qualities of its own, takes on the character of whatever it is connected to. l This is condition of sect detennination that we have not seen elsewhere up to this time.
19
confident in the ir own work. For, it shows regional governors, magistrates, those who perform great deeds, and those who dictate manners. This place gives signs for the determination that concerns sufferings, childbirth, enemies, male slaves, and quadrupeds. This example is interesting because a placement that might otherwise seem to be completely negative is salvaged by the correctness of sect placement. Also we see here the sect of the sign, because a masculine sign is also a diurnal sign. Saturn in this example is completely in sect. It is diurnally placed in a diurnal chart in a diurnal sign. It is in its Hayz. Presumably Saturn in Aquarius would be the best of all in this placement. Example 9 -
Various Aphorisms from Renaissance sources.
Gauricus, chapter 20. Saturn in is own house by day grants the friendship of nobles and great men of wealth, And especially in the Ascendant with the Part of Fortune, it makes serious men, wise, proud and melancholic, and he will be the first born or will be the more noble among the brothers. But by night, he gives many infirmities and labors. Gauricus, chapter 20. The Sun in the house of Sa tum by day signifies that the native will be perfect in all of his works. And by night he wil! be unstable. Gauricus chapter 20. The Sun in his own [sign] in an angle or a succedent house by day makes a king or a great prince, or he wil! be a most powerful rich man of strong body and he will have riches not planned, and he wil! have good fortune on journeys. But by night, it signifies grief [for the native] , and the quick death of the father. Schoener, Book IV, Canon VI. For if a fixed star is in the Ascendant, or the tenth, or the seventh, or with the Sun by day or the Moon by night, or with the Part of Fortune, because in these places it has the greatest influence, even if you find a fixed star on the cusp of other houses, say that the accident will be of that naturc, the infl uence of which is of that house. All of these serve to illustrate the fact that the sect of the planets was not
20
unknown in the Renaissance. However for the most part the survival of the sect doctrine takes two forms. In most writers sect survives as a minor accidental dignity as in the doctrine of Hayz, which we see in Schoener's 0pusclIlum Astrologicum. One does not see the basic principle of sect, that diurnal and nocturnal charts are to be read quite differently. In Gauricus we see the survival of the sect doctrine in particular aphorisms which involve the sect of the planets and in which the effect of sect is taken into consideration on a practical level, but the theoretical foundation appears to have been lost. In later works, about all one sees are occasional references to Hayz, and the acknowledgement without commentary or elucidation that all of the planets and signs are diurnal or nocturnal.
General Natures of the Planets According to Sect In this section I will attempt on the basis of what we already know to give the reader a summary of the effect on each planet of its being in or out of sect. The principles discussed here are still tentative and should be taken by the reader only as guidelines for his or her own research. However, having said this, it is clear that we are beginning to have some real idea of the importance of sect and how it affects planets. Saturn - Saturn, like Mars, is one of the planets for which the correctness of sect placement is most important. Saturn in a diurnal chart or diurnally placed in a chart with all other things being equal produces the best qualities of Saturn, discipline, order, and respect. It is even capable of indicating great success and social standing. In no way did the ancient writers consider such a Saturn to be unlucky. It is not in any real sense a malefic. This of course assumes that Saturn is not itself afflicted or essentially debilitated. The following passage from Antiochus, Part I, chapter 2 demonstrates this. But concerning the benefics and malefics. they said that they arc "so-hcld," {i.e., the terms are conventions only] since when the malefics arc well situated in phase, sect, and place for a certain birth, they often magnify the fortunes; while if the benefics are badly situated. they hinder them. However. Saturn in a nocturnal chart, or nocturnally placed is another matter entirely. This is the truly malefic Saturn according to the ancients. It is intrinsically unlucky and malevolent, producing doom and disaster 21
quite gratuitously. To the ancients such a Saturn was not merely the result ofthe native's ··not handling the energy properly." II was intrinsically and inevitably evil, or at least so it seems at first reading. However we must also remember that to the ancients, at least as exemplified in the Hermetic writings and in Vettius Valens, Saturn's malefic quality was ignorance or agnoia which led toanangkeor necessity. We also have to remember that the principle of day is light, and light is consciousness itself or nous, the first principle of the Sun. It may be that the theoretical principle involved in all of this is that Sarurn in the daytime is most completely illuminated, and therefore its workings are capable of being made conscious. This would eliminate the negative effect of Saturn, that the individual is fated because he or she is unconscious of how matters really are. This is especially interesting in view of the modern astrological observation that saturnine types often believe thai they are the only "realists." What kind of "reality" are they being realistic about? The nocturnal Saturn, according to this principle, had nothing to aid the native in overcoming agnoia and anangke. Consequently the native was doomed to live out his fate unknowing that necessity was an illusion. Also we have Ptolemy's statement in Book I, "Whence, since the star of Kronos is productive of cold, they apportioned it to the heat of day." So both Ihe heat and light of day are beneficial to Saturn.
Jupiter - In the case of Jupiter we fmd a problem that is obviously as old as astrology. Astrologers are much more eloquent describing difficulty than success. What we find about Jupiter is that, being a diurnal planet, it works better in a diurnal chart than in a nocturnal chart, but the details are not all that well worked out. But in general Jupiter in a diurnal chart or diurnally placed within a chart with all other things being equal produces the best manifestations of Jupiter, success, power, wealth, elc. But if a malefic aspects a diurnal Jupiter, its benefits are reduced somewhat I but not eliminated. So we learn thai a diurnal Jupiter is quite capable of withstanding some affliction. Based on the principle that we discussed above, that daylight is a symbol of consciousness, we would expect Jupiter to be diurnal because it too is a symbol of knowledge and awareness. II is hard to read a book in the dark! Therefore, we would expect Jupiter at night to be less effective. Jupiter in a nocturnal chart or placed noctllrnolly does not
I
22
See Matcmus, Book III , 3.
totally lose its efficacy according to the ancient writers. But it does lose the ability to withstand an affliction by a malefic. When Jupiter is out of sect and afflicted, almost all of its villUe is lost, according to the ancients. The mechanism of this is not clear. According to modem notions of astrology an afflicted, nocturnal Jupiter might lose its power because in some way the effect of Jupiter is softened. Recall that Jupiter is traditionally considered to be a wann and moist planet. The heal provides its active and somewhat assertive nature. But at night the moisture would be emphasized. This is not especially bad, in that the native's ability to exhibit compassionate understanding is increased. However, Jupiter would have less energy (wannth) to assert itself against a malefic. Its increased sensitivity might actually make even it take on the quality of the malefic to some extent. Also if Jupiter is a planet of conscious knowledge and awareness, and a nocturnal placement tends to diminish this, then the moistness, its compassion and sensitivity, would tend to operate without forethought. A nocturnal Jupiter would be more like Pisces and a diurnal one like Sagittarius. We have no actual evidence of this from the ancient writers because they did not usually describe planetary placements in terms of psychological traits. However this could be the underlying mechanism. This might be the symbolic origin of the Pisces wanting to save everyone and everything when it does not have the power.
Mars - The effect of Mars is also heavily dependent upon its placement by sect. Mars in a diurnal chart or diurnally placed in a chart operates in the worst possible way, assuming that there is not something to mitigate its action. One might expect that light, being consciousness, would improve any energy, even Mars. But all things in the cosmos must have their due according to the ancients. There are things in the world that are not of the nature of nous and this does not make them evil. It is simply the way things are. It would seem, reading between the lines, that no amount of light can really illuminate Mars. It is a raw, instinctual energy that is never really conscious. All that one can hope for of Mars is that it is restrained by a sense of compassion or feeling. The daytime is hot and dry. So is Mars. The daylight only makes Mars more active and less feeling. The perfectly diurnal Mars is one that is ferociously active, but has its feelings completely in check so that it can with perfect discipline and order create mayhem It is therefore unlucky and unfollUnate. But Mars in a nocturnal chart or nocturnally placed is another matter. As Ptolemy says, "But since the star of Ares [Mars] is dry, they
23
apportioned it to the moisture of the night." Here we see what the virtue of the night is. The day may be consciousness, but the night is moist, i.e. , connecting, feeling, sensing, and nurturing. The moisture of the night cools Mars down and connects it. The nocturnal Mars is not a wholly benevolent energy, but it more often manifests, according to the ancients, as a defensive, sustaining energy, fo r example, the military man who is not interested in attacking other nations, but only desires to see to the safety of his own people and nation. In general we will see that the nocturnal planets are those whose vinue relies on feelings of connectedness, relatedness, support, and nurture, in other words, moisture. Mars may seem strange in the company of Venus and the Moon, but it does belong with them, not because it is like them, but because, like them, it is at its best when it subject to positive, nurturing energies. The Sun ~ The Sun is nOllS itself, or at least its visible representative in the physical world. It is the diurnal principle. Therefore one would expect it to be at its best when it is above the horizon. Also the Sun is the only planet for which being in a diurnal chart and being diurnally placed are the same thing. Unlike the other planets the Sun cannot be diurnally placed in a nocturnal chart because its position defines whether the chart is diurnal or nocturnal. When the Sun is diurnally placed in the chart above the horizon it has its maximum power, assuming of course that it is not in the eighth or twelfth houses. This should not be a surprise to modern astrologers. Modem sources indicate that the Sun is much more powerful above the horizon. But the most modem view is that the Sun is not as weak below the horizon as tradition would seem to say. However the apparent conflict between modern astrology and tradition may be more apparent than real. When something is judged to be weak, we have to ask in what way is it weak? Is it lacking in effect; does it work strongly but badly; or does it work strongly but in such a way as to endanger the native? These are three quite different sets of criteria all of which have been used as the basis for a judgmem of "badness" by astrologers of various epochs. Also what is "bad" from the poim of view of an mdividual planet may be quite useful fTOm the point of view of the chart as a whole. When the SlIn is nocturnally placed ill a chart, we do not know for certain which criteria of "badness" are most applicable to a Sun below the horizon, but it would seem that it is most probable that such a placement would interfere with the most characteristic features of the Sun, its tendency toward show, the desire to achieve dominance in the outer
24
..
