Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Foreword xiii Acknowledgements xv Introduction xix
1 EARLY ASTROLOGY IN MESOPOTAMIA AND EGYPT 1 Mesopotamian Astrology...... 1 Egyptian Astrology...... 6
2 ORIGINS OF HELLENISTIC ASTROLOGY 11 The Hellenistic Period...... 11 Alexandria...... 12 Berossus and the Transmission of Astrology...... 13 The Emergence of Hellenistic Astrology...... 15 Obscure Origins of Hellenistic Astrology...... 18 Ancient Views on the Origins of the Tradition...... 24 Debate Over the Origins of Hellenistic Astrology...... 30 The Development of Hellenistic Astrology...... 36
3 PRACTICING ASTROLOGY IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE 51 The Roman Empire...... 51 The Three Branches of Hellenistic Astrology...... 52 Surviving Horoscopes or Charts...... 60
4 THE HELLENISTIC ASTROLOGERS 67 Hermes Trismegistus...... 68 Asclepius...... 71 Nechepso and Petosiris...... 72 Timaeus...... 77 vi Table of Contents
Teucer of Babylon...... 78 Thrasyllus...... 78 Balbillus...... 82 Marcus Manilius...... 83 Antiochus of Athens...... 85 Critodemus...... 89 Abraham...... 91 Zoroaster...... 92 Serapio of Alexandria...... 94 Anubio ...... 95 Dorotheus of Sidon...... 98 Manetho...... 100 Anonymous Michigan Papyrus...... 100 Claudius Ptolemy...... 101 Vettius Valens...... 105 Antigonus of Nicaea...... 106 Porphyry of Tyre...... 108 Firmicus Maternus...... 109 Paulus of Alexandria...... 114 Anonymous of 353...... 115 Maximus...... 116 Hephaestio of Thebes...... 116 Hypatia and Female Practitioners of Astrology...... 117 Julian of Laodicea...... 119 Olympiodorus...... 120 Rhetorius of Egypt...... 120
5 DECLINE AND TRANSMISSION 123 Decline of the Roman Empire and Astrology...... 123 Transmission to Other Cultures...... 126 The Rediscovery of Hellenistic Astrology...... 134
6 PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUES IN HELLENISTIC ASTROLOGY 143 Astrology, Divination, and Signs...... 143 Divination from Origins...... 145 An Astrology of Causes...... 146 The Study of Fate...... 153 Astrological Determinism...... 158 Four Philosophical Positions...... 162 Table of Contents vii
7 PLANETS 165 The Seven Wandering Stars...... 165 Names of the Planets...... 166 Significations According to Valens...... 167 Benefics and Malefics...... 184 Sect ...... 190 Masculine and Feminine...... 197 Under the Beams...... 200 Morning Star versus Evening Star...... 205 Planetary Speed, Retrogrades, and Stations...... 206 Ascending and Descending Nodes...... 208
8 SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC 213 TheZōidia ...... 213 Qualities of the Signs...... 215 Tropical versus Sidereal Zodiacs...... 216 Names of the Signs...... 222 Masculine and Feminine Signs...... 224 The Thema Mundi...... 228 Domicile Rulership...... 232 Exaltations and Depressions...... 242 Adversities...... 249 Quadruplicities...... 252 Triplicities...... 256 Irregular Distribution of Secondary Qualities...... 272 Zodiacal Melothesia...... 273 Subdivisions of the Zodiac...... 275 Interpreting Planets in Signs...... 286
9 CONFIGURATIONS 289 Reconstructing the Aspect Doctrine...... 289 Definition of Witnessing or Testimony...... 291 The Five Configurations...... 294 Sign-Based Configurations...... 296 Degree-Based Configurations...... 300 Qualities of the Configurations...... 305 Right versus Left...... 309 Overcoming...... 311 Mitigations and Alternative Aspect Doctrines...... 315 viii Table of Contents
10 THE TWELVE PLACES 319 The Whole Sign House System...... 320 Names of the Places...... 323 Conceptual Models Underlying the Places...... 324 The Angles or Pivots...... 325 Angular Triads...... 328 Good and Bad Places...... 332 Busy or Advantageous Places...... 333 Joys of the Planets...... 336 Significations of the Places...... 340 Survey of Each of the Twelve Places...... 352 Interpreting Planets in Places...... 362
11 THE ISSUE OF HOUSE DIVISION 365 The Midheaven and the Three Forms of House Division...... 366 General Survey of Surviving Horoscopes...... 370 References to Whole Sign Houses in the Manuals...... 375 Quadrant Houses and Dynamic Strength...... 386 Equal Houses and the Asclepius Text...... 395
12 THE DOMICILE LORD OF THE HOUR-MARKER 415 The Nautical Metaphor...... 418 The Domicile Lord in the Twelve Places...... 419 Mitigation of Difficult Placements...... 425 Ruler of the Hour-Marker in the First Place...... 426 The Sect of the Ruler...... 430 The Degree of the Midheaven in Other Places...... 431
13 RULERS OF THE PLACES 435 Interpretive Principles for Studying the Rulers...... 436 Preliminary Remarks...... 437 Sources for the Delineations...... 440 The Ruler of the Second Place...... 440 The Ruler of the Third Place...... 443 The Ruler of the Fourth Place...... 445 The Ruler of the Fifth Place...... 446 The Ruler of the Sixth Place...... 448 The Ruler of the Seventh Place...... 450 The Ruler of the Eighth Place...... 452 Table of Contents ix
The Ruler of the Ninth Place...... 454 The Ruler of the Tenth Place...... 455 The Ruler of the Eleventh Place...... 457 The Ruler of the Twelfth Place...... 458
14 CONDITIONS OF BONIFICATION AND MALTREATMENT 461 The Purpose of the Conditions...... 462 The Inequities of Fortune...... 463 Definition of Maltreatment...... 463 Overcoming...... 466 Opposition and Trine...... 471 Counteraction...... 472 Enclosure...... 474 Adherence...... 477 Striking With A Ray...... 481 Engagement...... 488 Mitigating Conditions: Reception...... 491
15 TRIPLICITY RULERS OF THE SECT LIGHT 495 Sources for the Technique...... 495 Identifying the Triplicity Rulers of the Sect Light...... 496 The Importance of Angularity...... 498 The Sequence of the Native’s Life...... 499 Examples from Valens and Dorotheus...... 500 Integration with Other Techniques...... 503 Modern Examples...... 503 Timing the Changeover Between Triplicity Lords...... 507
16 LOTS 511 Calculation and Conceptualization...... 512 The Use of Lots in Natal Astrology...... 515 Steps in Analyzing a Lot...... 517 The Lot of Fortune...... 518 Survey of Other Lots Used...... 524
17 ANNUAL PROFECTIONS 535 Time-Lord Techniques...... 535 Annual Profections...... 536 Activation of the Places...... 537 x Table of Contents
Condition of the Lord of the Year...... 543 Activation of the Place Containing the Ruler...... 544 Repetitions and Transits...... 545 Advanced Method of Profections in Valens...... 549
18 ZODIACAL RELEASING 553 Source of the Technique...... 554 Calculating Zodiacal Releasing Periods...... 554 Interpreting Zodiacal Releasing Periods...... 559 Peak Periods...... 559 Interpreting the Quality of a Period...... 568 Angular Triads Relative to Fortune...... 573 Loosing of the Bond...... 576 Spirit and Fortune in the Same Sign...... 586 Areas For Further Research...... 588
Conclusion 591 Appendix: Chart Data 595 Timeline 603 Glossary 607 Abbreviations 619 Bibliography 623 Index 647