Considerations

Now Ptolemy goes quite astronomical and celestial at the root of the qualities of weather and the resemblance to life itself, the 4 stages of life and the 4 seasons due to the inclination of Earth and the position of the Sun relative to it, and for that Aries came to be the” genesis” of astrological wheel.

This particular chapter is important to point out the fact the Tropical Zodiac System is as valid as the Sideral well practiced before Ptolemy’s time, or, that the Precesscion of the Zodiac was well known, and for that, the Tropical Zodiac needed some explannations to do, and Ptolemy did it. He knew the Zodiac and its division in time are symbolic, and even when the signs of skies have moved places, we could easily foretell by projecting below a “fixed” board. Its like, we know the Earth is moving at rapid speed, and yet we stand above its not feeling the speed physically but rather still and grounded, “fixed” by gravity.

Of the Effect of the Seasons & of the Four Angles

On chapter 10 ‘Of the Effect of Seasons and the 4 Angles’, the author makes sure to distinguish the 4 seasons and their temperatures in excess, and thus ruling the whole season that be. For example, summer has an obviously hot temperature practically during the whole period the Sun transits from tropical sign of Cancer, to the reminding 2 signs of fixed Leo and Mutable Virgo [in northern hemisphere], due to its position in relation to the Zenith and Earth’s inclination. 

Divesrsification by the Constitutions of the Seasons: In this chapter, Ptolemy also reminds us that the seasons also have a resemblance to that of what is organic: the life’s stages; from the earliest ages to the decline and finally death.

In a simple note, he tells us the Zodiac is a circle with no beginning and thus no end, a loop with variations of meanings on the curves but a necessary point intervention is necessary nonetheless. I don’t know why he didn’t point out to the polymaths of astrology by this point since he was a polymath himself (quite a mystery to me). 

Read it:

Spring: “Of the four seasons of the year, spring, summer, autumn, and winter, Spring exceeds in moisture on account of its diffusion after the cold has passed and warmth is setting in; 

Summer: …the summer, in heat, because of the nearness of the Sun to the Zenith; 

Autmun: …autumn more in dryness, because of the sucking up of the moisture during the hot season just past; 

Winter: and winter exceeds in cold, because the Sun is farthest away from the Zenith.”

Ptolemy next points to the fact the ancient viewed the Zodiac to be this mythical living creature, with limbs and intentions (for practical purposes I guess), but still guided by the Sun’s patterns in relation to the universe, literally. Read how he puts it:

The Starting Point of Aries 0°:“For this reason, although there is no natural beginning of the Zodiac, since it is a circle, they assume that the sign which begins with the vernal equinox, that of Aries, is the starting point of them all, making the excessive moisture of the spring the first part of the Zodiac as though it were a living creature, and taking next in order the remaining seasons, because in all creatures the earliest ages, like the spring, have a larger share of moisture and are tender and still delicate. 

The Second Point (0° Cancer): The second age, up to the prime of life, exceeds in heat, like summer; 

The Second Point (0° Libra): the third, which is now past the prime and on the verge of decline, has an excess of dryness, like autumn; 

The Second Point (0° Capricorn): and the last, which approaches dissolution, exceeds in its coldness, like winter.”

The text now continues to the 4 quarters of Earth and their directions (East/West – South/North), the effect of the Sun “on them” and the winds from each angle resulted from such positions:

“Similarly, too, of the four regions and angles of the horizon, from which originate the winds from the cardinal points, 

East Winds (Asc): …the eastern one likewise excels in dryness because, when the Sun is in that region, whatever has been moistened by the night then first begins to be dried; and the winds which blow from it, which we call in general Apeliotes, are without moisture and drying in effect. 

South Winds (Mc): …The region to the south is hottest because of the fiery heat of the Sun’s passages through mid-heaven and because these passages, on account of the inclination [the tilt] of our inhabited world, diverge more to the south; and the winds which blow thence and are called by the general name Notus are hot and rarefying. 

