Arabic lots – spiritual components of the natal chart (part one)

By definition, Arabic lots represent astrological factors found by mathematical calculations that include three other factors in the horoscope such as planets or angles. The distance between the two factors is added to the third (usually the ascendant), thus obtaining the position of a certain Arabic lot. It is one of the most important astrological concepts, although the most mysterious. The lots are thought to be more closely related to the spiritual part of human existence, so they are ascribed deeper meanings in the interpretation of the natal chart topics. In Hellenistic astrology, they were primarily used to give additional meanings to signs and houses in the interpretation of certain topics in the chart, e.g. if the lot of marriage falls into the second house and Scorpio, that house and its ruler add some significations concerning marriage, although these places would not be observed in connection with the said subject in some ordinary procedure. Furthermore, in practical terms, lots could also be regarded as that third point that astrologers would interpret in the context of a particular natal chart topic, such as offspring, marriage, career, etc. The first step would be to analyze a suitable planet, such as Venus concerning marriage. Then the respective house and its ruler would be considered, in this case, that would be the seventh house, and finally, the third step would be to analyze the appropriate lot, in this example, the lot of marriage. This is also implicit in the “threefold rule”, that is, if something is indicated in one area of ​​life through only one of these three factors, then the outcome is possible, if two factors point to the same, then the outcome is probable, and if confirmed through all three, then the outcome is certain. By far the most famous is the lot of Fortune, also known as the lot of fate, but there are innumerable lots and it can be said that they flourished in medieval astrological practice. But the topic of this two-part study are seven hermetic lots, with special reference to the four lots that Hellenistic astrologer Vettius Valens pointed out as the most important, namely the aforementioned Fortuna, Spirit, Eros (Love), and Necessity, and these are dealt in detail in the part two.

Arabic lots originate from the Babylonian astrological concept of the relationship between the Sun and Moon through the arc of the longitudinal distance between them projected from the point of the horizon (Ascendant). Although some claim that their origins are Egyptian, it seems that, like everything in astrology, two basic astrological factors have been derived and conceived from this original order. In contrast to their commonly known name, Arabic lots have been developed methodologically for the most part in Hellenistic astrology. The Arabs added a large number of new ones to this method while retaining Greek heritage. Arabic lots serve for deeper natal analysis and to uncover the intrinsic meaning of the horoscope. The seven basic Arabic lots are the points of the soul, or those pillars of the soul, derived by analogy from the seven planets of the horoscope. These seven planets are related to Pythagoras’ numerical week and even earlier before him, with dualistic ancient Persian Mithraism, that is, Persian mysteries of the sevenfold initiation of worship, as well as the seven steps of the fall of the soul, which, on the way to the earthly embodiment, passes through 7 planetary spheres and to ascend through them back to one of the four celestial gates after death: Aldebaran – east, Regulus – north, Antares – west and Fomalhaut – south, which are therefore referred to as the royal stars and guardians of the heavenly gates. Plato’s interpretation of the fall (descent) of the soul seems to be inspired by the Persian mysteries. Plato speaks of the eighth sphere, the sphere of the stars, that is, the zodiac, which is considered to be the place where souls originate from and from which everyone, individually, on its journey to Earth, passes through seven planetary spheres in the Chaldean order from Saturn to the Moon. On this journey, the soul is enriched by each sphere, endowed (blessed) with the pure planetary essence of each planetary principle, which is more or less corrupted by earthly incarnation. After the death, the soul ascends in the reverse order of the journey (from the Moon to Saturn) to purify itself from earthly flaws through each sphere individually according to the type of flaw (about them later). The more it rises through the spheres and the cosmic purification, the soul becomes easier and purer to enter the eighth sphere of bliss perfected. Aristotle adopted this theory from his teacher. St. Thomas Aquinas, a worshiper of Aristotle, was familiar with this theory of the connection between soul and planet. There is speculation that this theory is closely related to the seven virtues and the seven deadly sins of Christian theology. The first three virtues: hope, faith, and mercy are known as theological virtues, while the other four (wisdom, steadfastness, temperance, and righteousness) are called natural virtues. These virtues are thus related to the planetary virtues and vices so that we have:

