Arabic Astrology: Historical Analysis and Technical Methods

aloud the summary of the process, and at each article demanded, asking the accused if what was being exposed against him was true, he replied that he had said it, taught it, and believed it. When the function was finished, Cecco was sentenced to be burned alive with all the books he had composed.[41]

Chapter 14 - IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS: Arabic Astrology

Arabic Astrology was certainly characterized by the reworking of ancient astrological techniques and doctrines, of both Eastern and Western origin, often considered lost and integrated with each other into a harmonic whole. This work of recovery and reworking of Greek, Persian, Egyptian and Babylonian doctrines translates into the synthesis of 3 crucial elements that would go down in history as the great milestones and achievements of Arabic Astrology:

• the theory of Planetary Conjunctions;
• Domification and the meanings of the Houses;
• the practice of Arabic Parts.

In reality, none of these three points is an original product of Arab culture, having already been considered, albeit marginally, in classical astrology. However, each of these elements, after Arab reworking, acquired a central role in astrological practice.

The Theory of Planetary Conjunctions

The study of Planetary Conjunctions, particularly the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction, represents one of the greatest contributions of Arabic Astrology to Western Astrology. The study of these astronomical phenomena and their meaning should indeed have been a doctrine of Eastern origin little considered in Egypt in Ptolemy's time, who in his Tetrabiblos dedicates only a few mentions to the subject. To place special attention on the role of Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions and the destiny of peoples are certainly the Arabs, particularly Mashallah, a Jew converted to Islam, who would dedicate numerous works to the subject.

Domification and the meanings of the Houses

The practice of Arabic Parts

Theory of Arabic parts: In astrological technique, one must trace in the horoscope the degree of the zodiac relative to what we need to know.

First of all, we should consider the degree of the Zodiac that represents the thing one wishes to know: if, for example, one investigates the actions of life, we should consult the Midheaven, if instead one investigates the father, we must observe the position of the Sun. - Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos

Arabic parts are sensitive points of the horoscope like the houses. How they were used is synthetically explained by Abu Mashar:

The ancient authors of astronomical science have treated the lots in a compendious way and there is no one among those who preceded us in this art who has not described the force of these lots in relation to the beginning of actions and their outcomes, in relation to nativities and revolutions of years, both genethliac and worldly. And the practice of these lots has spread so much that when someone wants to consider a particular thing, such as means of livelihood or the condition of brothers or parents and the like, they do not observe the pertinent house (bayt) and its lord, nor the states of other planets in relation to it, but immediately consider the lot of that given house and its place and its lord, and based on this express judgment.

Parts of the Luminaries

• Part of the Sun: $\text{Asc} + \text{Sun} - \text{Moon}$ (day), $\text{Asc} + \text{Moon} - \text{Sun}$ (night)
• Part of the Moon (or Fortune): $\text{Asc} + \text{Moon} - \text{Sun}$ (day), $\text{Asc} + \text{Sun} - \text{Moon}$ (night)

Parts of the Planets

• Part of Mercury: $\text{Asc} + \text{Mercury} - \text{Moon}$
• Part of Venus: $\text{Asc} + \text{Venus} - \text{Sun}$
• Part of Mars: $\text{Asc} + \text{Mars} - \text{Moon}$
• Part of Jupiter: $\text{Asc} + \text{Jupiter} - \text{Sun}$
• Part of Saturn: $\text{Asc} + \text{Saturn} - \text{Moon}$

Parts of the Houses

I House: The Souls (0-20, 20-40, 40-end)

• Part of life: $\text{Asc} + \text{Saturn} - \text{Jupiter}$
• Part of life duration: $\text{Asc} + \text{Part of Sun} - \text{Part of Fortune}$
• Part of wisdom: $\text{Asc} + \text{Part of Sun} - \text{Part of Fortune}$

II House: Money (0-20, 20-40, 40-end)

• Part of wealth: $\text{Asc} + \text{Cusp II House} - \text{Ruler of II House}$
• Part of loan: $\text{Asc} + \text{Mercury} - \text{Saturn}$
• Part of finding: $\text{Asc} + \text{Venus} - \text{Mercury}$

III House: Brothers (Travels, Writings and Neighbors)

• Part of brothers: $\text{Asc} + \text{Jupiter} - \text{Saturn}$
• Part of quantity of brothers: $\text{Asc} + \text{Saturn} - \text{Mercury}$
• Part of death of brothers: $\text{Asc} + \text{MC} - \text{Sun}$

IV House: Fathers (The Father, the House and the End)

• Part of father: $\text{Asc} + \text{Saturn} - \text{Sun}$
• Part of death of parents: $\text{Asc} + \text{Jupiter} - \text{Saturn}$
• Part of grandparents: $\text{Asc} + \text{Saturn} - \text{Ruler of Sun}$
• Part of noble birth: $\text{Asc} + \text{Mars} - \text{Saturn}$
• Part of real estate: $\text{Asc} + \text{Moon} - \text{Saturn}$
• Part of buildings: $\text{Asc} + \text{Jupiter} - \text{Mercury}$
• Part of exile: $\text{Asc} + \text{Prenatal New or Full Moon} - \text{Saturn}$

V House: Children (Children, Loves and Athletes)

• Part of children: $\text{Asc} + \text{Saturn} - \text{Jupiter}$
• Part of time of children: $\text{Asc} + \text{Jupiter} - \text{Mars}$
• Part of male children: $\text{Asc} + \text{Jupiter} - \text{Moon}$
• Part of female daughters: $\text{Asc} + \text{Venus} - \text{Moon}$
• Part of sex of unborn: $\text{Asc} + \text{Moon} - \text{Ruler of Moon}$

VI House: The Sick (Diseases, Servants and Harvest)

• Part of illness: [formula continues...]