Five Pillars of Fate: Ancient Greek Astrology

1 edited, designed and produced by Claire-France-Perez

AncientSky.com: Answers powered by astrologyThe Five Hidden Pillars of Fate, ©2008 Antoine Garth, Claire-France Perez

Antoine GarthAstrologer

scholar of Vettius Valens, Second Century Astrologer

Claire-France Perez and Antoine Garth, astrologersAncientSky.com, present:



Each Lot provides a kind of script, a lens through which an importantfeature of fate can be perceived. How do we gain wealth? Fame?Happiness? Love and devotion? These are the questions of fate, and eachhoroscope details its inexorable inner workings, providing a summary offate if we could only but read what is written.

–Antoine Garth

INTR0DUCTION:

"The Five Hidden Pillars of Fate"

Fate? or Destiny?

There are two types of charts: 1) those

which portray a Destiny, exalted or

otherwise, and 2) those that force the native

to pursue a Fortune.

An imaginative way to describe the

difference is taken from the fairy tale of the

king and his three sons, one of whom is

invariably a “dunce.” Each young man

must each leave the castle “To seek my

fortune.” To their surprise, the least of them, the "fool," returns with a Destiny. It could be said

that a fortune is pursued, but a destiny is imposed, or at least given.

A world leader or celebrity is born with a destiny. Although he also “pursues a fortune,” (gets a

job, pays his expenses, somehow pursues self-sufficiency) his chart presents indicators for

exalted status, life in the public eye, and possibly power over life and death. Proof that such a

destiny may be indicated in a chart is provided by planetary time cycles which must support the

natal indicators. These time cycles introduce the auspicious planetary period, for the timing of

The circle is divided into 360 "lots."



events which manifest from the natal indicators and come to full fruition. (This discussion of

cycles goes beyond the current scope, and will be developed more thoroughly in later chapters.)

Such destined personalities are among the minority in a population. The majority of us are not

dogged--though we may wish it otherwise--by destiny.

The more common situation belonging to you or I, is a pursuit of fortune. By this, we must

create the means of our existence, and beat the pavement as required to maintain the roof over

our heads. We all have a destiny as well, but a larger, publicly recognized destiny is not what

defines our lives. An exalted destiny is not bestowed upon us.

We may or may not be happy with that, but it's what we’ve been

given--that's our lot. Take great care to avoid judging those who

attain to wealth and fame; it is not our place to judge. Obviously

some larger pattern sets about and “decides” who gets what.

We mortals obviously have no control over the allotment of fate.

We may impotently stare injustice in the face, observing the

noble ones who are extinguished like flies, while lesser or more

evil, even twisted ones, advance. If we've lived long enough,

we've had plenty of opportunity to observe such distortions of

justice. Some of us are on the receiving end of the same

injustices. We must pursue our fortunes to rectify these paltry

circumstances, and raise ourselves as best we can in spite of

what fate has apportioned. That is our fortune.

When dealing with this Second Century experience of astrology

and absorbing these concepts and techniques we must also discuss determinism: Is Fate or is

Free Will determining the turns in life? Are we humans living within a deterministic system, or

a "Free Will" system?

This second century style of astrology is completely deterministic, only recognizing the wheels

which turn our situations, and reconfirms fate’s binding aspect of apportionment. In our modern

Michael Jackson's life canbe divided into three distinct

cycles, or periods: childperformer, "Thriller," and

lawsuits



era, this is rejected out of hand, so no one is really watching, except astrologers and

playwrights, so play along for the while of this inquiry into a deeper insight.

How are we to balance determinism and Free Will? Modern astrology has plenty of experience

with Free Will systems. Most astrology as it is practiced right now is all about Free Will belief;

but this modern style still doesn't produce accuracy in the way the Mediterranean World View

finds satisfying. But in this technique, we have visceral, sometimes shattering results.

Disappointingly, modern astrological practice has developed progressively more complex

techniques without yielding greater accuracy of delineation, for all the trouble. In a contrast of

simplicity, the whole-sign style of understanding the Zoidia--the Zodiac--when coupled with

Valen’s interpretive tools, our Five Pillars, go directly to the heart of the native’s fate and can

describe what is known as their Fortune.

Vettius Valens, like others of his era, confidently predicted fame, fortune and riches. Now,

modern astrologers may attempt the same and succeed using his techniques. Indeed, the karmic

record may be knowable, and a fortune may be told.

For this work, let's relax our Egos and experiment with some

very different points of view, and not only examine the

deterministic system, but inhabit it. To best teach this, I will

embody it without equivocating. There will be no claiming

either, "We all have Free Will," or, "This is absolutely

destined."

The second century point of view provides another way to

perceive a person's destiny and observe that which is "fated"

for that person. Thus, determinism is the “binding legislation”

that governs this astrological work.Slot Machine: Slots, Lots,Lottery and Plot share an

etymological root.