 

Planet Virtue Sin
Moon Hope Gluttony
Sun Faith Pride
Mercury Wisdom Envy
Venus Mercy Lust
Mars Courage Rage
Jupiter Temperance Greed
Saturn Justice Laziness

 

Virtues and sins are thus brought into correlation with the lots of the soul. This is especially notable if we observe that each planet has its “own” lot. Specifically, in Chapter 23 of his „Introduction to Astrology“, Paulus of Alexandria presented a method of calculating seven lots that are related to traditional planets, while citing the work known as “Panaretus”, whose authorship is associated with Hermes Trismegistos. These are called “hermetic lots”. In the picture below you can also see the method of calculating these points (all distances are projected from the ascendant):

 

arabic lots
Arabic Lots calculation table

 

The first thing that we can see here is that only the lots of Fortune and Spirit are calculated based on the distance between the luminaries (Sun and Moon), while in other cases, the lots are calculated from the distance between the corresponding planet and either the lot of Fortune or the lot of Spirit or vice versa. When it comes to this calculation, and in connection with the foregoing, we can observe certain important hermetic principles that are coming to light here. First, the ratio in these calculations seems to take into account the ruling luminary, or luminary of the sect. Thus we see that the calculation for the lot of Fortune always starts from the ruling luminary to the other, that is, in day births (where the Sun is the ruling luminary), this lot is calculated by measuring the distance from the Sun to the Moon, that is, the starting point is the Sun, whereas at night births it is the Moon, as the ruling luminary. Such a measurement seems to imply the idea of ​​moving from light to darkness since the calculation literally moves from a dominant luminary at certain times of day or night to the luminary that is somehow obscured at the time observed. This can be related to a deeper hermetic conceptualization that darkness is associated with matter and physical incarnation. In contrast, we see that the math for the lot of Spirit is opposite, that is, it always starts with the luminary that is opposite to the ruling sect, or to the luminary that is dominant at a given time – i.e. from the Moon to the Sun in day births. This also implies a hermetic relation of light with spirit and intellect.

Some other patterns can be observed concerning other lots. As it can be seen in the diagram above, lots associated with positive significations, such as the lot of Eros and the lot of Victory (Jupiter), are both calculated from the lot of the Spirit. The others, which have negative implications, are calculated from a lot of Fortune. It is obvious, then, that the lots of the benefic planets are related to the concept of spirit and light, and therefore to the lot of the Spirit, while the lots of malefic are linked to the concept of darkness and matter, and hence to the lot of Fortune. It seems possible that these assignments were made simply due to the apparent brightness of each of the planets involved, with Venus and Jupiter being the two brightest visible planets, and Mars and Saturn being the darker visible planets.

It is also interesting to note that some lots are calculated from the lot (Spirit or Fortune) to the planet, and some from the planet to the lot, both in the day or night nativities. The possible rationale behind this may again have something to do with the dominant luminary. Namely, the lot of Spirit is also called the lot of the Sun, and the lot of Fortune is considered as the lot of the Moon. As we can see, during the day, the lots of Venus and Jupiter are calculated from the lot of Spirit towards Venus and Jupiter, respectively, or vice versa at night. The concept behind this comes from the principle that the Sun is the one that emits light by day, so his lot assumes the same principle, while at night it behaves more closely to the nature of the Moon, that is, it receives light. In other words, this calculation is based on which of the two luminaries is more dominant in the calculation for lot of Spirit. Therefore, in day births the calculation moves from the lot of the Spirit towards the corresponding planet, imitating the principle of emitting light similar to the Sun, while in night births this calculation will go from the planet to the lot, which now plays the role of “recipient” since the Moon is a dominant luminary. This applies only to these two points since it’s only them that include the lot of the Spirit. However, the same principle seems to apply to the lots that include the Lot of Fortune. As in the daytime, the Moon is the dominant luminary in calculating the Lot of Fortune, and just like the lot of the Moon is opposite to the dominant luminary, the Sun, it acts as the recipient of the light, so the calculation starts from the planet towards Fortune. At night, when the Moon is the ruling luminary and the Sun is the dominant planet in the calculation of the Lot of Fortune, Fortuna is the one that “emits” light, so the calculation goes from it to the corresponding planet. We will return to these observations when we talk about the lots of Eros and Necessity mentioned by Valens, which are calculated differently than described here.