•
~
1 1
J
-
_
.
---
world, and so forth. However, as nous, the Sun below the horizon ought logically to be very useful in illuminating the inner life of the native. Certainly the most important effect of the placement of the Sun is III establishing whether the chart itself is diurnal or nocturnal. Venus - It is not actually clear that Venus in a diurnal chart is all that difficult intrinsically. It seems more a maner of the ancient writers thinking that the diurnal Venus behaved in a manner that was not appropriate to Venus (or to women either for that matter, at least from the point of view of the ancients). However, for the moment we should look at this from the ancient point of view while keeping in mind thai this probably has to be modified according to our point of view. When Venus is in a diurnal chart or diurnally placed in a chart, it indicates a rather strong kind of feminine sexuality which in a traditional patriarchal society would incline a female native toward immorality and lascivious behavior, (I must say that however sound the logic of this may seem from the ancient point of view, J have not seen this born out in practice.) In modem times I would expect the diurnal Venus in a woman's chart to indicate a woman who would have difficulty accepting the traditional female role either in society or in sexual relationships. However, as these expectations are no longer actually that widely expected, such a Venus would not be a serious barrier toward successful relationships. In the chart of a male native the ancients would have expected a diurnal Venus to indicate one who was soft, effeminate and prone toward sexual deviation. From a modem point of view, I would expect a diurnal Venus in male nativity to indicate a preference for strong and assertive women. Venus in a nocturnal chart or nocturnally placed in a chart would be the more traditional Venus, soft, feminine, etc. A woman with such a placement would be such a woman. A male with such a Venus would have a preference for such women. However, it is clear from the ancient writings that Venus is not especial ly difficult when it is out of sect. This could be due to the fact that Venus is the most diurnal of the nocturnal planets, in the Iisl just below Mercury which can be either diurnal or nocturnal.
Mercury - Mercury can be either diurnal or nocturnal as indicated previously. However, we do not have any examples of delineations that clearly distinguish between the diurnal and nocturnal placements of
25
[ercury. Everything that we say here is somewhat conjectural and not deri ved from actual experience or ancient sources. However, having said this, there is a distinction that might be derived from Paulus and other sources. For this star, having been allotted a common nature, seems to be good with the benefic stars and mean with the destructive ones. This quotation from the Paulus translation by Robert Schmidt also contains a footnote to the word 'mean' which I append below. We would expect the word 'bad' (kakos) here in opposition to 'good' (agathos). It is significant that Paulus shifts to pilau/os, which means 'common ' in the sense of ' vulgar' or ' base. ' This makes us consider the word 'good ' all over again. In the Platon ic tradition, the One itself, which is the principle of sameness and commonality, is identified with the idea of the Good. Thus, the common nature of Hermes may manifest in two ways, depending upon whether it is configured with benefics or malefics. With benefics it is common in the good sense of unity; with malefics it is common in the debased or promiscuous sense of common to all. Thus for Paulus at least, Hermes does not merely take on the benefic or malefic character of the other planets, as seems to be the case in modem astrology. It is not just neutral. Its common character is not in relation to the other planets, but lies in its very nature. Compare the Latin words communis from which comes our 'common' as opposed to vulgaris from which comes our 'vulgar.' While we do not have any examples from our texts as yet, it is reasonable to expect that Mercury out of sect might tend toward the phaulos forms of manifestation. However the lack of references to Mercury either being in or out of sect suggests that Mercury, true to its common nature, is not strongly effected one way or another by being in or out of sect.
The Moon - The Moon is the most nocturnal of all bodies, being the leader of the nocturnal (also called lunar) sect. The examples from the ancient writings suggest that when the Moon is placed properly according to its sect, it is as strong as the Sun in a diurnal nativity. However, the Moon placed out of sect seems to be either quite weak or a source of difficulty. The Moon is an instance where we can find either a quantitative or qualitative effect from its sect situation. 26
l
l l
l
The Moon in Q diurnal chart or diurnally placed in a chart is at a severe disadvantage. This is born out by experience. Even when it is strongly placed by house, those aspects of the native's chart that arc connected to the Moon are a source of difficulty. For example, the Moon
in the tenth house in a diurnal chart, a diurnal placement in a diurnal chart, may indicate difficulty with female persons in the pursuit of one's career. It may also indicate some problem with the mother. The examples from the ancients given above also suggest that such a Moon is less able to withstand impediments from various sources. The Moon in a nocturnal chart or nocturnally placed in a chart is a
strong Moon. Whatever the Moon signifies in a chart is a source of strength for the native assuming that the Moon is not severely impeded. The Moon in Hayz in the tenth has been observed to signify a very strong mother, and the native has considerable professional success ifthe Moon is not impeded. However, the style of such a Moon is quite different from the Sun. The Sun, when it indicates success, does so by means of the native's own personal strength and ego. However, a strong Moon of this kind indicates an individual who succeeds by embodying the aspirations of others and serving their needs.
Other Manirestations or Sect In this section I would like to present the reader with other parts of chart analysis, besides the ones described above, in which there are distinctions made between diurnal and nocturnal charts. The materials contained in this section should give the reader some idea of how important a principle sect is.
Triplicities and Triplicity Rulerships - The four niplicities have traditionally been considered to be ruled by two or more planets that have the highest d ignities in them and are also of the same sect. This is the system advocated by Venius Valens, Dorotheus of Sidon and others in the ancient world, and by most of the Arab Era writers, and Guido Bonatti. These triplicity rulerships are derived as follows: In the fire niplicity the sign rulers are Mars, the Sun and Jupiter. The only exaltation ruler in this triplicity is the Sun. Fire is of the diurnal sect. Of the aforementioned rulers the Sun and Jupiter are diurnal; Mars is nocturnal. Therefore Mars cannot be a triplicity ruler in fire. Of the two remaining potential rulers the Sun is the more d iurnal, therefore it is 27
assigned the rulership of the fire triplicity for diurnal charts while Jupiter becomes the nocturnal ruler. Saturn has no dignity in fire , but it is diurnal. Therefore Saturn becomes the third ruler of fire, having an equal share in the rulership of [lie by day and by night but always in a subordinate position to the Sun by day and Jupiter by night. So [lie always has these rulers in this order; by day S~ Jupiter, Saturn; by night Jupiter, Sun, Saturn. In the earth triplicity the sign rulers are Venus, Mercury and Saturn. The exaltation rulers are the Moon, Mercury and Mars. Of these Venus, the Moon and Mars are of the proper, nocturnal sect. Mercury, as we know, can be of either sect, but it is usually considered to be somewhat more diurnal than nocturnal. Saturn is clearly diurnal and could not be taken as a triplicity ruler of a nocturnal triplicity. This leaves Venus, the Moon, and Mars. Of these Venus is the most diurnal and is given the diurnal rulership of the earth triplicity. The Moon is given the nocturnal rulers hip and Mars the common rulership. Thus in the day the earth triplicity is ruled [list by Venus, then the Moon, and last Mars. By night earth is ruled by the Moon, then Venus, last Mars. In the air triplicity the sign rulers are Mercury, Venus, and Saturn. The only exaltation ruler is Saturn. Saturn is the most diurnal of these and is given the diurnal rulership of the air triplicity. Mercury is given the nocturnal rulership. Venus has to be rejected because it is nocturnal and air is diurnal. The only remaining diurnal planets are the Sun and Jupiter. The logic of the final assignment is not entirely clear, but the common rulership of air is given to Jupiter. We do not know for certain, but this may be due to the fact that Jupiter was the air planet par excellence. The Sun was considered to be too much of the nature of fire. In the water triplicity the sign rulers are the Moon, Mars and Jupiter. The exaltation rulers are Jupiter and Venus. Of these Jupiter has to be rejected because it is diurnal, whereas water is nocturnal. Venus being the most diurnal of these becomes the diurnal ruler of the water triplicity. Mars is given the nocturnal rulership, even though the Moon is the most nocturnal of the three. For reasons that are not completely clear the Moon is the common ruler. Water, therefore, has exactly the same triplicity rulers as the earth triplicity, but in a different order. In fact the reason for the order of the rulers in water being different from those of earth may be only to differentiate the two triplicities, just as [lie and air are differentiated by having different planets. Ptolemy presents a slightly different system. His system has two rulers instead of three, but they are still assigned according to whether the
28
l l l
chart is diurnal or nocturnal. Except fo r water, Ptolemy's triplicity rulers are the same as the three ruler system, however the common rulers are omilted. In water Ptolemy gives rulership of the rriplicity both day and
night to Mars, although he grants Venus and the Moon a share. The following table summarizes the two systems. Three-Ruler System
Element
Day
Fire Earth
0 ~
Air
~
Water
~
Night
Ptolemy
,
Com.
