ASTROLOGIA GALLICA
© 2006 James H. Holden
Updated: December 3, 2006
GLOSSARY
Accidental Significators (Lat. significatores accidentales)
Planetary Significators that are only valid in a particular Chart. They are the Planets
in the Celestial Houses
of that Chart and the Planetary Rulers of those Houses, such as in a Nativity the Ruler of the ASC for
life, the Ruler of the 7th house for
the spouse, the Ruler of the 10th
house for profession and honors. Morin rejects the Universal Significators (q.v.) and says that the Accidental Significators are the primary
Significators to be used in
interpreting a Chart.
Accidents (Lat. accidentes) Happenings or occurrences, either good
or bad, affecting the native, e.g. an illness, a promotion, marriage, death,
etc.
Action (Lat. actio) The
doing or performance of a Planet.
Actions (Lat. actiones) The
deeds or accomplishments of a Native.
These are signified by the 10th House.
Afflicted (Lat. laesus ‘hurt’) The situation of a
Planet when it receives a bad Aspect from
Mars or Saturn. A Planet is also said to be Afflicted by being posited in an unfavorable House or by being Retrograde.
Alchabitius System TheHouse System named for the 10th
century Arabian astrologer Alchabitius (Al-Qabi’îî), but devised much earlier during
the classical period. It divides the right ascension arcs of the MC/ASC and ASC/IMC
quadrants into 3 equal parts. It was commonly used during the middle ages, but
was denounced by Morin.
Anaereta (Lat. from Grk.
anairetês
‘destroyer’) The Promissor that
signifies the native’s death when the Apheta comes to it by direction.
Analogy
(Lat. analogia
from Grk.) The characteristic Influence
of a Planet aside from its specific
signification in a particular chart. For example, Jupiter has an Analogy to wealth and dignity. (See also
Universal Significators.)
Angles (Lat. anguli) The
four Houses, ASC, MC, DSC, and IC are
said to be Angles. These are the
strongest Houses.
Angular (Lat. angularis) Said of Houses 1, 10, 7, and 4 and also of a Planet in one of those Houses. The strongest House
position for a Planet.
Antiscion (Lat. antiscium from Grk.) Antiscion –
the point in the Zodiac that is equidistant from another point on the opposite
side of either the summer solstice or the winter solstice in the same
hemisphere.
Apheta (Lat. from Grk. aphetês
‘starter’) The Prorogator
of life in a Nativity.
Arc of Direction (Lat. arcus directionis) The
angular distance required to rotate the prorogator to the promissor
in a primary direction.
Aspect (Lat. aspectus) The
angular distance between two points in the Zodiac. Morin recognized seven: conjunction, semi-sextile, sextile, square, trine, quincunx, and opposition, all of which (except the conjunction) were multiples of 30
degrees. He rejected others
(including the semi-square) that had been proposed by Kepler.
The Aspects are discussed in detail
in Book 16.
ASC (Lat. horoscopus from Grk. ‘ascendant’) The Latin word is used by Morin as a name
for either the Ascendant as a whole
or the ASC Degree. Horoscopus was
the ancient name, but today the word horoscope
refers to the whole chart, not just to the Ascendant,
so it is translated as ASC to avoid
confusion.
ASC Degree The exact degree of the Zodiac that is rising on the eastern Horizon at the time of birth of a Native or at the time for which any Chart is set. Aspects
to it are important.
Ascendant (Lat. ascendens ‘rising’) The first and most important House of an
astrological Chart.
(See also ASC and ASC Degree.)
Benefic (Lat. beneficus ‘good-doing’) A Planet that produces a good Effect. The two Benefic Planets are Jupiter and Venus. Also, an Aspect that is Benefic.
Cadent (Lat. cadens ‘falling’) Said of the Houses 3, 6, 9, and 12 because they are “falling
away” from the Angles. They are the
weakest House position for a Planet.
Caelum (Lat.
‘sky’) Frequently used to refer to the actual
appearance of the Celestial Sphere at
a particular place and time; that is, the orientation of the Signs of the Zodiac and the positions of the Planets.
It of course refers to both the hemisphere above the Horizon and the one below it.
Campanus System The House System devised by Campanus of Novara in the 13th century. It divides the prime vertical into 12 segments of 30º
each. Denounced by Morin.
Celestial House. (Lat. domus celestialis) One of
the 12 spaces in the astrological Chart.