Since the lots calculation methods are given in the diagram above, in the rest of the text we will focus on the description of enumerated hermetic lots according to Paulus of Alexandria:

Paulus connects the lot of Fortune with the Moon and points out that it signifies the body, the things that native does to acquire possessions, reputation, and privileges.

As stated, the lot of the Spirit is connected with the Sun, hence it signifies the soul, intelligence, the exercise of all power (dunasteia), and is sometimes relevant in determining the career of the native or his profession (praxis).

The lot of Eros is associated with Venus and signifies desire and appetites as well as friendships and services.

The lot of Necessity associated with Mercury signifies restrictions, oppression, fighting, wars, hostilities, hatred, condemnation, and other limiting circumstances.

The lot of Courage is associated with Mars, thus denoting boldness, betrayal, strength (or raw power) and all evil deeds.

The lot of Victory is associated with Jupiter, thus signifying faith, good hope, competition, all kinds of benevolence, enterprise, and success.

The Lot of Nemesis is related to Saturn, so it refers to the ghosts of the underworld, things that are hidden, weakness, sadness, and the quality of death.

 

Izvori korišćeni u tekstu:

  • Chris Brennan – Hellenistic Astrology: The study of Fate and Fortune
  • Chris Brennan –  The Theoretical Rationale Underlying the Seven Hermetic Lots
  • Robert Zoller – Arabic parts in Medieval Astrology (a lesson from DMA course)
  • Nataša Karalić Koprivica – traditional astrology blog link

 

Astrology – the language of Nature: part one

In my practice so far, I have noticed that there is a certain disagreement in understanding of the predictive power that astrology as a craft possesses, that is mainly expressed through the conflicting attitudes that people have towards the concept of fate. So some believe that astrology can really predict future events, because they “believe in fate”. It can also be said that among those who are skeptical on this issue, astrology enjoys the greatest credibility that arises from its presumed scientific basis, that is, their perception of the same. We dealt with this in one of the previous articles, The Question of Fate in Astrology, which explains that same concept and provides an answer to the question of why astrology works. On the other hand, people who do not believe in fate start from the assumption that life itself is unpredictable, emphasizing that this unpredictability is one of the essential beauties of life and that the concept of fate is contrary to the concept of freedom etc. In a certain sense, both views are valid, and that derives from the very concept of Life, that is, Nature. Everything is really possible in Nature, and in that respect there can be no exclusivity or limitation, which doesn’t come from the very nature of living beings. But it is precisely this nature that is at the same time limiting, because a sentient being can only develop in accordance with its own nature or physis. Man is no exception in this regard, whether he accepted this predictability or not. Therefore, it is clear that predictability can be disputed to some extent, but this is not the situation when it comes to the knowability of our development. This, of course, does not mean that it is unambiguous, ie. generally determined for each person in terms of his attainment, but on the contrary, individual sprouts are always different and that diversity should be achieved at all levels. This individual basis is one of the basic premises on which astrology as a hermetic discipline is based. This cognition of our individual development therefore arises from our very nature. Astrology is a language that can enable us to know that, and hence its predictive power. Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychologist, expressed this most beautifully:

“We are born at a given moment, in a given place and, like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and of the season of which we are born. Astrology does not lay claim to anything more.”