Day
Night
~
,
a'
~
}
~
,
0
}
~
~
a'
}
a'
a'
The Ptolemaic triplicity system was employed by Lilly and the other English writers of the 17th Century. In that system the triplicity is simply an essential dignity used to establish the strength of a planet in its own position, and to establish rulerships of planets over house cusps and other planets. However, the three rulership system has a much more important role in reading the chart, one where sect is of great importance. And this role is one that dates from the earliest texts in astrology. The following passage is from Venius Valens, Book II. Now, for those who are born by day, it will be necessary to consider in what trigon the Sun is found, and the ruler of this trigon by preeminence, 1
1 The first ruler of the triplicity, the diurnal ruler in the dayor the nocturnal ruler in the night.
29
and the co-workerofthis trigon, I whether they are upon a pivot point [angle] althat time, or post-ascensional [suceedent] or declining [cadent], rising or setting or in their own dJidia, and whether they are witnessed by benefics or malefics, and to make the declaration accordingly_ For if they should be marking the hour or culminating, or should be found upon another of the advantageous dJidia, they will show beforehand nativities that are fortunate and bright. And if they should be found in the post-ascensions, they will show them to be middling. But ifin the declines, depressed and unfortunate. We also need to look at how the Sun is situated and by what stars it is witnessed. And for those born at night, it will be necessary to consider the Moon in a similar fashion , and the ruler by preeminence of its trigon, and the common ruler of\his trigon, with regard to ho w they have been figurated, just as we have set out above. For if the ruler by preeminence by day or by night should fall amiss upon the badly situated ztjidia, while the ruler by proxy! should be found upon a pivot point and well figured, then after the native has had his ups and downs in his early years until the ascension of the ztjidio,,' or until the return of the circular period,S he will later be active, except that he will spend his life without stability and in fear. But if the principal ruler should fall well, while the fo llowing ruler should fall amiss, then after having been carried forth well in his early years, he will later be reduced from the time of the ascension of the dJidion in which the following ruler has fallen amiss. We
I The second ruler of the triplicity, the diurnal ruler in the night, or the nocturnal ruler in the daytime. 1 In the first house. l The second ruler. 4 The number of years that corresponds to the ascensional time of the sign. As each sign rises a certain number of degrees of right ascension pass over the meridian. In signs oflong ascension this will be greaterthan 30°, in signs of short ascension less than 30° in the northern hemisphere. The precise number ofdegrces depends upon the latitude. Whatever this number degrees may be, one year is given for each degree. This is the ascension of the sign expressed as time. S We cannot be completely confident of this interpretation, however this seems to be its meaning based on the methods used in the sample charts given by Valens. He routinely computes periods in two ways. First he will use the minor orother period of the planet that rules a particular dJidion. Often in sample chans the period will either eome from a planet, or from the sign it rules, [as in the previous note) but that introduces ambiguity into the situation in that most planets rule two dJidia.
30
will e"plain how to judge the times more precisely at the proper moment. And if both should fall well, the circumstances of good fortune will persist and he will become estimable (unless a malefic should have opposed it or should have a superior position), nor will the circumstances of the nativity reverse_ But every star, when it has the rulership and is actually in d~hne, will b~ome an impediment and a despoiler. For, it makes those who arc subordinate to others, those who have ups and downs or those who arc reduced in reputation, those who encounter injury and suffering and accusations or want of livelihood. If, then, for those born in the day, the Sun should be found in Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, it is better for it to be upon a pivot point. Ifits co-sectarians' should likewise be found upon the post-ascensional places, while Ares is not opposing or squaring, it will bejudged indicative of good fortune_ If they should be the reverse, impediments will result. And if the Sun should be found byday in Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn, it will be necessary to seek fo r the star of Aphrodite in the first place, and for the Moon in the second, and for Arcs in the third, how they arc figured and what they arc witnessed by_ Simi larly also, when the Sun is found by day in the following trigon-Gemini, Li bra, Aquarius-it will be necessary to consider the star of Kronos and that of Henncs and that of Zeus_In the same way also, when the Sun is by day upon Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, it will be necessary to consider whether the star of Aphrodite and that of Arcs and the Moon are upon pivot points, and in this way to show the decisive one. Also, in the same accou nt it behooves us to consider the Moon by night. Here is a second passage from Guido Bonan i, Second Tractatus which describes the same me thod. The lord of the tri plicity of the [natal] Ascendant or of the question universally disposes the life of the native or the querent according to three divisions from the beginning ofthe native's life all the way to the end of his natural life. The firs t lord of the triplicity of the Asce ndant of the nativity disposes the fi rst one-third part of the native's life. The second disposes the s~ond one-third part of his life and the third disposes the third [one-third] part of the native's life all the way to the end of life. The life time is of the na tive is treated as being divided into three portions.
, Other planets of the same sect.
31
The first period is ruled by the diurnal triplicity ruler of the Sun's triplicity in diurnal charts, and the nocturnal triplicity of the Moon's triplicity in nocturnal charts. The second period is ruled by the nocturnal triplicity ruler of the Sun's triplicity in a diurnal chart or the diurnal triplicity ruler of the Moon's triplicity in a nocturnal chart. The third period is ruled by the third or participating ruler. According to Bonatti each period is 30 years corresponding to the lesser years of Saturn. I The passage quoted above from Valens indicates that the length of each third of life depends upon either the lesser years of the particular triplicity ruler in effect in that period or upon the ascensional time of the s ign occupied by that ruler. At this point we do not know how Valens determined which of these should be used.
I Each planet has periods associated with it, a lesser, a mean, and a greater period . The lesser period is a recurrence cycle, a period of time which elapses between two conj unctions of a planet in the same degree of a sign, or at least the same sign. The greater periods are of uncertain origin, but they are equal to the number of degrees that each planet bas in its terms, except for the Sun and Moon. The Sun's greater period is 120 years which was believed to be the largest semi arc possible for the Sun in the inhabited world. The Moon's greater period was 108 years which was the Sun's period minus 12 degrees, the distance that the Moon has to get away from the Sun before it can become visible at sunset after a new moon. The mean years are the mean ofthe lesser and greater years. The follov."ing is a table of the years of the planets according to most ancient and medieval writers.
32
Planet
Min.
Mean
Max.
Sun
19
69.5
120
Moon
25
66.5
108
Mercury
20
48
76
Venus
8
45
82
Mars
15
40.5
66
Jupiter
12
45.5
79
Saturn
30
43 .5
57
In either case the condition ofthe native in each third oflife depends upon the aspects, house placement and other indicators of the cosmic state of the triplicity ruler. The following is a rather terse but illustrative example of the methodology from Masha'allah,
A Nocturnal Nativity Aquarius 25'
Sagit t ar i us 28' Capricornus 22'
Lu na 3' Ca pud 8' Pisces 4'
Tau rus 11'
Satu rn us 14 ' Sagitt a riu s 5' Pars Fortune 6'
Scorp i us 11 '
Cancer 22'
Gemini 6'
Cauda S' Gemini 28'
Men:urius 4' [ upit er 16 ' Libra 4'
Leo 26' Venus 25'
Sol 17' Mars
I looked at the fortune of this native in accordance with the lords of the triplicity ofthe Moon, the first of which is Mars, and he is under the rays of the Sun in a quartile aspect. This indicates loss and evil in the first time of this life; and in the second part of life it indicates good, however, because Venus is the second lord, and she is in good condition; and this signifies that in the second period of this life he will have good on account of much work, However, Jupiter and Mercury are in the sixth house from the part of fortune; I this signifies that he has honor and prospect. It was so,
l
L
Lots and Sect The Lots are what modem astrologers know as Arabic Parts, The Greek
I
Actually they are in the sixth house from the Ascendant.
33
,-
"1' ,
.
.~
"~.
.-
"
,
'
word is kleros. plural kleroi. This word means precisely 'lot' in the sense of an allotment. It is essentially synonymous with moira which also means '1m' and 'fate'. The Latin word pars also has a similar range of meaning. However, the English 'part ' has only the most literal of the old meanings of klifros. The adjective "Arabic" is even less appropriate. While the Arabs did considerably extend the use of the lots, they certainly did not invent them. The lots date back to the earliest texts we have on astrology. The Liber Hermetis, parts of which may date back to the 3rd Century B.C.E., has extensive lore on lots. They are also very much in evidence in Vettius Valens in the late 2nd Century C.E. The confusion over their origin undoubtedly comes from two sources. First of all the Arabs did make the most extensive use of lots. Second Ptolemy mentions only the Lot of Fortune. Later astrologers in the West tended to believe that what was not in Ptolemy must have been "added" to astrology by the Arabs. They were thus identified as Arabic and mostly dropped, even though a large number of the lots thus attributed to the Arabs were in fact Greek in origin. I However, it is not our intention to enter into a lengthy treatise on lots here. That should be left for another booklet. What we want 10 investigate here is the relationship of sect to lots. The basic principle of lots and their relationship to sect is quite simple. All lots are points of the form L = A + B - C where L is the longitude of the lot, Band C are the longitudes of planets or other points, and A is either the Ascendant or some other major point in the chart. The central idea is that one computes the arc from C to B measured in the order of the signs, and extends that arc from point A, the result being point L, the lot. The arc from C to B is measured by computing B - C. This gives rise to the formula L = A + B - C. But the interesting question is which planet is B and which planet is C. An examination of the ancient texts clearly indicates that C is almost always the planet which accords in sect with the chart itself, and B is the planet that accords with the sect of the chart to a lesser extent. So if the chart is diurnal, and one planet is diurnal and a second nocturnal, then a lot composed OUI of the two planets will be composed with the first planet as C (the planet starting the arc) and the second as B (the planet
1 Actuall y as late a text as Gadbury's in the 17th Century contains dozens of lots, but he does not seem to know what to do with them.
34
terminating the arc). But if the chart is nocturnal, then the second planet will be C and the first planet will be B. The following paragraphs examine formulae for computing lots based on the ancient texts. Here are formulae from Paulus Alexandrinus. Title
Diurnal
Nocturnal
Fortune (®) » Spirit (
Asc. + » - 0 Asc. + 0 -» Asc. + Q - Asc. + ® - S! Asc. + ® - if Asc. + "4 - Asc. + ® - t,
Asc. + 0 -» Asc. +» - 0 Asc. + - Q Asc. + S! - ® Asc. + if - ® Asc. + - "4 Asc. + t, - ®
Paulus describes these in the following manner: It is seemly that the Lots have this as their genesis, since by nature the Moon comes to be Fortune; the Sun, Spirit;1 Aphrodite, Eros; the star of Hermes, Necessity; that of Ares, Courage; that of Zeus, Victory; that of Saturn, Nemesis. The Horoskopos acts as a mediating j udge of these, becoming the basis of the entire cosmos. 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, mindfulness, and every power; and sometimes it also cooperates in the determination concerning what one does. Eros signifies the appetites and the voluntative desires. It becomes a contributing cause of friendship and mutual favor. Necessity signifies constraints, submissions, struggles, and wars, and makes enmities, hatreds, condemnations, all the other restrictive things befalling men as a result of their birth .