Celestial Sphere (Lat. sphaera celestialis) The
supposed sphere in the sky surrounding a particular spot on the Earth’s
surface.
Centiloquy (lat. Centiloquium) A collection of one hundred astrological rules often
attributed to Ptolemy (but not by Morin), but actually by an unknown medieval
author. There is another Centiloquy
attributed to Hermes.
Chart Generic term for an astrological
diagram. It can be a Nativity (a
natal horoscope), a Revolution (or
Return), a mundane Figure (Aries
Ingress, Eclipse Chart, etc.), a Horary Chart,
or an Election Chart.
Circle of Position (Lat. positionis circulum) A celestial circle that is
drawn through a Planet or a house Cusp in the Regiomontanus System of House Division.
Co-ruler A Planet that shares the Rulership
of a House. See Ruler.
Condition (Lat. conditio ‘mode’) Another name for
Sect (q.v.).
Constellation (Lat. constellatio) A group of stars
recognized as forming a named pattern in the sky. Twelve of them have the same
names as the Signs of the Zodiac, but they are of different
lengths and do not coincide with the Signs
of the same name.
Converse Directions (Lat. directio conversa) Directions calculated by rotating the Celestial Sphere counter-clockwise.
Corporal (Lat. corporalis ‘bodily’) The corporal
or bodily presence of a Planet in the
House of an astrological Chart. Morin says that it is more
significant than an absent Planet’s Rulership
of that House.
Co-ruler A Planet that shares Rulership
with another Planet. (See Rulership.)
Cusp (Lat. cuspis ‘point’) The initial
Zodiacal degree of a House. It has no
Latitude.
Debilities (Lat. debilitates ‘weaknesses’) Positions of a Planet in a sign that
hinder or corrupt its characteristic action. Morin recognizes Exile (or Detriment), Fall, and Peregrine. These are discussed in Book
15. Being Retrograde is also usually
reckoned to be a Debility. (See also
Afflicted.)
Decans (Lat. decani) Subdivisions of the signs
into thirds, an original feature of Horoscopic
Astrology, but one denounced as valueless by Morin.
Derived Houses Houses counted from another House in the counter-clockwise
direction. For example, the 12th house of a Nativity
is the 2nd House of the Native’s
friends (ruled by the 11th House).
This is an ancient technique.
Determination (Lat. determinatio) The field of action
of a Planet as determined by its Celestial
House. The fundamental principle of the Morin Method. Book 21 is devoted to
Determinations.
Detriment (Lat. detrimentum ‘harm’) The Sign opposite the Domicile of a Planet; and therefore a Sign of a contrary nature,
in which the Planet is poorly placed.
It is a Debility.
Dexter (Lat. dexter ‘right’) The direction of an Aspect to the right side as seen from the center of the Chart.
Dignities (Lat. dignitates) Positions of a Planet in a Sign that strengthen its Action.
The Dignities that Morin recognizes
are Domicile, Exaltation, and Trigon (Triplicity). These are discussed in
detail in Book 15.
Dignity (Lat. dignitas) Morin uses this word in
the sense of Rank or Title or Position (a 10th House
matter). (See also Dignities.)
Direct (Lat. directus ‘straightforward’) Said
of a Planet when it is moving forward
in the Zodiac, or of a Direction when it is formed by rotation
in the clockwise direction.
Direction (Lat. directio) The calculated rotation
of a Planet or house Cusp on the Celestial Sphere. Morin uses the term to refer to what we call Primary Directions.
Dispositor (Lat. dispositor ‘disposer’) A Planet
that rules the Sign that another Planet
is in.
Diurnal (Lat. diurnus ‘by day’) Said of a chart
in which the Sun is above the Horizon.
And also said of a Planet that is of
the Diurnal Sect, namely the Sun,
Saturn, and Jupiter.
Dodecatemorion (Grk. dôdekatêmorion
‘twelfth’) Morin’s term for a Sign of
the Zodiac. Sometimes translated as Twelfth,
but more usually translated as Sign.
Domicile (Lat. domus ‘house’) The Sign ruled by a Planet. It is translated this way to avoid confusion, since the
Latin domus
can also refer to a Celestial House.
A Planet’s position in its own Domicile is a Dignity.
DSC (Lat. descensus ‘the way down’) The Descendant
of a chart, either the 7th House or
the DSC degree.