This is so because nature shapes us with the mentioned qualities, and what is most closely explained to us through humoral medical theory. Humoral medicine (theory or pathology) is the name for a theory that developed in ancient times and held that the human body consists of four basic body juices (humors). These juices have traditionally been: blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile. According to that theory, the diseases were the result of an imbalance among the juices, and the treatment had to restore that balance. The theory was first put forward by the Greek physician and philosopher Empedocles in the second half of the 5th century BC. The theory is based on the teaching about the four basic elements that make up all things. The theory was further elaborated by Hippocrates, and later systematized by Galen, so that in the end it came to European doctors who learned it from medieval Arab doctors. The mutual proportion of these four humors forms the temperament of the person, which depending on the dominance of body juice in the body constitution can be choleric (yellow bile) – fire, melancholic (black bile) – earth, sanguine (blood) – air and phlegmatic (phlegm) – water . It is very rarely this pure, most often it represents a combination of all four, although the dominant one somehow always stands out. What is important to point out is that temperament is a predominantly innate personality trait determined by the biochemical characteristics of the limbic and central nervous systems. Given this, the assessment of temperament is also the starting point when analyzing the natal chart  – you can read more about it in the text How to (not) interpret the natal chart? Temperament is also considered the only unchanging constant, since it represents this fine weaving, the very foundation on which character is further built, because temperament is the one that colors all acquired experiences of a person, so his character traits will be differentiated on that basis. The concept of fate further fits into this, since it is closely connected with the character of the individual. This was noticed by another ancient philosopher, Heraclitus of Ephesus:

Everyone chooses – thinks, does, adopts … what follows him by nature, ie character (spirit). That is why some are “awake” (reasonable), while most are “sleepers” and their souls are mostly “moist” , i.e., limited, sensual, and irrational. 

One can also see the connection of this thesis with the modern theory of the “law of attraction” and the concept of “our life is what our thoughts make it” motto, which would clearly indicate that our thoughts and actions are conditioned by our nature. Or as Jesus points out in the Sermon on the Mount, speaking of prayer, “… Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

temperament astrology
Four temperaments

Astrology as a language of symbols contains all this information primarily in the natal chart. Astrology determines temperament by observing the following points: the ascendant, the Sun, the Moon, and even the Lord of the Geniture. It is especially interesting to consider the position of the Sun in this regard, which is not observed through the zodiac sign, but through the seasons, so here we have direct link with Jung’s interpretation that “… we carry within us the quality of the season in which we are born.” Since it is a sign that appears on the horizon at the moment of birth, the rising sign or ascendent ie. the horoscope has a special meaning because it imprints its symbolic qualities in the nature of the native. The significance of the second luminary, the Moon, is most obvious even on physical level, since science has also unequivocally determined the influence of its phases on life on earth. This influence is clearly manifested through the temperament of the native, since the phases of the Moon are observed in regard of relationship between qualities of heat, dryness, moist and cold (that determine temperament, eg choleric – hot and dry) which were observed to dominate in  a certain phase. So we have: from the new moon to the first quarter – hot and moist (sanguine); from the first quarter to the full moon – hot and dry (choleric); from the full moon to the last quarter – cold and dry (melancholic); from the last quarter to the new moon – cold and moist (phlegmatic).

However, what makes a natal chart the most suitable means of interpreting this predictability, ie of knowing one’s nature, and therefore one’s fate, is the fact that all of this is expressed in a unique language of symbols. The symbol represents the sublimation of different concepts, i.e. it is a combination of intuitive cognition and logical understanding and as such is an expression of Knowledge. When we look at a certain symbol, we can come to much deeper, and more importantly more complete, knowledge about everything that is somehow woven into it, than we ever could by simply reading tons of books about it or by just intuitively guessing. The symbol unites both these types of cognition into one and enables us to see the Truth that it represents without any relativization. Surely in many situations you could feel how this congruency of some inner voice and logical reasoning leaves that infallible impression of knowledge that leads you to enthusiastically exclaim “I knew it!” It is precisely such a connexion that  the symbol represents, and their power lays just there, since they transcend words and feelings and sublime them into a unique synthesis of Knowledge. This is also the reason why the highest Mysteries of human existence are transmitted precisely through symbols.

