ASTROLOGIA HELENISTA

PARTE 04 - O ZODACO (IV)

The Zodiac which of all the quick-moving circles in the heavens
is the most illustrious and visible, well-furnished with twelve images,
moves through the ether. About it, all-gleaming with stars, is situated
Aries, and (then) Taurus, and Gemini is next to it (Taurus). After them,
Cancer and Leo and (then) Virgo, bearing ears of corn in her hands,
longing for the race of former men, and the Claws whose name the
holy men changed, and they called it Libra because it stretches on
each side, like the scales of a balance which is weighted down. And
Scorpio is next, and next mighty Sagittarius, and then Capricorn after
which are Aquarius and Pisces.
Manetho58

AULA 10 The Exaltations in Hellenistic Astrology

The term exaltation is derived from the Greek word hupsoma, which means to literally
raise something up or to extol something, as in when something is lifted up in the air or
when you extol someones virtues. The astrological concept of the exaltations in the
Hellenistic tradition depends on the notion of the signs acting as the domiciles or dwelling
places of planets and the idea that each of the signs is owned or ruled by a specific planet
that is in charge of providing resources or significations to that sign through the process of
familiarization. The sign in which a planet has its exaltation is a sign in which the
significations of the domicile lord of that sign are particularly complimentary to the
significations of the exalted planet. An analogy would be if a celebrity or a foreign dignitary
came to stay in your house and you spared no expense in order to see that they were
comfortable and that they were given their favorite food and music, etc. Essentially the

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significations that the domicile ruler has to offer are those that are the most in accord with,
and actually compliment or improve the significations of the exalted planet, and this
enables the exalted planet to express many of its more positive effects in the life of the
native.
Going back to the basic natures of the planets we recall that the planet that has a domicile
opposite to another planet has significations that are contrary or somewhat at odds with
the significations of the planet that it is opposing. Similarly, the sign that is opposite to the
exaltation of a planet is known as the sign of that planets fall, depression, or dejection,
from the Greek tapeinoma. In these signs the significations of the domicile ruler of that
sign are actually contrary to or conflicting with those of the planet that is in its depression
there, and thus the planet that is in its depression is treated poorly and is somewhat
inhibited. According to Porphyry
The zidia directly opposite [to the exaltations] happen to be the depressions, in which the
stars have a fainter power.88
The analogy would be traveling to a foreign country where you dont speak the language,
and then being put up in a bad hotel where all of the food makes you sick. It is basically
counterproductive, and it inhibits your ability to actualize your potential significantly. When
a planet is in the sign of its fall it is given significations from the domicile lord which are not
in accord with its own nature and cause it to be debilitated or depressed in its manner of
expression. The anonymous author of the Michigan Papyrus gives an interesting and
somewhat unique account of the exaltations, likening the exaltations to thrones and the
depressions to prisons
In these signs the stars have their own powers and are vigorous. And nature assigned
them thrones and prisons; their thrones the signs upon which they are exalted and have
royal power and prisons wherein they are depressed and oppose their own powers.89
In discussing the exaltations and dejections of the planets Rhetorius explains this rationale
underlying the exaltations and the depressions based on contrarieties between the
exaltations lords
Why is it that where the Sun is exalted, there Kronos is depressed; and where Kronos is
exalted, there the Sun is depressed? We say that it is because the Sun is the storehouse
of fire and light, and is the master of the day; while conversely, Kronos, signifying the
darkness, is cold. Then, at the place where the light of day is exalted, there the darkness
and the night is depressed, and that which is cold is warmed. But at the place where the
darkness is exalted, there the light is depressed and the day becomes shorter. And again,
why is it that at the place where Zeus is exalted, there Ares is depressed; and where Ares
is exalted, there Zeus is depressed? We say that it is because Zeus is the overseer of the
life-breath and abundance, while Ares is the overseer of death. Then, at the place where
the life- breath increases, there the bringer of death is depressed; and where death
increases, there life is depressed. And again, why is it that at the place where Aphrodite is
exalted, there Hermes is depressed; and where Hermes is exalted, there Aphrodite is
depressed? We say that it is because Hermes is the master of arguments, while Aphrodite