I The Schmidt translation actually used Divinity as the name for this lot. However, Schmidt has more recently used Spirit, the traditional name, in other translations, and I have changed it here to reflect his current opinion. Subsequent versions of the Paulus will also reflect this change.
35
Courage becomes a contributing cause of boldness, treachery, might, and every villainy. Victory becomes a contri buting cause of trust, good expectation, contest, and every association; but sometimes it contributes to penalties and rewards. Nemesis becomes a contributing cause of subterranean fates and of everything which is ice-cold, of demonstration, impotence, exile, destruction, grief, and quality of death .
Before we try to analyze the significance of these formulae, let us present more formulae from Paulus and other sources. Title
Diurnal
Father Mother Brothers (Siblings) Children Male Marriages Female Marriages
Ase. Ase. Ase. Ase. Ase. Ase.
+ ~-O
+ )) - ~ + q - t, + ~ - '4 + ~ - t, +~-~
octurnal Ase. + 0 - ~ Ase. + ~ - )) Ase + q - ~ Ase. + ~ - '4 Ase. + ~ - ~ Ase. + ~ - ~
Lots from Vettius Valens Title Debt Theft I Treachery Necessary House 2
Diurnal Asc. + ~-Ijl t,+d'-Ijl
Ase. + d' - 0 Ase. + d' - t,
oeturnal Asc. + t,-Ijl t,+Ijl-d' Asc. + 0 - d' Asc. + t, - d'
The preceding is not an absolutely complete list of the lots from these authors, however, they are numerous enough to suggest some principles. The lots we have listed here fall into two categories, those that are
The Part of Downfall in the Liber Hennetis. From the Liber Hermetis. The ecessary House or Place is a lot which determines a housc that is of special difficulty for the native, indicating disappointment, imprisonment, calumny from others and so forth . I
2
36
~
different day and night, and those that are the same both day and night. Let us first look at those that change. Many ofthe lots that change as described by Paulus involve the Lots of Fortune or Spiril. In order to make any patterns clearer, let us look first at those lots that do not involve other lots, ones composed only of planets in combination with the Ascendant. In this category from Paulus we have the Lots of Fortune, Spirit, Father, and Mother. In three of these we have something in common. In all but the Lot of Spirit, the first planet, the one beginning the arc, is either the one of the two planets that is sect with respect to the chart, or the one that is nearer to being in sect. The second planet, the one to which the arc is measured in the order of the signs, is either out of sect or more so than the first planet. For example the Lot of Fortune is measured from the Sun, a diurnal body, to the Moon, a nocturnal body, in a diurnal chart, but the other way around in a nocturnal chart. In the Lot of the Mother one measures from Venus to the Moon in a diurnal chart, and the other way around ina nocturnal chart. Both of these planets are nocturnal, but Venus is much less nocturnal than the Moon which is the most nocrumal of all planets. In the Lot of the Father one measures from the Sun to Saturn in a diurnal chart and the other way around in a nocturnal chart. Both of these are diurnal bodies, but the Sun is more diurnal than Saturn. Only the Lot of Spirit is different in this respect, being the opposite of the Lot of Fortune both in the day and night, and therefore always based on an arc that is against the order of sect. Is there any observable difference in the symbolism between the Lot of Spirit and the other three Lots of this group? I believe there is; the Lot of Spirit is the only lot of this group that pertains to subject matter that is not of the physical world. One's physical possessions and one's parents are all entities that can be seen and observed in the exterior world. The maners associated with the Lot of Spirit are not from the physical world but from the psychological or spirirual worlds. Ifwe look at the lots from Valens and the Liber Hemletis we have three more lots that change from day to night, Theft, Treachery, and the one associated with the Necessary House or Place. These also are based on arcs that extend from a planet in sect or more in sect to the one out or more out of sect. And these three are also related to issues that are involved with the physical or external world. lfwe look at the rest of the lots that switch between day and night,
37
what do we see?1 Before we can answer that question, there is one fact that has to be established, the sects of the Lots of Fortune and Spirit themselves. There is no clear lore on this subject, but the Lot of Fortune is considered to be the lot of the Moon, while that of Spirit is considered to be the lot of the Sun. In later works from the Middle Ages they are actually called the Lots of the Moon and Sun respectively. The Lot of Spirit is also called the Pars FUlIIrorum or "Part of Future Things" by Guido Bonani. Based on this we can regard the Lot of Fortune as being of the nocturnal sect, and that of Spirit diurnal. With that consideration we find that all of these are also based on arcs measured from a point that is more in sect to one more out of sect. This might seem to be an inconsistency if we considered only the names of these lots. But if we examine the interpretations given by Paulus we find that all of these also relate to external world matters. The Lot of Spirit remains the only switching lot that is based on an arc measured in the wrong sect order. Do we see a pattern when we examine the lots that do not switch? I believe that we do. In the Paulus list we find four lots that do not switch, but these come in two pairs such that the planets of each member of either pair are the same as the other, but reversed, as if one were the nocturnal counterpart ofthe other. In one of these pairs, that of the Lots of Brothers and of Children, there is no obvious connection with sect. But the other pair, that of the Lots of Male and Female Marriage, the male and diurnal planet ~ leads the arc for the Lot of Male Marriages and the female and nocturnal planet !j! leads the arc for the Lot of Female Marriages. This suggests a principle similar to the one observed in the case of the switching lots. That principle can be stated as follows: For lots that switch the position of the component planets or points from day to night, the arc between the component planets is measured from the one that is more in sect to the one that is more out of sect if the lot is connected to external or physical plane matters. In the case oflots that do not switch between day and night, if the lot pertains to some issue that is clearly related to either sect or sex, then the arc is measured from the planet whose sect or sex clearly agrees with that of the matters of the lot to that planet which does not or does so to a lesser degree. The
I Since this was written we have found more lots in Vettius Valens that switch between day and night. These seem to reinforce the thesis presented here.
38
fundame ntal point is that in the formula L = A + B - C it does maner in which order planets are assigned to positions B and C. Why did Ptolemy not define the Lot of Fortune as switching between day and night? We cannot say for certain, but in general Ptolemy of all the ancient authors paid less attention to sect than any other author. He almost seems to have been unaware of the importance of seet except as an issue distant from his own concems, but one that is important to other people. In fact his deemphasis of sect may very well have been the cause of the later tendency to deemphasize it. However, given this deemphasis or failure of recognition on Ptolemy's part, it is not at all strange tha t he should not reverse the positions of the Sun and Moon in the computation of the Lot of Fortune.
Sect and the H yleg or Apheta One of the most important issues in ancient astrology was the computation of a planet or point known as the aphela or hyleg. This was a point whose primary directions told much about both the length or life and the basic health of the native. The following passages are from Ptolemy, Book III (Ashmand Translation) .1 Firstly, those places, only, are to be deemed prorogatory [hylegical or aphetic], to which the future assumption of the dominion of prorogation exclusively belongs. These several places arc the sign on the angle of the ascendant, from the fi fth degree above the horizon, to the twenty-fifth degree below it; the thirty degrees in dexter sexti1c thereto, constituting the eleventh house, called the Good Dtemon; also the thirty degrees in dexter quartile, fonning the mid-heaven above the earth; those in dexter lrine making the ninth house, called God: and lastly, those in opposition, belonging to the angle of the west. Among the candidates for prorogation (aphetic or hy1egieal point], as before mentioned, by day the Sun is to be preferred, provided he be situated in a prorogatory place; and, if not, the Moon; but if the Moon, also, should not be so situated, then that planet is to be elected which may have most claims to dominion, in reference to the Sun, the antecedent new Moon, and
1 We have not yet done
OUT
translation of this passage.
39
the ascendant; that is to say, when such planet may be found to have dominion over anyone of the places where these are situated, by at least three prorogatives, if not more; the whole number being five. If, however, no planet should be found so circumstanced, the Ascendant is then to be taken. By night the Moon is to be elected as prorogator, provided, in like manner, she should be in some prorogatory place; and ifshe be not, the Sun: ifhe also be not in any pro rogatory place, then that planet which may have most rights of dominion in reference to the Moon, I and the antecedent full Moon and the part of Fortune. But, if there be no planet claiming dominion in the mode prescribed, the Ascendant must be taken, in case a new Moon had last preceded the birth; but, if a full Moon, the part of Fortune. Very simply put, the first candidates for apheta (or prorogator, as Ashmand translates it) are the Sun in diurnal charts and the Moon in nocturnal charts, the lights of the chart's sect. The next candidate is the light that is out of sect. But this is not the only difference between diurnal and nocturnal charts and the reckoning of the aphetic point. If the Sun and Moon fail to meet the criteria for aphetic point, then the next candidate is the planet that has the most dignities in the positions of the Sun, the Ascendant, and the prenatal ew Moon for diurnal charts. For nocturnal charts it is the planet that bas the most dignities in the places of the Moon, the Part of Fortune, and the Full Moon. This shows us that the Part of Fortune is indeed a lunar, i.e., nocturnal , point related to the Ascendant, something we know from many sources including Ptolemy. It also shows us that the New Moon is more diurnal and the Full Moon nocturnal, something else that we see from other sources,2 and we also know this because at the Full Moon the Moon is always in a nocturnal placement with respect to the Sun because it is opposite it. In other works the criteria for selecting the aphetic point or hyleg vary, but they have one thing in common: the criteria are always different
According to her position in the scheme of the nativity. Earlier we described the waxing Moon as bcing more diurnal than the waning Moon. Following the logic of this section, the Moon's application to planets of the diurnal or nocturnal sect depends on which of the two phases has last occurred. The Moon's applications are good to diurnal planets after the New Moon which is diurnal, and good to nocturnal planets after the Full Moon which is nocturnal. I
2
40
for diurnal and nocturnal charts.