Earth (Lat. terra or tellus)
Conceived by Morin, following Tycho Brahe, as the
center of the Universe. It was immovable. The Primum Caelum rotated about it, carrying along the signs of the Zodiac and the lower spheres containing
the Planets. The Moon rotated about
the Earth. The Sun also rotated about it, and the Planets Mercury, Venus,
Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn rotated about the Sun.
Ecliptic (Lat. ecliptica) The great circle on
the Celestial Sphere that represents
the Sun’s path. That circle is divided into the Signs of the Zodiac. (See
Zodiac.)
Effect (Lat. effectus)
The Action of a Planet.
Election (Lat. electio) A Horary Chart set for a future time chosen to be
favorable for a particular undertaking. Elections are discussed in Book 26.
Elements
(Lat. elementa)
The four material elements are Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. These are
characteristics of the Signs of the Zodiac.
Elemental Nature. The inherent nature of a
Planet due to its physical constitution.
Equal House System The second of the classical House Systems. It divides the Ecliptic into 12 segments of 30º each
beginning from the ASC Degree. It was
vigorously denounced by Morin in Book 17 and elsewhere.
Equator (Lat. equator) The great circle on the Celestial Sphere that represents the plane of the Earth’s rotation.
Essential Nature See nature.
Ether (Lat. aether from Grk.)
It was conceived to be a rare, fluid, and tenuous substance through which the Planets move. This was
Kepler’s hypothesis.
Exaltation (Lat. exaltatio ‘elevation’) The sign
in which a Planet’s characteristic Action is said to be increased. It is a Dignity.
Exile (Lat. exilium) The Sign opposite a Planet’s Domicile.
In it the Planet’s Influence is contrary to that of its Domicile Sign. This is an older term for
Detriment.
Extrinsic
(Lat. extrinsecus)
Said of Influences that are external to a particular Planet.
Face (Lat. facies) Another
name for Decan
(q.v.)
Fall (Lat. deiectio) A sign in which a
Planet’s characteristic Action is
said to be hindered. It is the Sign
opposite to the Sign of the Planet’s Exaltation. A Planet’s position in its Fall
is a Debility.
Figure (Lat. figura) Another name for an
astrological Chart.
Fortified A Planet is said to be Fortified
when it is strengthened by its Sign
or House position or by the Aspects that it receives.
Horary Chart A Chart set for the moment when someone asks a question or when an event
occurred (a Chart set for a time certain).
Morin says in Book 26 that these are only valid if a king asks the question.
Horizon (Lat. horizon from Grk.) The great circle on
the Celestial Sphere that represents
the horizontal circle visible at a particular point on Earth.
House (Lat. domus ‘house’) One of the 12 Houses of a celestial Figure. See Celestial Houses. Book 17 is devoted to the astrological Houses.
House System A mathematical procedure for
establishing the Cusps of the 12 Celestial Houses of an astrological Chart.
Humors (Lat. humores) Four bodily fluids
postulated by Hippocrates. They were Yellow Bile,
Black Bile, Blood, and Phlegm. If one of these became predominant, they
affected the personality of the person, and he became bilious (choleric),
melancholy, sanguine, or phlegmatic. They were associated with the Four Elements: fire, earth, air, and
water respectively.
Impedited (Lat. impeditus ‘hindered’) An
obsolescent term describing the condition of a Planet that is Afflicted
(q.v.).
Inferior things (Lat. res inferiores) Things on the surface of
the Earth – humans, animals, plants, minerals, etc. (Here, the word inferior merely means lower.) Book
13 contains extensive lists of such things with their Planetary Rulers or Analogies under the
heading Universal Rulerships.
Influence
(Lat. influentia)
The astrological Action of a Planet.
Influential Nature. The effective nature of a Planet; that is, how it acts astrologically.
Intrinsic (Lat. intrinsecus) Said of natures and Influences that are characteristic of a Planet.
Malefic (Lat. maleficus
‘evil-doing’) A Planet that produces
an evil Effect. The two Malefic Planets are Saturn and Mars.
Also, an Aspect that is Malefic.
MC (Lat. medium caeli ‘middle of the sky’) Abbreviation for the Midheaven, either for the 10th House itself or for the MC degree.
Morinus System The House System devised by Morin for use in
the polar regions of the Earth, since the Regiomontanus System fails in those
regions. He gives one example of its use, but he never used it in practice.
(See AG Book 17.)