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is the overseer of desire and intercourse. Then, at the place where the intellectual
increases, there the desire and the pleasurable in intercourse is depressed. And where the
appetitive and pleasurable is, exalted, there the intellectual is depressed. And again, why
is it that at the place where the Moon is exalted, there nothing is depressed, and where the
Moon is depressed, there nothing is exalted? We say that it is because the Moon is the
fortune of all. And he whom fortune exalts, no one may depress; while he whom fortune
depresses, no one is able to be exalt.90
Additional Schematization of the Exaltations
In addition to the logic surrounding the interaction of the domicile lord of the sign of a
planets exaltation or depression there appear to be at least two other schematizations
which seem to tie the exaltations into the system in a way that is strikingly coherent.
The first is mentioned by Porphyry, who points out that all of the diurnal planets have their
exaltations in signs which are configured to one of their domiciles by trine, while all of the
nocturnal planets have their exaltations in signs that are configured to one of their
domiciles by sextile.
Exaltations are posited of the stars: of diurnal stars, the trigonal [figure] of the domiciles,
the ones sympathetic to them in nature. For example, since the Lion is a domicile of the
Sun, its exaltation will be the Ram, which is its four-footed trigonal [figure] And for
nocturnal stars, which are all of the sect of the Moon, the hexagonal [figures] of the
domiciles are the exaltations due to the weakness of the ray. Let the exaltation of the
Moon, then, be the hexagonal [figure] of the Crab, which is the Bull And the star of
Hermes, since it is common and its ray is quite dim due to its frequent setting, has the
same domicile and exaltation, which is the Virgin91
Here Porphyry is pointing out the exaltation sign of the Sun, Aries, is configured by trine to
its domicile, Leo. Similarly, the other diurnal planets have their exaltations configured to
one of their domiciles by trine: Saturns exaltation in Libra is configured by trine to its
domicile Aquarius, and Jupiters exaltation in Cancer is configured by trine to its domicile in
Pisces. On the other hand, the exaltation sign of the Moon, Taurus, is configured to her
domicile, Cancer, by sextile. The other nocturnal planets follow suit, with Venus exaltation
in Pisces being configured by sextile to her domicile in Taurus, and Mars exaltation in
Capricorn is configured to its domicile in Scorpio. Mercury, who is neutral with regard to
sect, simply takes one of his own domiciles as his exaltation, Virgo.
An additional factor that appears to underlie the Hellenistic rationale for the exaltations has
to do with the Thema Mundi. Schmidt has pointed out that when the exaltation signs of the
planets are superimposed on the Thema Mundi, they all fall in signs that are configured to
the ascendant, which is in Cancer in the Thema Mundi. The houses which are configured
to the ascendant by one of the accepted aspects (sextile, square, trine, opposition) are
considered to be the good houses in the Hellenistic tradition. The Hellenistic aspect
doctrine and conceptualization of the houses will be presented in later chapters.
One last point to make about the exaltations is that each planet has a specific degree of
exaltation and depression where that planet is thought to be the strongest or weakest. It

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appears most of the Hellenistic astrologers primarily paid attention to whether or not the
planets were actually in their own signs of exaltation mainly, although there were a few
specific applications of the exaltations degrees.
The specific degrees of exaltation are listed below, and the degree of their depression lies
exactly opposite.
Exaltation Depression
Sun: 19 Aries 19 Libra
Moon: 3 Taurus 3 Scorpio
Mercury: 15 Virgo 15 Pisces
Venus: 27 Pisces 27 Virgo
Mars: 28 Capricorn 28 Cancer
Jupiter: 27 Cancer 27 Capricorn
Saturn: 21 Libra 21 Aries
According to Firmicus
Whenever in a chart the majority of the planets is in the exact degree of their exaltation,
then they indicate the greatest prosperity. On the other hand, men are overwhelmed by
catastrophe whenever the majority of the planets is [sic] located in the exact degree of
those signs in which they lose their power by debility or fall.92
The Origins of the Exaltations Revisited
Based on the textual evidence present in the extant Mesopotamian birth charts, as well as
the degree to which the exaltations are tightly integrated into the Hellenistic system, there
seems to be an open question as to why the Mesopotamian 'secret houses' are currently
thought to be equivalent to the Hellenistic exaltations at this point in time.
As was pointed out earlier, this assumption persists even though the planetary placements
that are identified as the 'secret houses' in virtually all of the Babylonian horoscopes do not
match up with the standard set of Hellenistic exaltations. According to the Babylonian
horoscopes published this appears to be the case in all six of the horoscopes which
mention the secret places along with certain planetary placements, which the editor of
those texts even points out in her introductory remarks. According to Rochberg, David
Pingree speculated that the secret house placements in the Babylonian horoscopes might
have something to do with the dates of conception involved, due to a Mesopotamian
tradition of working with conception charts rather than birth charts, combined with a later
Hellenistic theory
On the basis of procedures well developed in Greek astrology, Pingree raised the question
of whether the bit nisriti references might have something to do with the position of the
Moon at computed conception.93
However, even Pingree cautioned, according to Rochberg, that given our meager
evidence his hypothesis was largely guesswork.94 It is possible that Pingree may have