Sect and Firdar The Firdar are planetary periods apparently of Persian origin. Most of the lists given in Medieval astrological works, both Arabic and Latin, give the frrdar periods of each planet along with the lesser, mean, and greater periods. 1 The following is a table of the frrdar. Table of the Major Periods of the Firdar Diurnal Charts Planet Sun Venus Mercury Moon Saturn Jupiter Mars N. Node S. Node
Length
10 8 13
9 II
12 7 3 2
Nocturnal Charts Ends
10 18 31 40 51 63 70 73 75
Planet Moon Saturn Jupiter Mars Sun Venus Mercury N. Node S. Node
Length
Ends
9
9
11
20 32 39 49 57 70 73 75
12 7 10 8 13
3 2
The frrdar are based on the descending Chaldean Order, i.e., iJ, 4-, d , 0. ~, ~, JJ, but do not start with iJ. In diurnal charts the frrdar start with the Sun, but at night with the Moon. We cannot go into detail here as to the uses of the fudar except to say that each planetary ruler governs the life of the native from the end of the previous ruler's period until the end of the planet's own period. However, the sequence of rulers in diurnal and nocturnal charts suggests that the fundamental unfolding of a chart differs considerably depending upon whether the chart is diurnal or nocturnal. The light of the sect of the chart is the ruler of the frrst period in both cases. The only thing that the two sequences have in common is that the last two periods of each sequence are those of the North and South Nodes
I
The use of these other periods are outside of the scope of this monograph.
41
---
-
--------------
of the Moon. These do not change between the diurnal and nocturnal charts. This completes the list of the various factors that are affected by the diurnal-nocturnal polarity of charts. The remainder of this monograph will be taken up with illustrations from charts.
42
Sample Charts Chart HI: Adolf Hitler
,
J
J
(l 16°
13° (l
0
"'. "" R
,
2
3
T
•
,~
6" 6"
M M '" I.
(l.4"
= 48'
This chart of Adolph Hitler is very slightly rectified from the usual given time, but this does not affect anything that we are doing here,' We will look at the planets in order and examine their sect status.
, The usual data are those given in the Blackwell Data Base as follows: "1889, April 20 at 6:30 p.rn. L.M.T. (17:37:52 V.I.) in Braunau am Inn, Austria (48N 15, 13E02). Birth data of the Nazi fUhrer from the civil register of births." This chart is for 6:40:24 PM C£. T. rather than 6:30 L,M. T. As one can see from the U.T. given above this is only a change of 00:02:32.
43
The Sun - The Sun above the horizon makes the chart diurnal and by definition it is diurnally placed. Being in Taurus, the Sun is not in a sign of the same sect as itself. This is not a serious problem with regard to sect placemem, although in Medieval astrology the seventh house was not usually considered the most positive of placements for the Sun. Modem astrologers would say that this is due to the analogy of the seventh house with Libra. However, it has more to with the imagery of sunset and the dying of the day. In Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos, Book III, the primary direction of the apheta to the Descendant, or Dysis, is an indication of death. The Moon - The Moon is in Capricorn in its detriment, but it is below the horizon in a diurnal chart, a nocturnal placement, in a nocturnal sign. In terms of sect, the Moon is as well placed as it could be. But there are some problems with the Moon even so. This is a waning Moon. The waning Moon is more nocturnal than the wax.ing Moon and is best when it is applying to a nocturnal planet. Unfortunately the Moon's first application in this chart is a conjunction with Jupiter, a diurnal planet, nocturnally placed in a nocturnal sign. Jupiter is also in Capricorn the sign of its fall. This is not the most fortunate ofplacemems for the Moon. Although this does not relate to sect as such, the third house is supposed to be the Joy of the Moon. In fact the third house was called the House of the Moon Goddess. This would suggest that the Moon should be powerful in this house. There is certainly evidence for this in that Hiller was a skilled orator. Still all of these problems indicate that this was not a normal "benevolent" Moon-Jupiter conjunction. Mercury - Mercury sets before the Sun in this chart, which means it also rose before the Sun, making Mercury a morning star and therefore diurnal. It is in a diurnal chart and a diurnal sign. But being below the horizon while the Sun is above means that it is nocturnally placed. As mentioned previously, Mercury and Venus are seldom perfectly placed with regard to sect. Both are usually quite close to the Sun. When Mercury is a morning star above the horizon with the Sun, it can be completely properly placed according to its sect. When it is an evening star it is almost never completely properly placed because it is close to the Sun and almost always diurnally placed. Only after sunset when the Sun is below the horizon and Mercury still above and in a nocturnal sign, can Mercury be completely placed in accord with the nocturnal sect. Also as we have previously mentioned, being in or out of sect seems to have little effect upon Mercury.
44
1 1 1
-.I
Venus - In this chart it is diurnally placed in a diurnal chart in a nocturnal sign. It is an evening star. OCali these factors the first two do
not assist or strengthen Venus. The fact that Venus is in Taurus is definitely a help, but it is also retrograde, generall y rega rded as a debility but not one that is well understood in modem astrology. 1 Also Venus is entering the Sun's beams, which means that by the time the Sun has sel far enough to allow enough darkness for Venus to be seen, it will have set as well. Although this has little directly to do with sect, vanishing into the beams, also known as the heliacal setting, was regarded by the Greeks as a major debility.
That Venus is an evening star has already been mentioned as a condition regarded by the Greeks as favorable. However, as we have also already mentioned, this may only be due to the fact that the evening star Venus behaves more in accord with masculine expectations of the feminine. The evening star Venus in its own sign Taurus otherwise poorly placed could be read as an indication of his taste for conventionally feminine women who were more than normally subservient. The two principle women in his life, other than his mother, were his niece Geli Raubel and Eva Braun. The first committed suicide, apparently in order to escape his affections. The second committed suicide with him in the Berlin bunker. Venus in the seventh house also rules the eighth house in his chart. Mars - A nocturnal planet, it is diurnally placed in a diurnal chart and in a nocturnal sign. Unfortunately the nocturnal sign is Taurus, the sign of its detriment. Mars is also disappearing into the Sun's beams. Both it and Venus are square Saturn in the tenth house, a fact which will be referred to again when we discuss the aspects in this chart. Mars is almost completely out of accord with its own sect. This is not a well-placed Mars! Jupiter- A diurnal planet, it is nocturnally placed in a nocturnal sign in a diurnal chart. It is therefore not entirely placed in accord with its sect. It is also in fall as mentioned above. Jupiter is not likely to work in this chart at as high a level as it might if it were better placed in the chart. Saturn - This is a diurnal planet diurnally placed in a diurnal sign. Saturn
I
However, opinions abound.
45
is in Hayz. This is the maximum degree to which a planet may be placed in accordance with its sect. According to the ancients, this would make Saturn work at its most positive. However, Saturn is in Leo, the sign of its detriment. We have not gone into the matter of what effect there is upon a planet that is in its detriment, but it certainly affects the quality of the planet's energy (using 'energy' in the loose sense of the word). This would tend to work against the positively reinforcing qualities of the planet's being completely in its sect. However, if as we have reason to believe, being in sect also makes the planet's effects more quantitatively powerful, this leaves a very strong Saturn, strong in a quantitative way, which may be benefic enough so that Saturn is not a hindrance to his success (at least initially); but it is also not as positive as Saturn in sect is supposed to be. There are other problems with this Saturn placement as well, but these are beyond the scope of this monograph. However, Saturn's strength by sect has a strong effect upon its squares to Venus and Mars. Mars and Venus are both quantitatively weaker than Saturn. In the conflict between the various planetary energies Satum wins out over Mars and Venus, both nocturnal planets in a diurnal chart. We do not know enough about the actual effects of sect as yet to say that this will always be the case, but one might expect it to be so on the basis of what we do know now. The Modem Planets - These will not be discussed individually with regard to sect because we have no lore on the modem planets and sect. However, as we come to understand sect and its effects, we may also come to understand how the modem planets relate to it.
46
Chart #2: Eleanor Roosevelt l
1
1
1 ~
l
I do not want it to seem that sect only works for World War II leaders. It is just that I have found that their charts represent the effects of sect placement especially clearly. The Sun - The Sun is above the horizon in the tenth house making the chart diurnal. It is also in a diurnal sign. Strangely enough, like Hitler, Eleanor Roosevelt's chart features a planet in its detriment which is also
I These are the data according to the Blackwell Data Base: "1884, Oct. 11 at 11 A.M E.S.T in ew York City, Y (40 45, 73W57). Birth data of the first lady. wife of President F.D. Roosevelt, is from a 'fami ly birth record ' according to loan Negus in the Geocosmic News for Fall 198 1. "
47
in Hayz. The effect is the same. The Sun in Libra is altered in its essential nature. It is forced to deal with the issues of Libra, agreement and compromise, rather than being its own, showy, solar self. But its being in Hayz makes its effect quantitatively powerful and may serve also to mitigate the inherent conflict between the nature of the Sun and Libra, and allow the Sun to work more easily in Libra. Certainly Eleanor Roosevelt did make a name for herself in the pursuit of social causes that transcended her own personal objectives. She uncompromisingly espoused causes that made her unpopular in her lifetime. Later in life after FDR's death, she became our representative to the U.N., where more conventional Libran skills came into play. The reader should also note that the Sun is trine Saturn in Gemini which is also in Hayz, and Saturn has rulership over Libra by exaltation and triplicity. This is an extremely effective combination!