West Winds (Dsc): …The region to the west is itself moist, because when the Sun is therein the things dried out during the day then first begin to become moistened; likewise the winds which blow from this part, which we call by the general name Zephyrus, are fresh and moist.

North Winds (Ic): …The region to the north is the coldest, because through our inhabited world’s inclination [the tilt] it is too far removed from the causes of heat arising from the Sun’s culmination, as it is also when the Sun is at its lower culmination [Ic]; and the winds which blow thence, which are called by the general name Boreas, are cold and condensing in effect.”

After the Directions of the Winds from the 4 Angles/quarters of Earth and the constituitons that follow, now Ptolemy briefly writes about them at practical level and how vigoursly they are when things are not contrary to their own nature.

All Shapes & Variations: The Seasons are very distinguished from each, we can see, feel and practically taste such variations. There are plans/projects more suited for Summer than in Winter or vice-versa, etc. then why not adhere such functionalities of a Solar Year to a daily transit and Electional astrology for example, when we already demystified the main divisions of space and time in astrology?

“The knowledge of these facts is useful to enable One to form a complete judgment of temperatures in individual instances. For it is easily recognizable that, together with such conditions as these, of seasons, ages, or angles, there is a corresponding variation in the potency of the stars’ faculties, and that in the conditions akin to them their quality is purer and their effectiveness stronger, those that are heating by nature, for instance, in heat, and those that are moistening in the moist, while under opposite conditions their power is adulterated and weaker. Thus the heating stars in the cold periods and the moistening stars in the dry periods are weaker, and similarly in the other cases, according to the quality produced by the mixture.”

Matching Stars, Symbols & Temperaments: The text above can also be interpreted as ‘Electional Astrology’ once again, because of the “preparation” of the stars as being stronger in their right Sect or in constitutions that resemble their own etc. If an astrologer knows that there isn’t/aren’t any “tendency contrary to their own, as the whole influence is then entire and unalloyed…” then why not begin something/project at the day when Saturn is in the 12^th and Mars in the 6^th where their maleficent excess is put averted in order to perform in vigor to that what should be moderated? Or, using and over-using the transiting Sun-Mercury-Venus-Jupiter (and sometimes Mars) in the entire Summer time, but using cautiously more of Saturn-Mercury-Mars in the winter where the constitution of the season is practically more “seasoned” to the planets’ themes & topical meanings etc. these positions in the radix and time-frames in the period of a Solar Year would make the planet act more “vigorously”. 

Another example, do some great start/beginning of work/project in the Autmun with Moon & Venus and sometimes Mercury (and why not Juptier as well?) once their primary temperament is said to be wet/benefic/fertile.

Also, Venus and Jupiter wouldn”t give “all their best” as a pattern in life if they are out of Sect, once they are removed from the position that would actually duplicate their grandiosity and benefic temper or far from the constituition in time that resembles theirs someway or another.

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The signs, which come in the next chapter, resemble the seasons and since there are middle and end of seasons, it eventually resembles the triplicities in astrology (cardinal-fixed-mutable), and the signs located at the stakes/angles of the world are said to be the cardinal operation over Earth’s affairs etc. 

Conclusion

Ptolemy says many things in such short phrases and paragraphs, which can later be discussed, learned more and even expanded. This is awesome nonetheless. 

Knowing the Sun has a “heating” and summer quality, the professional understands it corresponds to a “warm” person [in general] when the planet dominates the native’s chart, or any other planet and their known temperatures. Beforehand, they know already the native with the Sun in dominion will not feel welcome in the cold, be it in an environmental climate or metaphorically speaking [a Sun’s disposition person may not deal well with a person with opposite quality, like a Saturn ruled native for example] etc.

Ptolemy classified the 4 elements [fire, earth, air, and water] as the ‘primary sublunary elements’ (Chapter I; Book I) where each is a mixture by certain conditions, like air is like a vapor and for that is warm and humid, for instance fire is logically hot and dry etc. and how that not only affects the mundane, the world, but the native oneself.

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References

Go back to Ptolemy’s Way and read the references