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been drawing at straws in order to find a reasonable rationale to substantiate an
association that was on questionable grounds to begin with.
While there are apparently other works besides the Mesopotamian birth charts that
mention the secret places, almost all of these sources appear to be relatively late in date,
thus raising the possibility, at least in my mind, although Rochberg appears to imply this,
that the later cuneiform evidence could just be back-feed from the early Hellenistic
astrological tradition once the Greek exaltations had been established in the Hellenistic
tradition. We have to remember that there was a certain amount of overlap between the
two traditions, with some of the latest cuneiform material appearing around the same time
that Hellenistic astrology is thought to have been developed.
This notion of some sort of back-feed going from the Hellenistic to the late Mesopotamian
tradition seems like a viable hypothesis due to the degree to which the exaltations are
integrated and schematized into the Hellenistic construct, for example, through the Thema
Mundi and through the aspect configurations that each of the visible planets are shown to
have with their Hellenistic domiciles. It would appears that there is some sort of deliberate
schematization going on here in the Hellenistic tradition which links the concept of the
exaltations with the concept of the domiciles, and it involves a number of other concepts
that do not appear to be present in the Mesopotamian tradition (i.e. sect, aspect
configurations, places, domiciles, etc.).
In it of itself, the degree to which the Hellenistic exaltations fit into this schematization
almost seems to make the Mesopotamian origin of the exaltations implausible because if
that were true then it means that either A) the entire Hellenistic construct, including
concepts such as the Thema Mundi', aspects, domiciles, places, and sect, were developed
around the exaltations/secret houses once the exaltations were inherited from the
Mesopotamians, or B) all of these concepts that are schematized around the exaltations in
the Hellenistic tradition (the Thema Mundi, aspects, domiciles, places, sect, etc.) were
present in the Mesopotamian tradition.
While both of these options are interesting and perhaps tantalizing possibilities, neither
one seems very plausible at this point based on the available evidence. Instead it seems
far more likely that the Mesopotamian secret places and the Hellenistic exaltations were
developed separately, at least as far as what they refer to with respect to the specific
positions on the ecliptic that they are thought to denote, even if conceptually there may
have been some as of yet unknown relationship between the concepts which carried over
from one tradition to the other.
CONCLUSO E RECOMENDAO
PARTE 04 - O ZODACO (IV)
AULA 10 - as exaltaes em Astrologia helenstico
"Exaltao" O termo derivado da palavra grega 'hupsoma', que significa, literalmente,
levantar algo para cima ou para exaltar algo, como em quando algo levantado no ar ou
quando algum exaltar as virtudes. O conceito astrolgico do exaltaes na tradio