The Moon - Oddly enough both Eleanor and Franklin had Cancer Moons. But FDR's Moon was in Hayz. Eleanor's Moon is much less positively placed. Her Moon is diurnally placed in a diurnal chart in a nocturnal sign. Only the sign supports the Moon's sect, although as Cancer, its support is considerable. The Moon is trine Mars, which is also mostly out of sect. It is also square the Sun which is in Hayz. The Sun is likely to be stronger in that interaction, even though the Moon is in its own sign and the Sun is debilitated by sign. The Moon is also in the eighth house (using Koch, the very late seventh., using Placidus), traditionally not the most favorable of houses. However, it does seems to have a positive side, an association with major transformation, which is certainly appropriate for both her association with FDR and the changes wrought by the New Deal, and also for her own reforming zeal. Mercury - Mercury is a morning star rising ahead of the Sun, and therefore of the diurnal sect. It is in Libra, a diurnal sign. Therefore it is in Hayz also, like the Sun. It seems that it might be also peregrine, having no essential dignity in its placement except that it rules the air triplicity by night. But this is a day chart. Is there anything that mitigates this placement? Yes, something that should be obvious even in terms of modern astrology. It and Venus are in mutual reception. And Mercury gets something of the better of the deal because Virgo is the sign of Venus' fall, which nearly cancels out the dignity coming from the mutual
48
J J
l
reception for Venus. 1 The net result is that Mercury in her chart is excellently placed according to all criteria, at least those criteria which followers of Ptolemy would respect, and I am inclined to be one of those at least with regard to the issue of the ninth house, The problem is that ancient astrology was of two minds about the ninth house. To many ancient astrologers l it was primarily a cadent house and therefore weak. But Ptolemy (and probably others before him) took a different view. He saw the ninth house as being both above the horizon and, therefore, strong, and also as being a house which aspects the first house by trine, a benevolent aspec!. This view eventually became the prevailing viewpoint until in modem times it is regarded as a rather strong house. in any case Mercury is so late in the ninth that it is effectively conjunct the Midheaven. Mercury is of course trine to Pluto, of which it is also the ruier. This indicates an extremely powerful desire to transfonn others through communlcation and speech, something quite evident in her life. Mercury by both essential (mutual reception) and accidental dignity (in Hayz and conjunct the Midheaven) is clearly one of the most powerful influences in the chart. Venus - Venus, as has already been meOlioned, is not so well placed as Mercury. It is in mutual reception by domicile with Mercury and in its own triplicity, but is also in its fall Virgo. The net result is somewhat, but not lTemendously, slTengthening. It is a morning star, which puts it iOlo the warrior goddess category, and is in fact very near its maximum elongation, having turned direct nOI too long before her birth. This is believed by many rraditional authorities to be an accidental dignity. However, it is largely out of sect. Only by sign is it in sect, Virgo being a nocturnal sign. Otherwise it is diurnally placed in a diurnal chart. It is also square Pluto. All of this serves to explain why her marital life with FOR might not have been the happiest, at least according to lTaditional criteria. Venus is a planet in which being out of sect does not seem to make it weaker in a quantitative sense but rather makes it work in ways
1 Although Venus is also in its own triplicity. See below under Venus. 1 See especially Vettius Valens Book 111, chapter I, Abu 'Ali AI-Khayyat, The Jlldgment of Nativities (Holden trans.) and Masha'allah, Book of Nativities, where the ninth housc is trealed primarily as cadent and invalid as a placement for the hylcg or apheta.
49
that seem out of accord with its traditional function, but not necessarily badly. This would seem to be a better way of approaching Eleanor Roosevelt's Venus than to say that was "bad" or weak Venus. Mars - By the Arabic criteria Mars is in the opposite ofHayz. However, by Greek criteria it is in sect by sign. It is also in its own domicile. and using Ptolemy's system, in its own triplicity. (In the other system promulgated by Dorotheus and the Arabs, Venus rules water signs by day.) But Mars is diurnally placed in a diurnal chart, which is supposed to bring about its negative side. It is also opposite Neptune which is not. in the experience of modem astrologers, a strengthening factor for Mars. Basically what we have here is a Mars that. being in its own sign, is a very authentic Mars, i.e .• Mars is truly Mars. but one which is not given very) free expression by the chart (out of sect). Also it is rather near the twelfth house cusp. This may have had a rather benign outcome, however. In the charts of women Mars is often expressed through men, which I think is especially likely given the fact that Mars is largely out of sect. FOR was of course the principle man in her life. He was in his own way a very strong male (Mars in Scorpio) but he was also a cripple, and it is undoubtedly a fact that having to care for FOR after he was afflicted with polio was a major factor in keeping them together. This is reflected in the Mars opposition Neptune near the twelfth-sixth house axis. Jupiter - Yet another planet in Hayz! It is diurnally placed in a diurnal chart in a diurnal sign. I! is also conjunct the royal star Regulus. And it is the Ascendant ruler in the ninth house. Whether one equates the ninth house with Sagittarius as modem astrologers are wont to do. or not, it is clear that there is a sympathy between Jupiter and the ninth house. Jupiter is also sextile Saturn in Gemini. which is also in Hayz. This exerts s~mething of a temperi!!~e~1 .on the Jupiter and.gives it Saturn's best Side (although somewhat mlliblled by Saturn bellg retrograde). The whole thing clearly indicates her breadth of interests and a mindset dominated by the larger picture. Often her disagreements with FOR revolved around his emphasis on practical politics versus her emphasis on social principles. Saturn - Saturn, as mentioned, is in Hayz. It is also in its own triplicity and angular. Its only real problem is that it is retrograde. I! is also trine the Sun, also as mentioned previously. All of this suggests the nature of her
50
marriage, enduring but not extremely happy, one that persisted initially for practical reasons, but which also supported both of theif careers and evolved into a great friendship , but with very little of a romantic eiemeO!, a classic Saturn relationship. The sextile to Jupiter, previously alluded to, from the point of view of the seventh house also improves the marriage, again not romantically, but rather through an affinity of philosophies and worldview.
•
The most remarkable thing about this chart is the number of planets in Hayz, four, Mercury, the Sun, Jupiter and Saturn. This is reflected in the eminence of her life and the level of success that she achieved in her life. While it is true that she did not achieve quite the place in history that her husband has, it is also true that as a woman she had much more to overcome and for the most part she did. One wonders, given the man's world thai she grew up in, what she would have accomplished if she had been a male with this chart, or had grown up in a world which respected talent in women more.
I
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51
Chart #3: President Clinton I 00"059'
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The Sun - Clinton's chart features a Sun in Hayz. It is in Leo, a diurnal sign, above the horizon. It is also, of course, in its own domicile and triplicity, a powerful Sun. Its only real shortcoming, not much of one at that, is that the Sun is the eleventh house rather than the tenth, As we shall see below in the discussion of Saturn, this placement of the Sun goes a long way to mitigating the situation of Saturn in the chart. It is also in sextile to Jupiter, which we will discuss under Jupiter. It is square the Moon as well, which we will take up next.
I The data arc as follows: Aug. 19, 1946 at 8:51 A.M., C.S.T., Hope, Arkansas, 33N40, 93W35. The data are widely alleged to be from a binh
ccnificate.
52
The Moon - The Moon is in exahation in Taurus but in the eighth house. And it is square the Sun. This could go a long way to accounling for the somewhat difficult marriage that he appears 10 have had with Hillary, as well as the allegations that have arisen in connection with other women. And the Moon is also out of sect in all regards except by sign. This suggests that the Moon and what it symbolizes is powerful in its essence, that is, the feminine is truly feminine, and the lunar truly lunar, but that the expression of this energy in his life is not easy, nor totally to his advantage. In other words women in his life could be a considerable source of difficulty. Also as the eighth house is the house of the partner's money, there is a suggestion of Whitewater about this placement. The Moon is the ruler of the Midheaven by domicile, which suggests that the square from the Moon to the Sun could be dangerous for his career. If the reader wonders how he got to be president with this placement, the answer comes from computing the Almuten of the Midheaven. It is Jupiter, and how it becomes the Almuten of the M.e. we will discuss under Jupiter. Mercury - Mercury is a morning star and therefore diurnal . It is diurnally placed in a diurnal chart in a diurnal sign. It is in Hayz. Mercury is in its own bounds, I which prevents it from being peregrine and gives it modest essential dignity. Mercury sextiles the conjunction in the fi rst house consisting of Mars, Neptune, and Venus. We will discuss this under Mars. Bul in terms of ils dignity Mercury is a fairly powerful planet in this chart. This seems appropriate for a polilician. However, there is one problem with this Mercury. It is about to make its heliacal setting and disappear inlo the Sun's rays in the morning sky. This was reckoned by the ancients as an extremely serious debility. Bul it is still almost 19° away from the Sun and not yet gone into the rays. Venus - Venus is in excellenl condition by essential dignity. It is in its own sign. But by sect it is a nocturnal planet in a diurnal chart and diurnal sign. It is, however, below the horizon, a state which nocturnal planets prefer in a diurnal chart, so it is not by any means completely out of sect. Venus is an evening star approaching its maximum elongation. This is feminine Venus as opposed to the warrior Venus morning star. Thus even though Venus is somewhat out of sect, both the Moon and Venus, the two
l Or terms.
53
major feminine planets, are presented in an extremely feminine manner. Could it be that Clinton has rather traditional expectations concerning a woman's role? Mars - This nocturnal planet is in a diurnal chart and diurnal sign. It is below the horizon but barely, and it is in its detriment conjunct eprune and Venus. It is sextile Mercury, which serves to stabilize it somewhat, but we do have a difficult Mars here. The chart does not support the smooth functioning of one of its most powerfully placed planets, as any planet on the Ascendant must be. This could go a long away to explaining why Clinton has difficulty appearing decisive, confident, and in command. Tills is one of the most difficult indications in the chart. Jupiter - Jupiter is a diurnal planet in a diurnal sign, but it is below the horizon. So Jupiter is not placed completely according to its sect. But it does have a creative role in the chart. It is sextile the Sun from the first house. This is not a bad indication in any case, but there is a greater significance to tills placement. Jupiter is the exaltation ruler of the M.C., and the M.e. is also in the bounds of Jupiter in Cancer (using Ptolemy's system). This makes Jupiter the Almuten or ruler of the M.e. over the Moon. So while the Moon signifies danger to his career, Jupiter as the significator of the M.C., being sextile to a Sun which is very dignified, signifies the likelihood of career achievement. Jupiter is in its own face, which gives a little essential dignity. There are other factors which improve Jupiter's essential placement, but these are beyond the scope of this booklet. Saturn - Saturn is most interesting. It has problems rather similar to Hitler's, not that I am suggesting that there is any real comparison between the two men. In fact the really interesting question is why they are so different, especially in terms of the manifestations of the respective Saturns. Clinton's Saturn, like Hitler's, is in Hayz, although in the very late tenth house, almost the eleventh, rather than near the M .e., and it is in its detriment, so that all of these things that were stated earlier about Hitler's Saturn and its dignity apply to Clinton's as well. The main difference is that aturn's ruler, the Sun, is dignified and well placed, which Hitler's was not. It is also reasonably well aspected, willch Hitler's was not. There are other important differences as well which are beyond the scope of this booklet.