Mundane Position (Lat. in mundo) The actual position of a Planet on the Celestial Sphere taking its Latitude into account. Its coordinates
are often stated as its Right Ascension and Declination.
Mutual Reception The relationship of two Planets, when each is in the Domicile of the other.
Naibod Measure A measure of time used to equate Arcs of Direction to years, months, and
days. It is named after the 16th century mathematician Valentine Naibod. Convenient
conversion tables are given in AG Book 22.
Nativity (Lat. nativitas or genesis or thema) A natal
horoscope, usually called Nativity in
the translations.
Nature (Lat.
Natura)
Nature (usually capitalized).
Nature (Lat. natura) The nature and Quality of a Planet that define its characteristic Action. See also Elemental Nature and Influential
Nature.
Native (Lat. nativus ‘born’) The person whose Nativity is being discussed.
Nocturnal (Lat. nocturnus ‘by night’) A Chart in which the Sun is below the Horizon. It is also said of a Planet that is of the Nocturnal Sect, namely the Moon, Venus,
and Mars.
Obliquity of the Ecliptic (Lat. obliquitas eclipticae) The angle between the
celestial Equator and the Ecliptic. It very slowly varies, but in
Morin’s time it was about 23º30′.
Orb (Lat. orbis ‘circle’) The allowable
deviation from exactitude of an Aspect
in which the Aspect is still valid.
Parallax (Lat. parallax from Grk.) The shifting of a
Planet’s Longitude and Latitude from the ephemeris positions to Topocentric Positions (q.v.). The effect on a
Planet’s Longitude is less than 1 minute of arc, but the effect on the Moon’s
Longitude can be as great as 1 degree of arc. (See Book 17.)
Partile (Lat. partilis) Said of an Aspect when it has an Orb of 1 degree or less, and especially if the two degree numbers are
the same.
Part of Fortune (Lat. pars fortunae ‘degree of fortune’) A
calculated Significator in a chart.
Morin calculates it according to Ptolemy’s rule: by day and night, subtract the Longitude of the Sun from the
Longitude of the Moon and add the result to the ASC Degree.
Peregrine (Lat. peregrinus ‘foreign’) A Planet in a Sign in which it has no Dignity
is said to be Peregrine.
Places (Lat. loca) Usually used for locations
in the celestial Figure; sometimes
simply a synonym for celestial Houses.
Planet (Lat. Planeta from Grk.) One of the 7 moving bodies seen in
the Caelum, namely the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars,
Jupiter, and Saturn. These are discussed in detail in Book 13.
Platic (Lat. platicus ‘wide’ from Grk.) Said of an Aspect
when its Orb is greater than 1
degree, and particularly when its Orb
is near or beyond the allowable limit.
Pole (Lat. polus) An auxiliary circle that
is used to calculate a House Cusp in the Regiomontanus or Campanus House
Systems. For the ASC it is the geographic latitude of the place. For the
other house Cusps it is a diminished
pseudo-latitude.
Placidus System The House System devised by the 17th century
mathematician Placidus de Titus. It uses fractional
semi-arcs to determine the House Cusps.
Denounced by Morin, but now in common use by most Western astrologers.
Porphyry System The House System named after the 3rd century philosopher Porphyry, but
actually devised a least a century earlier by the astrologer Orion. It divides
the zodiacal arcs of the quadrants MC/ASC and ASC/IMC by 3. Morin denounced it.
Primary Direction (Lat. directio) The rotation of the Caelum required to bring one point to
the position of another point.
Prime Vertical (Lat. circulus verticalis) The great circle on the Celestial Sphere that passes through the
east and west points on the Horizon
and the Zenith of a particular place.
Primum Caelum (Lat. for First Sky) The outermost sphere of the Universe as conceived by
early astronomers and adopted by Morin. It contains the Zodiac of twelve Signs.
Primum Mobile (Lat. for First Moving) Another name for the Primum Caelum, indicating that it was thought to be in daily motion
about the Earth and to be the prime mover
that caused the inner spheres to rotate.
Profection (Lat. profectio ‘going away’) The
calculated motion of some point in a celestial Chart using an arbitrarily assigned motion, such as 1 degree per
year. Morin rejected these because
they were not based on actual astronomical motions. They are now called Symbolic Directions.
Progression (Lat. progressio ‘going forth’) Morin’s
term for Profection.
Note that Progression in his usage is
not a synonym for Direction.