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helenstica depende da noo dos sinais agindo como os domiclios ou locais de moradia
dos planetas ea idia de que cada um dos sinais de propriedade ou regido por um
planeta especfico que se encarrega de fornecer recursos ou significaes para que o
sinal atravs do processo de familiarizao. O signo em que o planeta tem sua exaltao
um sinal em que as significaes do senhor domiclio desse sinal, so particularmente
de cortesia para as significaes do planeta exaltado. Uma analogia seria se uma
celebridade ou um dignitrio estrangeiro veio para ficar em sua casa e voc no se
poupou a despesas, a fim de ver que eles estavam confortveis e que elas foram dadas a
sua comida favorita e msica, etc Essencialmente, o governante significaes que o
domiclio tem para oferecer so aquelas que so mais de acordo com, e realmente elogio
ou melhorar as significaes do planeta exaltado, e isso permite que o planeta exaltado
para expressar muitos de seus efeitos mais positivos na vida do nativo.
Voltando natureza bsica dos planetas lembrarmos que o planeta que tem um oposto
domiclio para outro planeta tem significaes que so contrrias ou um pouco em
desacordo com as significaes do planeta que est se opondo. Da mesma forma, o sinal
que fica em frente exaltao de um planeta conhecido como o signo da 'queda' de que
planeta, 'depresso', ou 'desnimo', a partir do tapeinoma grego. Nestes sinais a
significaes do governante domiclio desse sinal, so realmente contrrias ou
conflitantes com os do planeta que est em sua "depresso" l, e assim o planeta que
est em sua depresso tratada mal e um pouco inibida. De acordo com Porfrio
O zidia frente [para as exaltaes] acontecer a ser as depresses, em que as estrelas
tm uma tnue power.88
A analogia seria viajar para um pas estrangeiro onde voc no fala a lngua, e ento ser
acondicionados em um hotel ruim, onde todos os alimentos faz voc doente.
basicamente contraproducentes, e inibe a sua capacidade de concretizar o seu potencial
de forma significativa. Quando um planeta est no signo de sua queda dado
significaes do senhor domiclio que no esto de acordo com sua prpria natureza e
fazer com que seja debilitados ou deprimido em sua maneira de expresso. O autor
annimo da Papyrus Michigan d uma interessante e pouco conta nica do exaltaes,
comparando as exaltaes de tronos e as depresses para prises
Nestes sinais das estrelas tm os seus prprios poderes e so vigorosas. E a natureza
atribuiu-lhes tronos e prises; seus tronos os sinais sobre os quais eles so exaltados e
ter poder real e as prises onde eles esto deprimidos e se opem a sua prpria
powers.89
Ao discutir a exaltaes e dejetos da Rhetorius planetas explica esta lgica subjacente as
exaltaes e as depresses com base em contrariedades entre os senhores exaltaes
Por que que, quando o Sol est exaltado, h Kronos est deprimido, e onde Kronos
exaltado, h o Sol est deprimido? Ns dizemos que porque o Sol o armazm de fogo
e luz, e o mestre do dia, enquanto que, inversamente, Kronos, significando a escurido,
frio. Ento, no lugar onde a luz do dia exaltado, h as trevas ea noite est deprimido,