54
The end resu lt of the above is that Clinton's chart has three planets in Hayz and several in high essential dignity as well, although only the Sun is dignified both ways. In the preceding cases we have shown charts in which one or more planets were in Hayz, showing the effects of planets that were very much in sect. Sometimes planets are also completely out of sect, a condition that has no name in the tradition, a kind of contra-Hayz (a tenn that I do not especially recommend) in which one has a nocturnal planet in a diurnal chart diurnally placed in a diurnal sign. or the reverse, a diurnal planet in a nocturnal chart nocturnally placed in a nocturnal sign. In the charts we have looked at so far no planet has been completely out of sect. Even in the most severe cases there has been at least one of the three factors with which the planet was in accord, by the sect of the chart, the placement, or the sign. And typically it has been the sign, the weakest of the three potential supporting factors. Now we are going to examine charts in which some prominent factor is completely extra conditione. J
I
See page 7.
55
Chart #4 . Richard M. Nixon}
The Sun - Nixon's Sun is below the horizon, which of course makes the chart nocturnal, and his Sun out of sect. It is also in Capricorn a nocturnal sign. So our first planet extra conditione is the Sun! However, this is quite a common condition. All it requires is that one be born at night with the Sun in a feminine or nocturnal sign. This tells us that the Sun extra conditione cannot be a terribly debilitating factor. But from what we
I The Blackwell Data Base has the following : "1913 , Jan. 9 at 9:35 p.m. P.S.T. in Fullerton Township, CA (33N52, 117W50). Birth data of the U.S. President was recorded by the nurse in attendance, Henrietta Shockney: 'Richard Milhous ixon, Thursday Nine thirty-five p.m., Nineteen-hundred-thirteen, eleven pounds.'"
56
already know about the Sun, Moon, and sect, it is clear that an extra conditione Sun would place emphasis on the Moon, the lady of the nocturnal (also known as lunar) sect. Also, as any Arabic or Latin astrologer would point out, I the quadrant between the Descendant and the I.e. (houses four, five and six in quadrant-type house systems) is a masculine quadrant (not, however, diurnal). Using Medieval terminology, the Sun may be extra conditione but is not completely out of its own similitude. This could be a saving factor as well. However, I am still reluctant to conclude that the Suo extra conditione and completely out of similitude would be a particularly severe problem by itself. The Moon - The Moon is of course placed in a nocturnal chart and is therefore in sect in the most important way. However, it is out of sect in both of the other respects. It is placed in the same hemisphere as the Suo, diurnally placed in other words, and in a diurnal sign, Aquarius. However, both of the lights are placed in signs ruled by Saturn. Therefore the state of Saturn should be very important in this chart. Mercury - Mercury is a morning star rising ahead of the Sun, therefore diurnal. It is diurnally placed, being with the Sun, as Mercury almost always is, but in a nocturnal chart and sign. I would not go so far as to say that this was a major cause of his difficulties. The fact that Mercury is conjunct Mars and Jupiter, and opposed by Pluto is much more indicative of both strength and difficulty. Mercury's sect status, as already stated, does not seem to be a major factor in Mercury's functioning because Mercury has no inherent quality,2 and therefore cannot create a tension between its inward qualities and those of its environs. Venus - Venus is in Pisces, the sign of its exaltation. It is of course a nocturnal planet in a nocturnal chart in a nocturnal sign. It is however diurnally placed, which is usually the case with Venus as well as Mercury, because they are always close to the Sun. But Venus is in evening star phase, setting after the Suo. It is at its most feminine, the love-goddess phase. Aside from the sect of its placement Venus is quite well off
See page 6. In the technical sense of the word, ' quality' . Obviousl y Mercury has characteristics. But 'quality' as used here means one of the qualities, hot, cold, wet, and dry. I
2
57
I
(ignoring its cadency). It is even in sextile to its own sign-ruler, Jupiter, which grants it further dignity. Jupiter itself is not quite so well off by sign and sect, however, as we shall see. Mars - Mars and Saturn are the two planets whose condition by sect is most critical. If a planet being extra conditione could be a cause of difficulty for one, Mars or Saturn would be the most likely candidates. But Mars is not all that badly placed. It is a nocturnal planet in a nocturnal chart. That makes Mars a symbol of the noble fighter rather than the destroyer. It is in a masculine sign, but this only raises again the problem as to whether Mars prefers masculine or feminine signs. Mars is also diurnally placed, i.e., in the same hemisphere as the Sun. So it is in a condition of mixed sect. Jupiter - Jupiter is a diurnal planet in a nocturnal chart in a nocturnal sign, but diurnally placed. It is also in the sign of its fall . So Jupiter is not very well-placed. Saturn ow we come to it! Saturn is a diurnal planet in a nocturnal chart, in a nocturnal sign, nocturnally placed in the hemisphere opposite the Sun. It is also in a feminine quadrant, the quadrant between the M.e. and Descendant being feminine . I We can therefore expect the more difficult manifestations of the Saturn. But what are they in ixon's case? Saturn is in the ninth house and sign, cadent, although this is a cadency that most Medieval and Renaissance astrologers, as well as modem astrologers, do not consider an especially difficult one. In the Renaissance most astrologers concentrated on the aspect of the ninth house that relates to travel. But in ancient times and to a lesser extent in the Renaissance there was also the aspect of the ninth house as the house of the Sun god, the Joy of the Sun. Here is Firrnicus Matemus on the ninth house Saturn. [Matemus, Book III, Chapter 2] If however [Saturn] is situated by night in the place, it will make the anger of the gods and the hatred of emperors, especially if the Moon diminishing in light is carried toward him in any way.
Oddly enough the Moon is moving toward Saturn in the chart, but it is a
I
58
See page 6.
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waxing Moon. Recall that the waxing Moon is more diurnal than the waning Moon, and it makes the best applications to diurnal planets. This is clearly a mitigating factor. However, Saturn is also the domicile-ruler of the Moon, and the Moon is making its first application to it by square. Thus the Moon is about to be afflicted by its own dispositor. Also Saturn is in Taurus, which is both the exaltation and the triplicity of the Moon. The Moon is the Almuten of Saturn. Therefore this fonning square represents an affliction of dispositors. We have an interesting ambiguity here, however. Ifplanets are in mutual reception in any way, a square is transfonned into a positive aspect. The only exception to this is with squares between Mars and Saturn. However, this is not a mutual reception but a mixed reception; Saturn disposes of the Moon by domicile, while the Moon disposes of Saturn by exaltation and triplicity. We do not know what the tradition has to say on the subject of this kind of mixed reception between planets in square. If the square is cancelled by it, then this would be a strong assist to Saturn. But whatever Saturn's strength, it is clear that according to tradition ilS darker side should surface. Here is a Renaissance description of Sa tum in the ninth house. [Gauricus, Chapter 24.] In the ninth house he makes a man who is not very devout and he will be a monarch or priest; he will not completely believe in his own faith and he will be a hypocrite. Now we begin to get some idea of the problem that this placement presents. The phrase from Matemus, "the anger of the gods and the hatred of emperors," obviously cannot be taken too literally (like many ancient aphorisms). He was himself in fact quite close to being an emperor! BUI the wrath of the gods is directed toward those who do not acknowledge them. The passage quoted from Gauricus just above narrows it down a bit, although Gauricus does not distinguish between Saturn in diurnal and nocturnal charts. The problem is that Saturn in the ninth house in a nocturnal chart would seem to indicate an attitude of irreverence toward the divine and a tendency toward hypocrisy. The delineation in Gauricus is quite typical of passages on this subject found in Renaissance texts. The clear meaning of this is that these traits are ones that cause the native considerable difficulty. Summarizing the indications, it appears that Nixon's Saturn is a signal that he would be damaged by his cynicism, skepticism, lack of belief in the essential decency of others, and a tendency to see the dark side of
59
every situation. These are all negative Saturn traits. And to make matters worse, Saturn is the dispositor of Nixon's Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Uranus. This makes it one of the most important, if not the most important dispositor in Nixon's chart. As such it is completely extra conditione and out of similitude. Chart #5: Charles Dederick'
The next chart is that of the founderofSynano n, Charles Dederick. Since
I According to Lois Rodden the data arc as follows: March 22, 1913 at 4:20 A.M. CS.T., Toledo, OH, 41N39, 83W33 from birth records, obtained by E. Steinbrecher
60
not everyone may be aware of him and his life, I have quoted the passage from Lois Rodden's Astra-Data V, published by the Data-News Press. i A reformed alcoholic, he founded a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program in 1958 with fifteen members that evolved into Synanon the following year, a controversial and utopian community. Thousands of persons went through the rehab program during the following twenty years; in 1974 Synanon was licensed as a religion. Dederick, a benevolent despot with incredible charisma, bought a 1500 acre Marin county Organizational ranch and ruled his empire from a million-dollar hideaway in Arizona. His third wife died in 1977. On January 25, 1978, the media began to report massive purchases of guns by the organization and Dederick resigned from the executive board March \978. Various legal charges and problems began to accumulate. On September 19, 1978 a 5300,000 legal judgment came down against Synanon; the attorney who won the casc opened his mailbox on October 10 to find a rattlesnake coiled inside. A Task Force opened a major investigation of Dederick. On Dec. 2, 1978, police found him dcad drunk at his home in Lake Havasu when they arrived to arrest him. He was taken to a hospital jail cell, and on September 3, 1980, scntenced to five years probation, fined and forced to withdraw from leadership of his empire. The Sun - The Sun is in the lower hemisphere making this a nocturnal chart. The Sun is in Aries its exaltation, so this is not in itselfan especially dire indication. But it does give Mars special significance as the domicileruler of the Sun. The Moon - A Full Moon is about to happen so the Moon is at its most powerful with respect to the Sun. It is out of sect in only one way; it is in a d iurnal sign, Libra. Mercury - Mercury is an evening star so that it is nocturnal. It is therefore in sect as far as the chart is concerned, but out of sect by sign and placement, a common condition for Mercury. Venus -