Promissor (Lat. promissor ‘promiser’) A Planet to which a Significator is directed.
Promittor Alternate spelling of Promissor.
Prorogator (Lat. prorogator ‘dispenser’) A Planet
that is a Significator in a Direction, e.g. the Apheta (q.v.).
Quadripartite (Lat. Quadripartitus ‘Four-part’) The
title of the Latin translation of Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos
(Greek ‘Four-book’).
Qualities (Lat. qualitates) The four Qualities of matter are heat, cold, moistness, and dryness. These Qualities are assigned to the Planets
and the Signs of the Zodiac.
Radical (Lat. radicalis ‘having roots’)
Pertaining to the Radix.
Radix (Lat. radix ‘root’) The Nativity
or natal horoscope, or the original Chart.
Rational System An alternative name for the
Regiomontanus System.
Regiomontanus System The House System devised by Johann Müller
(called Regiomontanus in Latin), who lived in the 15th century. It divides the Equator into
12 equal segments of 30º each. It is often called The Rational System. Morin adopted it as his standard system. See
Book 17. It was also used by Zoltan Mason.
Retrograde (Lat. retrogradus ‘going backward’)
Said of a Planet (but not of the Sun
or the Moon) when it is moving backwards through the Zodiac.
Return A modern name for Revolution (q.v.)
Revolution (Lat. revolutio) A Chart drawn for the moment when a Planet returns to its original place in the Zodiac. Nowadays usually called a Return.
Revolution of the Years of the World A Chart set for the moment when the Sun comes to 0 Aries. Nowadays
called an Aries Ingress.
Ruler (Lat. dominus)
A Planet that is the principal Significator for a particular Sign or House, which it is said to rule. (See also Rulership, Accidental
Significators, Universal Significators, and Dispositor.)
Rulership A Planet is said to rule a Celestial House if it is the Ruler of the Sign on the Cusp of that
House. If the House has one Sign on its
Cusp and also a portion of another Sign is in the House, the Ruler of that
other Sign is said to be a Co-ruler of the House.
Sect (Lat. secta ‘party’) There are two Sects – Diurnal and Nocturnal.
The Planets are assigned to the Sects like this: the Sun, Saturn, and
Jupiter belong to the Diurnal Sect,
while the Moon, Venus and Mars belong to the Nocturnal Sect; Mercury is variable.
Secundum Caelum
(Lat. for Second Sky) Another sphere
located immediately within the Primum
Caelum. It was thought to contain the Milky Way and the Fixed Stars.
Sign (Lat. signum ‘sign’) One of the twelve
30-degree divisions of the Zodiac.
The Signs are discussed in detail in
Book 14.
Sign-House System The original system of House Division devised by the Alexandrian
astrologers in the 2nd century B.C. and commonly used during the
classical period. It simply
numbers the Signs, beginning with the
ASC sign, in the counter-clockwise directions and calls them Celestial Houses. Unknown to Morin.
Significations (Lat. significationes ‘indications’) The persons, things, or
situations that are characteristic of
the Action of a Planet or the nature of
a Sign. Elaborate tables of the Significations of the Planets are given in Book 13 under the
heading, Universal Rulerships.
Significator (Lat. significator) A Planet
or point in a Celestial Chart that
signifies a particular thing. (See also Accidental Significators and Universal
Significators.)
Sinister (Lat. sinister ‘left’) The direction of an Aspect to the left side as seen from the center of the Chart.
Spaces (Lat.
spatia)
Sometimes used as a synonym for Celestial
Houses.
State (Lat. status) The condition of a Planet resulting from its location. See
Celestial State and Terrestrial State.
Sublunar things (Lat. sublunaria) Things on the Earth.
A synonym for Inferior Things (q.v.).
Substantial
(Lat. substantialis)
Referring to the physical Substance
of a Planet.
Succedent
(Lat. succedens
‘following after’) Said of Houses 2,
5, 8, and 11 because they “follow” the Angles.
A position of middle strength for a Planet.
Superior Planets (Lat. Planetae superiores)
The Planets Mars, Jupiter, and
Saturn. (here the word Superior
merely means higher, i.e. farther
from the Sun than the Earth.)
Syzygy (Lat. syzygia from Grk.) Morin’s frequently used term for a Conjunction of two Planets.
Terms (Lat. termini) The fivefold subdivisions of the Signs that were much used by astrologers
from the earliest times, but were denounced as valueless by Morin.