And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. (Gospel of Luke, 8:10)

In that sense, symbols can be considered as the language of Nature and her Intent in the philosophical sense. Astrological symbols are an example of such sublimation, as we shall see in later examples. This principle is perhaps most clearly expressed through Jung’s hypothetical construct of the archetype that signifies the universal, inherited framework of all experience. These are innate patterns of thought, feeling, and action that result from the centuries-long experience of many generations of ancestors. In a broader sense, the original model or prototype. The archetype is the basic structural and dynamic unit of the collective unconscious. It can be studied through its manifestations on a collective level (in myths, religious dogmas, poetic images, rituals, etc.) and on an individual level (in dreams, visions, symptoms and parapsychological experiences). However, his expression is always a symbol and it is always an allegorical representation of a certain aspect of Truth. Take, for example, the symbol of the cross, which is most often associated with sacrifice, and at the same time it is a clear symbol of Christianity, whose paradigm is based on sacrifice.

planets astrology symbols
Symbols of the planets

Astrology works on this principle, considers the symbols of the planets, zodiac signs and other astrological factors which as such represent certain special aspects of Knowledge and the mentioned intent, expressed through a personal microcosm, described by their unique relationship in our “piece of heaven” and it is possible, and consequently derived, from the natural, hermetic teaching “as above so below.” It is very important to point out that when I talk about a natural plan, I am not talking about a master plan that can only take place one way that is pre-conceived and determined and that there is no other way. This intent that we have in mind here is more like something that is constantly evolving and somehow unwinding on its own, and all we can actually do is only to notice the symbolic constants of such unwinding. This is obvious on an individual level through the fact that our naturally given potentials may or may not develop, and the same can be said even for the civilizational currents through Time, which we will deal with in the following text.

But, let us return to the symbols in the natal chart. As an example, here I would like to highlight two planets that I truly consider transcendent, and that is the pair of Venus and Mars, and not some others that modern astrology favors without any basis. Surely the ideas of love and partnerships immediately come to your mind, which is only a part of their general symbolism, but which of course has a clear implication in that field that comes from their transcendental nature. So aren’t we most challenged to overcome our ego in love relationships?

Venus and Mars are inviting us to this transcendence in different ways. Astrology observes the principle of Mars through right action. It is an action that in some abstract sense transcends the demands of our ego, regardless of what personal views tell us that it is or is not right, and regardless of whether the personal ego tells us that it is smart or not. Traditionally, there are two places where Mars causes a person to transcend itself. One is the battlefield, where you do something your ego doesn’t want you to do at all – you sacrifice yourself through the right action. Another place where you sacrifice yourself through right action, putting your ego at risk, is the bed. That is why an orgasm is called a “small death”. Because if you are transcending your ego, it does not want that to happen, to give so much of yourself. Finally, whether you are male or female, the impulse of Mars in you wants to transcend the ego, because then you can find beauty.

venus mars
Venus and Mars

If Mars wants to transcend the ego through right action, Venus wants to the same but by sacrificing in a different way – by giving that transcends the ego. What do you do when you connect your Venus with someone? You start buying gifts. And your ego doesn’t want that, he wants presents for himself. Or spend time cooking for another person, while your ego doesn’t really care what he or she will eat! And when your Venus is seriously attached, you completely transcend your life by wrapping it in a fine little ball and offer it to another person, saying, “Look, do you want this, do you want to marry me?” This principle of giving comes from a related aspiration towards union which is, clearly, also a symbolic expression of Venus, which at the deepest level wants to unite us with God (hence in traditional iconography the Holy Spirit is depicted as a dove, a bird ruled by Venus), while at the synastry level this aspiration is expressed through desire to connect with another person. Interestingly, the symbol of Venus contains the previously mentioned symbol of the cross.

All in all, this example of Venus and Mars in their symbolic expressions of our transcendent needs clearly tells us to what extent we can observe astrological symbolism and what insights it can give us about ourselves and our nature, and hence destiny. For destiny is only a set of experiences derived from  our needs and desires and as such represents the unwinding of our nature through those experiences, ultimately and possibly leading us to Wisdom, to the development of our potential, or to the failure that nature will reject.