I
Venus is in evening star phase, hence at its most feminine. It is
Used with the pennission of Lois Rodden. 61
also in T aurus, a nocturnal sign, as well as the Moon's own domici le. It is of course diurna lly placed, a condition also common for Venus. But Venus is in good condi tion and is also the domicile ruler oflhe Moon. In addition it is applying to a trine of Jupiter. All of this might help to explain the charisma referred to above. Mars - Mars is rathe r well and powerfully placed. As a nocturnal planet in a nocturnal chan , and nocrumally placed, it is very much in sect. It is
in Hayz according to the Arabic definition which wants Mars to be in a masculi ne sign in order to be in Hayz. It is of course not completely in sect according to what we believe is the Greek definition. But its placement on the Ascendant although in the twelfth house is a powerful, if somewhat ambiguous placement. This would help to explain the bootcamp like atmosphere often attributed to Synanon training sessions. It is also square both its and the Ascenda nt's ruler, Saturn. However, before Mars makes the exact square, Saturn enters the next sign. This is supposed to be a mitigation of the affi iction in that when Mars squares Saturn, Saturn is no longer Mars' domicile ruler. Jup iter - Jupiter is a diurnal p lanet. It is noctumallyplaced in a nocturnal chart in a nocturnal sign. It is in a masculine quadrant so that it is not completely out of similitude. However, it is completely extra conditione. By degree it is also sesquiquadrate its own domicile ruler, Saturn. It is not peregrine because it is in its own bounds, but it is in its fal1. So Jupiter is not in very good condition in this chart. It is in the eleventh house which is, among other things, the house of organizations. Matemus in Book III, 20, 2 1 says the following about this placement. Jupiter situated in the eleventh house from the Horoscope decrees the greatest happiness and bestows great fame ; it also grants renowned powers and high office and it decrees the proconsular command if the Sun and Venus join themselves to Jupiter by a good ray, and if the Full Moon receding from the south joins itselr to Jupiter situated in the nonh, that is,
I se eOl1iunxeril. The verb here means literally 'to conjoin', which seems to suggest the conjunction. However, in later Latin astrology all aspects are referred to as conjunctions, either by roy (aspects) or by the body (conjunctions). Therefore we cannot safely assume that Matemus only means conjunctions here.
62
ifit is born along such a course as we described in the fifth house.' But all of this is dimini shed and its efficacy destroyed if it is situated in this manner in a nocturnal gcniture. Not all of the conditio ns desc ribed in the passage are applicable to this chan. But the nocturnal nature of the chan indicates the danger of downfall from the heights he gained through his organization. Saturn - Satu rn is diurnally placed in a nocturnal chart and sign. It is also in the lasl degree of the sign, which is not supposed to be the best p lacement, and in this sign it is also conj unc t the Pleiades, a rather nasty star cluster, at least according to tradition.
I r I
I It is not especially important for our purposes if the reader understands all of the astrology of this passage. There are some technical usages here whieh arc not entirely elcar.
63
Chart #6: TOllY Costa l
T
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= 55'
I thought it might be interesting to include one last chart, which I will not go into in as much detail as the preceding charts, But it has a personal interest to me because the events associated with this person occurred quite near where I live on Cape Cod, and as such I know quile a bit about the case. I was surprised to discover this chart in the same book by Lois Rodden from which I took the data concerning Charles Dederick above. Quite aside from any personal interest, this chart illustrates that a planet in dignity in Hayz and angular is not necessarily a good thing. This
I The data for this are al so from Loi s Rodden's Astra- Data V: August 2, 1944 at 12: 33 P.M. E. W.T. , Cambridge, Mass., 42N22, 71W06. 64
is the chart of one Tony Costa, who is somethi ng of a legend, in a very negative sense, on Cape Cod. In the late sixties Costa abducted, murdered, and dismembered several young women whom he met in the Provincetown, Mass. area. Some of these were women who rented rooms in his mother's boarding house, and some of the bodies were buried in his mother's garden. Others were buried in the woods of nearby orth Truro. Costa's last victims were abducted around Jan. 26, 1969, and he was convicted on May 22, 1970. He later committed suicide in his cell by hanging himself on May 12, 1974. The chart features the un in Leo conjunct the M.C. in Hayz. From what we have seen so far in our examples this should have been a positive indication. Of course one could argue while that this otherwise utterly unprepossessing individual did manage to attain considerable notoriety for a while, this does not seem sufficient to account for the effects of the Sun placement. So what went wrong? First of all we have the Sun conjunct Pluto, not deadly in itself, but clearly a sign of something complicated or possibly strange. Second, taking a leaf from very modem astrology, the Sun is exactly on the midpoint of Mars and Saturn. The combination of Mars, Saturn, the Sun and Pluto is characteristic of murderers, especially mass murderers. [While this combination is characteristic of murderers, its presence in a chart does not necessarily mean that the native is a murderer. It can also indicate a individual of enormous will, tenacity and resolve, albeit with more than a little ruthlessness.] In addition the M.e. , the Sun, and Pluto are located in the middle of the constellation of Cancer near Praesaepe and the Asselli, a nebulous cluster and two fixed stars with a bad reputation. In 1944 Praesaepe was at 6°Q24', the North Assellus at 6°Q46', and the South Assellus at 7°Q57'. Robson in his Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology says of all of these that culminating they both indicate "disgrace, ruin and violent death." When they are conjunct the Sun (which in this chart would be a bit wide except for the fact that Pluto conjunct the Sun is closely conjunct these stars), they indicate "blows, stabs, serious accidents, shooting, beheading, hanging, murderer or murdered, violent fevers, danger of fire, disgrace and imprisonment.,,1 That about covers it! Clearly Hayz does not always work out well. In this case the Sun's
I
Robson, p. 142.
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Hayz involved so many other negative indications that whatever power it had was turned toward the bad. Even without this sort of thing the reader should be cautioned from concluding that Hayz is always good and that planets extra conditione are always bad. We have to remember at all times that all astrological indications are good or bad for certain reasons and in certain contexts. It is these reasons and contexts that we must understand so that we can make intelligent judgmems about whether an indication is likely to be good or bad for a particular person and under what conditions.
Concluding Remarks As I have already said, I believe that the understanding of planetary sect may be the single most important area of interpretation to have been lost, or at least mislaid, between the Greeks and modern astrology. And it is fitting that it should resurface at this time when we are paying more attention to the feminine and the positive aspects of darkness and night, the realms of the Moon; for, the proper understanding of sect in astrology restores these to equality with the solar and diurnal aspect of astrology which has arguably been overemphasized in the period since astrology came from the Greeks to the Arabs and thence back to the Latin West. But I have to warn the reader again. This is a very preliminary text. More amplified texts will follow, based on more practical experience, and also based on a better understanding of what the ancients were trying to say. This book is only a guide. Is sect likely to tum out to be important? Obviously I would not have written this booklet if I did not think so. But we have some confinnation from the research community. Both Lee Lehman and Mark Urban-Lurain have applied the doctrine of sect to the Gauquelin data by separating the day and night births from each other in the studies. Both workers, although adminedlyonly in preliminary research thus far, have found that distinguishing between day and night births increases the non-randomness of the planetary distributions. I am very encouraged by these findings because when I first encountered sect in ancient astrology, I realized that if day and night charts have to be interpreted significantly differemly, then the ignoring of this difference might strongly affect or invalidate most of the statistical research done thus far, especially those studies which have had negative results. One of the best ways to eliminate an effect is to take two populations which have opposite natures and to combine them without respect to the difference. This causes the two
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populations to cancel out the effect in each other and the net result is no apparent effect. It appears at this point that day and night births may be such a pair of populations. We need to redo most of the research in light of this.
I
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References Antiochus of Athens - All passages from his work are from the translation by Roben Schmidt. Project Hindsight edition. Gauricus - All passages from Gauricus are the author's translations from the work Tmctatus astrologiae iudiciariae de nativitatibus virorum et mu/ierum, Nuremberg: 1540. Guido Bonatti - All passages from Guido Bonatti are from the translation by Roben Zoller. Project Hindsight edition. Julius Finnicus Matemus - All passages from Matemus' Mathesis are translated by the author from the Teubner Edition. Liber Hermelis - All passages from this work are from the translation by Robert Zoller. Project Hindsight edition. Masha'allah - All passages from Masha'allah are from the Book of Nativities translated by the author. Project Hindsight edition. Paulus Alexandrinus - All passages from his work are from the translation by Roben Schmidt. Project Hindsight edition. Ptolemy - Passages from Ptolemy are either from Robert Schmidt's translation of the Tetrabiblos, Book I, Project Hindsight edition, or from the Ashmand translation of Booles III and IV. Schoener - All passages from the Opuluscu/um Astr%gicum are from the translation by the author. Project Hindsight edition. Vettius Valens - All passages from the Anthology ofVettius Valens are from the translation by Robert Schmidt. Project Hindsight edition.
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