Terrestrial State (Lat. status terrestrialis) The condition of a Planet resulting from its placement in
one of the Houses of an astrological Chart.
Topocentric Houses A 20th
century House System. It is similar
to Placidus in moderate latitudes. It was the
favorite system of Gerhard Houwing.
Topocentric Positions
Planetary positions as they would appear at a particular point on the Earth’s surface. They are affected by Parallax (q.v.), which causes a shift in
the Planet’s Longitude and Latitude from the ephemeris positions, which are calculated for the center of the Earth.
In Book 17, Morin says that the Topocentric Positions
should be used, but he never followed his own advice.
Transits (Lat. transitus ‘passages across’) The
passages of Planets at a later date
over Radix positions in a particular Chart. These are sometimes significant.
See the discussion in Book 24.
Trigon (Lat. trigonum ‘triangle’ from Grk.) Morin’s usual term for Triplicity.
Triplicity (Lat. triplicitas ‘three-fold’) A set
of three Signs of the same Element, or a set of three Celestial Houses that form a triangle in
a Chart – such as the ASC, the 5th,
and the 9th. Being in a Triplicity of
Signs is a minor Dignity for a Planet.
Twelfth (Lat. dodecatemorion from Grk.) Frequently used by Morin as a name for a Sign of the Zodiac. Usually translated as Sign
to avoid confusion with the 2½ degree subdivisions that are twelfths of the Signs.
Unfavorable Houses Houses 6,
8, and 12 are considered to be Unfavorable
Houses because they rule servitude, death, and illness.
Universal Constitution (Lat. constitutio universalis) A configuration of
significance for Mundane Astrology, e.g. An Aries Ingress, the Chart of an Eclipse, etc.
Universal Rulerships (Lat. ) Things that are ruled or
signified by the Planets. Extensive tables of these Rulerships are given in book 13.
Universal Significators (Lat. significator universalis ) Planetary Significators
that in standard astrology are supposed to be valid in any chart, such as the
Sun (or Saturn) for the father, Venus
for love and the wife, etc. These have been commonly used by most astrologers
from the earliest times, but Morin calls them Analogies and denies that they are primary Significators in a specific horoscope. (See Accidental Significators.)
Virtue (Lat. virtus) The characteristic strength and nature of a Planet.
Zenith (Lat. zenith from Arabic) The point on the Celestial Sphere that is directly overhead at a particular spot on
the Earth’s surface.
Zodiac (Lat. zodiacus from Grk.)
The circle of twelve Signs that are
located on the Ecliptic.
Zodiacal Position (Lat. in zodiaco) The position of a Planet referred to the Zodiac. Its coordinates are its Celestial Longitude
and Latitude.
James
H. Holden
Revised
11-29-2006
Notes:
1. This Glossary is in progress. Additional
terms will be added later.
2. The definitions in this Glossary refer
specifically to the English translations of Morin’s Astrologia Gallica. And I would like to acknowledge the assistance
of Bette Starr of Philadelphia, who studied with Gerhard Houwing,
and Robert Corre of New York, who studied with Zoltan Mason. Both Bette and
Robert have kindly read earlier drafts of the Glossary and pointed out errors
and omissions.
3. Morin was a devout Roman Catholic, so he
was reluctant to embrace any theory that seemed to conflict with the Bible. For
this reason, he adopted Tycho Brahe’s concept of the
central position and immovability of the Earth, rejecting Copernicus’s concept
of the Sun as the center of the solar system. Morin also retained the old
theories about matter; hence, he speaks of the four elements and the four
qualities. From a modern point of view, the elements earth, air, and water can be considered as types of matter – namely solid, gas, and liquid – while
the element fire can be considered as
a transient quality, since it can be
the combustion of one of the three
types of matter. And the four qualities
are also conditions of matter.
4. It is sometimes asked why the orientation
of an astrological chart is reversed to the orientation of geographical maps.
That is, why is the left side of a chart east, while the left side of a map is
west, etc. The reason is that the Alexandrian astrologers, who invented horoscopic astrology in the 2nd century B.C.,
drew the chart the way geographic maps were drawn in their day, with east on
the left, south at the top, etc. It was Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd
century A.D. who reversed that orientation and drew his maps with west on the
left and north at the top, the way they are still drawn today. So, it is the
maps that have changed their orientation, not the astrological charts.