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eo que frio aquecido. Mas no lugar onde a escurido exaltado, h a luz est
deprimido e no dia se torna mais curto. E, novamente, porque que no lugar onde Zeus
exaltado, h Ares est deprimido, e onde Ares exaltado, h Zeus est deprimido? Ns
dizemos que porque Zeus o supervisor do sopro de vida e abundncia, enquanto Ares
o supervisor da morte. Ento, no lugar onde o sopro de vida aumenta, h o portador da
morte est deprimido, e onde aumenta a morte, h vida deprimido. E, novamente,
porque que no lugar onde Afrodite exaltado, no Hermes est deprimido, e onde
Hermes exaltado, h Aphrodite est deprimido? Ns dizemos que porque Hermes o
mestre de argumentos, enquanto Afrodite o supervisor do desejo e da relao sexual.
Ento, no lugar onde os aumentos intelectual, h o desejo eo prazer na relao sexual
est deprimido. E onde o apetitivo e prazeroso , exaltado, o intelectual no est
deprimido. E, novamente, porque que no lugar onde a Lua exaltada, no h nada est
deprimido, e onde a Lua est deprimido, no h nada exaltado? Ns dizemos que
porque a Lua a fortuna de todos. E ele exalta a quem a fortuna, ningum pode deprimir;
enquanto ele quem a fortuna deprime, ningum capaz de ser exalt.90
Esquematizao adicional de as exaltaes
Alm da lgica em torno da interao do senhor domiclio do signo de exaltao de um
planeta ou depresso parece haver pelo menos duas outras esquematizaes que
parecem amarrar o exaltaes no sistema de uma forma que extremamente coerente.
O primeiro mencionado por Porfrio, que indica que todos os planetas diurnos tm suas
exaltaes em sinais que so configurados para um de seus domiclios por trgono,
enquanto todos os planetas noturnos tm suas exaltaes em sinais que so
configurados para um de seus domiclios por sextil.
Exaltaes so postuladas das estrelas: de estrelas diurnas, a [figura] trigonal dos
domiclios, os simpticos a eles na natureza. Por exemplo, uma vez que o Leo o
domiclio do Sol, sua exaltao ser o Ram, que seu de quatro patas [figura] trigonal ...
E para as estrelas noturnas, que so todos da seita da Lua, o hexagonal [figuras ] dos
domiclios so as exaltaes devido fraqueza do raio. Deixe a exaltao da Lua, ento,
ser a [figura] hexagonal do caranguejo, que o Touro ... E a estrela da Hermes, uma vez
que comum e seu raio muito fraca, devido sua configurao freqentes, tem o
mesmo domiclio e exaltao, que Virgem ... 91
Porfrio aqui apontar o sinal exaltao do Sol, ries, configurado por trgono ao seu
domiclio, Leo. Da mesma forma, os outros planetas diurnos tm suas exaltaes
configurado para um de seus domiclios por trgono: exaltao de Saturno em Libra
configurado pelo trgono de seu domiclio Aquarius, e exaltao de Jpiter em Cncer
configurado pelo trgono ao seu domiclio em Peixes. Por outro lado, o sinal de exaltao
da Lua, Touro, est configurado para seu domiclio Cancer, pelo sextil. Os outros planetas
noturnos seguir o mesmo caminho, com Vnus em Peixes exaltao que est sendo
configurado pelo sextil ao seu domiclio em Touro, e Marte "exaltao em Capricrnio est

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configurado para seu domiclio em Escorpio. Mercury, que neutra em relao seita,
simplesmente leva um de seus domiclios prprios como sua exaltao, Virgo.
Um fator adicional que parece esto na base da racionalidade helenstica para a
exaltaes tem a ver com o Mundi Thema. Schmidt apontou que quando os sinais
exaltao dos planetas so sobrepostas na Thema Mundi, caem todos em sinais que so
configurados para o ascendente, que est em Cncer na Thema Mundi. As casas que
esto configurados para o ascendente de um dos aspectos aceite (sextil, quadratura,
trgono, oposio) so consideradas as "casas boas" na tradio helenstica. A doutrina
aspecto helenstica e conceituao das casas sero apresentadas em captulos
posteriores.
Um ltimo ponto a fazer sobre as exaltaes que cada planeta tem um determinado
grau de exaltao e depresso em que o planeta pensado para ser o mais forte ou mais
fraco. Parece a maioria dos astrlogos helensticos principalmente prestou ateno ou
no os planetas estavam realmente em seus prprios sinais de exaltao principalmente,
embora houvesse algumas aplicaes especficas dos graus exaltaes.
Os graus especficos de exaltao esto listados abaixo, eo grau de sua depresso se
encontra exatamente o oposto.
Depresso exaltao
Sun: 19 19 de ries Libra
Lua: 3 3 Escorpio Touro
Mercury: 15 15 Virgo Pisces
Venus: 27 27 Pisces Virgo
Marte: 28 28 de Capricrnio Cncer
Jupiter: 27 27 do Cncer Capricrnio
Saturno: 21 21 de ries Libra
De acordo com Firmicus
Sempre que em um grfico a maioria dos planetas est no grau exato de sua exaltao,
ento eles indicam a maior prosperidade. Por outro lado, os homens so oprimidos por
catstrofe, sempre que a maioria dos planetas [sic] localizado no grau exato dos sinais
em que eles perdem o seu poder de debilidade ou fall.92
As Origens da Glorificado Revisited
Com base na evidncia textual presente no nascimento grficos existentes da
Mesopotmia, bem como o grau em que as exaltaes so totalmente integrados no
sistema helenstico, no parece ser uma questo aberta a respeito de porque "casas

