Note: For references, I utilized the version of the cosmopolitan Tetrabiblos from the anthologist Ptolemy’s four books of the influence of the stars [or the Quadripartite Mathematical Treatise] translated from the Greek paraphrase of Proclus by j. m. Ashmand – more specifically I will refer this article to the Book IV; Chapter 2, pages 95-96 [London, Davis and Dickson; 1822].

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II. Of Material Fortune

Only in this chapter (2) does/did Ptolemy tell us how to find the Lot of Fortune, the subject of Material Fortune – A formula which is not used by the modern society of astrologers, why? Like death, the Western world also curses money even when in practice, and it is actually worshiped in a very capitalist sense. As said in early chapter of this treatise, I think that Astrology revival came a bit misunderstood along with the rise of Psychology. It was a sudden mix of human psychic ideas with the Solar System which some works better just in the mind and not in actual reality.

Also, historically Primary Directions doesn’t seem to have survived through the Hellenistic period. Society began to distance itself in theory and in mass from material world, and the spiritual or energetic were the only things what needed to be accounted for as society, which I think again, an equivocated idea as well if not moderated and intellectually cured. The Egyptians on the other hand, were so attached to their personal belongings, that many of them were buried with these material things so they could “enjoy them” afterlife (such as game-boards), putting/writing and picturing spells in mummies’ tombs so they could reach the other side by their own terms. To the Egyptians, the material (Taurus) was somehow strongly attached to death/afterlife (Scorpio).

This is quite a short chapter, and Ptolemy won’t extent more than a few words for each combination of the planets. It is kind of expected, but you yourself can create a list of income from the planets and their basic topical meaning, or even write a book of the same. Read Ptolemy’s words:

About the Lot of Fortune Formula: “What the subject’s material acquisitions will be is to be gained from the so-called “Lot of Fortune”; that one alone, however, to discover which we measure from the horoscope the distance from the Sun to the Moon, in both diurnal and nocturnal nativities, for the reasons which we stated in the discussion of the length of life.” – [Ptolemy, as opposed to others astrologers, would prefer to have the same formula for both Diurnal and Nocturnal charts and not one formula per Sect.]

Ruler of the Lot: “…As it is constituted in this way, we shall be obliged therefore to take the lordship of the sign [of the Lot], and observe what is the condition of these planets with regard to power and familiarity [sympathy], in the way which we specified at the beginning.

Planets in Aspect to Ruler & Lot: Further, we must consider the planets in aspect with them, or those of their own or of the opposite Sect that overcome them.

Saturn + Jupiter + Lot of Fortune & Inheritances: “…And in a special way, when Saturn is associated with material fortune, if he is in aspect with Jupiter, he is the cause of inheritances, particularly when this comes about upon the upper angles and Jupiter is in a bicorporeal [Mutable] sign [Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces]…

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References

Tetrabiblos Ptolemy’s four books of the influence of the stars [or the Quadripartite Mathematical Treatise] translated from the Greek paraphrase of Proclus by j. m. Ashmand – [London, Davis and Dickson; 1822]

Ptolemy. Tetrabiblos. Translated by F. E. Robbins. Loeb Classical Library 435. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1940.

Porphyry The Philosopher – Introduction To The Tetrabiblos & Serapio Of Alexandria; Astrological Definitions (Translated from the Greek by ] James Herschel Holden, M.A.)