Planets in Sect

Night & Day Planetary Sect in Astrology By Robert S. Hand A Publication of ARHAT P.O. Box 2008 Reston, VA 20195 Copyright © 1995 Robert S. Hand The cover is Mandala Three from The Alchemical Mandala by Adam McLean, published by Phanes Press, 1989. However, it has been somewhat modified by means of bit map editing so that the planetary glyphs are under the proper sect light. The original had the planets arranged a bit differently. Table of Contents Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introduction to Sect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Basic Definitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Additional Basic Definitions Concerning Sect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Other Sect Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 A Sample Chart — FDR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 The Meanings of the Planets in Diurnal and Nocturnal Charts. . . . . . 12 General Natures of the Planets According to Sect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Other Manifestations of Sect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Lots and Sect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Sect and the Hyleg or Apheta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Sect and Firdar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Sample Charts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Chart #1: Adolf Hitler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Chart #2: Eleanor Roosevelt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Chart #3: President Clinton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Chart #4: Richard M. Nixon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Chart #5: Charles Dederick. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Chart #6: Tony Costa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Concluding Remarks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 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 modern astrologers, or that are employed in ways in traditional astrology that are unfamiliar to modern 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 unfamiliar. 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 to say that we will learn more, and that 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 to 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 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 of life expectancy, the computation of most of the lots (known to us somewhat incorrectly as “Arabic Parts”), the succession of planetary rulerships in time and the rulers of the triplicities.1 However, what was even more important than any of these is that every planet, every aspect, and every house position was interpreted differently according to whether the chart was of a day or a night birth! Nor was it so that the day birth was more powerful and benevolent 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 charts, and is intended to provide the reader with the basics for applying this teaching to modern interpretations. Basic Definitions Sect or Condition — In Greek this was hairesis, in Latin condicio 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. All of the planets are either of the2 This refers to two systems, the first of which will be touched upon1 somewhat in this work, triplicities and their rulership over the thirds of life, and the second of these systems Firdar or Alfridaries, a system of planetary period rulerships similar 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 later one. This derivation is from the standard Lewis and Short, A New Latin2 Dictionary, originally published by Oxford University. However another derivation is given by the O.E.D. It states that the English word ‘sect’ comes from the Latin secta, a point on which both sources agree, but that the Latin secta comes in turn from secutus, 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 sect or of the lunar, nocturnal sect. The sect of a planet is independent of its sex.1 The following passages from Ptolemy Tetrabiblos, Book I, refer to these matters. Chapters 5 and 6 provide introductory material that is useful for understanding the logic of sects set forth in chapter 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 are destructive and passive, that of the dry and that of the cold (through which all things are in turn 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 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 are more in males), they have fairly handed down to us that the Moon and the star of Aphrodite [Venus] are feminine because of having their excess in the wet. But the Sun, the star of Kronos [Saturn], the star of Zeus [Jupiter], and the star of Ares [Mars] are traditionally masculine. And the star of Hermes [Mercury] is common to both genera, in accordance with which he is productive equally of the dry essence and the wet essence. And they say that the stars are being made masculine and feminine during their figurations to the Sun. For, while they are east relative to the Sun and preceding him, they are becoming masculine, but while they are1 west relative to him and following, they are being made feminine. This also2 happens during their figurations 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 they are eastern; but in the remaining two quadrants they are being made feminine, 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 feminine 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 Hermes [Mercury] common in regard to these, being diurnal in the morning figure and nocturnal in the evening figure. And they also assigned to each of the sects the two planets3 of the destructive essence, not however for the same physical reasons but for the opposite ones. For, when stars that are similar to stars of a good mixture become familiar with them, they make their beneficial character greater, though when unfamiliars to the destructive stars hold intercourse with them, they undo much of the affliction. Whence, since the star of Kronos [Saturn]4 That is, earlier than the Sun in the order of the zodiac.1 That is, later than the Sun in the order of the zodiac.2 The preceding references to figures are to the Greek word, schçma, and the3 phrasing is translated literally. However, we and virtually 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 substitute