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secretas" na Mesopotmia, esto actualmente a pensar ser equivalente ao helenstico
"exaltaes" neste momento no tempo.
Como foi apontado anteriormente, esta suposio persista mesmo que o colocaes
planetria que so identificados como a "casas secretas" em praticamente todos os
horscopos babilnicos no combinam com o conjunto padro de exaltaes helenstico.
De acordo com o horscopo babilnico publicado este parece ser o caso em todos os seis
dos horscopos que mencionam a lugares secretos, juntamente com certos
posicionamentos planetrios, que o editor dos textos at mesmo aponta em seu discurso
introdutrio. De acordo com Rochberg, David Pingree especularam que as colocaes da
casa "segredo" nos horscopos da Babilnia poderia ter algo a ver com as datas de
concepo envolvidos, devido a uma tradio mesopotmica de trabalhar com grficos
concepo, em vez de cartas do nascimento, combinada com uma helenstico teoria
Com base em procedimentos bem desenvolvidos na astrologia grega, Pingree levantou a
questo de saber se as referncias pouco nisriti pode ter algo a ver com a posio da Lua
no computadorizada conception.93
No entanto, mesmo Pingree advertiu, de acordo com Rochberg, que "dadas as nossas
provas escassas sua hiptese foi em grande parte adivinhao." 94 possvel que
Pingree pode ter sido em palhas de desenho a fim de encontrar uma justificativa razovel
para justificar uma associao que estava no questionvel motivos para comear.
Embora existam outras obras, aparentemente, alm de cartas do nascimento da
Mesopotmia que mencionam a "lugares secretos", quase todas essas fontes parecem
ser relativamente tarde, em data, portanto, levantando a possibilidade de, pelo menos na
minha mente, embora Rochberg parece implicar isso, que a evidncia mais tarde
cuneiforme poderia ser apenas feed back-da tradio helenstica incio astrolgico uma
vez que o exaltaes grega tinha sido estabelecida na tradio helenstica. Temos que
lembrar que havia uma certa quantidade de sobreposio entre as duas tradies, com
algum do material mais recente cuneiforme aparecendo ao redor do mesmo tempo que a
astrologia helenstica pensado para ter sido desenvolvido.
Esta noo de algum tipo de feed back-going do helenstica com a tradio mesopotmica
final parece uma hiptese vivel, devido ao grau em que as exaltaes so integrados e
esquematizado para a construo de helenstico, por exemplo, atravs da Thema Mundi e
atravs da configuraes aspecto que cada um dos planetas visveis so mostrados para
ter com os seus domiclios helenstico. Seria parece que h algum tipo de
esquematizao deliberada acontecendo aqui na tradio helenstica, que liga o conceito
de exaltaes com o conceito dos domiclios, e envolve uma srie de outros conceitos
que no parecem estar presentes na Mesopotmia tradio (ou seja, seita, configuraes
aspecto, lugares, domiclios, etc.)
Em que por si s, o grau em que as exaltaes helenstico se encaixam nesta
esquematizao quase parece fazer da origem mesopotmica do exaltaes implausvel,
porque se isso fosse verdade, ento isso significa que a) construir o todo helenstico,

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incluindo conceitos como o Thema Mundi ', aspectos, domiclios, locais e seita, foram
desenvolvidos ao redor do exaltaes / casas segredo uma vez que o exaltaes foram
herdadas da mesopotmicos, ou B) todos esses conceitos que so esquematizados em
torno do exaltaes na tradio helenstica (o Mundi Thema , aspectos, domiclios, locais,
seita, etc) estavam presentes na tradio da Mesopotmia.
Embora ambas as opes so interessantes e talvez possibilidades tentadoras, nem
ningum parece muito plausvel neste momento com base nas provas disponveis. Em
vez disso, parece muito mais provvel que "lugares secretos" na Mesopotmia, e as
exaltaes helenstico foram desenvolvidos separadamente, pelo menos tanto quanto a
que se referem com respeito s posies especficas sobre a eclptica que eles so
pensados para denotar, ainda que conceitualmente no pode ter havido alguma relao
como de ainda desconhecida entre os conceitos que transitam de uma tradio para o
outro.