Vettius Valens, Second Century Astrologer

Much of this material originates from and liberally borrows from, Robert Schmidt's article,

Facets of Fate, which along with The Anthology by Vettius Valens, informs this work.

I've always been attracted to Vedic astrology where I was introduced to whole sign systems.

While reading the Valens Anthology, I discovered astrology’s distant past was also rooted in

the whole-sign style. It was through the practice of this system that some unusual and

previously hidden patterns were revealed. This forgotten style of astrology produced a far more

visceral connection between the symbol and the narrative of each client.

The second century world-view of the ancient Greek or

Egyptian practitioner was an astrology based upon the

concept of Fate. The ancient astrologer was interested in

excavating the native’s Fate: the narrative or path upon

which a person's life unfolds.

This approach as represented by Vettius Valens leads

initially to various charts in search of money, fame, position

and power. However, the attainment of these things is just

the beginning.

Fate

Hellenistic astrology revolves around the concept of fate. Moira, which means fate, is the name

of the goddess that later became the Moirae; The Three Fates. Robert Schmidt defines fate as

“The cosmic principle of ‘binding apportionment.’" (fate is the root of "fatality," and "femme

fatale.")

The Three Fates are in charge of our allotment. Robert Schmidt calls the planets "Instruments of

fate." In this work we are assigning the same instruments as the“Hidden Pillars” of fate or

destiny. Thus, even the Olympian gods work to carry out the edict of the Moirae. The Three

Fates represent the personification of the "inescapable destiny of man."

A fortune, ruled by Venus, asdenoted by the rose.



Within the word "apportionment" is contained the word "portion," meaning: "lot." "Binding” is

defined as that to which we are tied, bound, or committed. Governmental laws provide an

example of this, as we have binding and non-binding contracts or legislation. If the legislation

is binding, citizens must follow the mandate. If it is not binding, there is no mandate, and it can

mostly be ignored. Yet, fate presents a mandate in which there is no wiggle room: All contracts

with fate are binding.

A typical example of binding apportionment

is found in the experience of someone born

with a congenital health disorder, inherited

as part of their family's genetic history. This

part of the native’s fate included being born

with this specific health disorder, the image

par excellence of fate’s “binding-

legislation,” partly for the ancestral lineage,

but more specifically for the native's birth.

That health issue is this person's fate.

The role of the Three Fates

The first of these fates is “Clotho,” the etymological root of "cloth." She's the Spinner. The

spinning wheel is the central motif in the mythology of The Three Fates. Each of the them has a

specific relationship and portrays Youth, Middle Age and Elderly life.The thread of life is spun

by Clotho. Atropos, “The Inevitable,” winds the thread on the spindle. When something

atrophies it diminishes, slowly loses its vitality. Lachesis is "The Apportioner," measures the

thread of life, and cuts it. Her name may be the modern language root of “lachryma,” the tear

drop, present at the tomb, the plot or final resting place.

Within the Greek pantheon, the Fates are spoken of mostly in reference to length of life and

how the Fates determine it. However, the Fates threefold operation is a metaphor for all of the

regions of life, or all 12 astrological houses. As an example, we can look at marriage. As the

Charlie Chaplin on the lots of the wheel.



Fates work within the area of life that represents marriage, a marriage thread is spun out by

Clothos, portioned out, wound down by Atropos, and then terminated by Lachesis. Each life has

a specific and individual marriage or relationship narrative. In every area of life each person’s

story has spun a different thread or outcome. Take the “money region” of life, and there we

find everyone has a different money narrative, spun out, apportioned, and finally cut off.

In the case of Donald Trump we find many instances of the fates cutting off his financial

prosperity as his destiny unfolded from "failure" to fantastic wealth and then back to financial

loss and back again to fantastic wealth. He started out with very little, made lots and lots (lots!)

of money, and then lost almost everything, only to start over from scratch. We can examine

these "cut offs" and wonder, "Is this part of Trump’s financial apportionment?” This is how the

fated money narrative plays out for The Donald.

Fate & Fortune

The distinction between fate and fortune are intertwined,

often sharing the same definition. If fate represents

“binding apportionment,” then fate could be the binding

aspect and fortune, the portion received. A person's fortune

is dictated by fate. Robert Schmidt confirms this by saying

that the planets are the instruments of Moira. Even the

vastly powerful Olympian gods fear the Three Fates. Even

the gods!

Our modern astrological focus has traveled along the

trajectory of Marc Edmund Jones, in which “character is

destiny” and possibly one of the wisest things Jones ever

wrote. Through this particular technique, we can show how

character is destiny. Jones was trying to step away from the

deterministic view, and taking astrology into a more

psychological direction, by using astrology to reveal inner motivations.

Lachesis: Greek, to apportion bylot; one of the three deities, theother being Clotho and Atropos.The three fatal goddesses who,according to the poets, reside inthe palace of Pluto; or theDestinies, who did appoint toevery one the several adventuresof his life; what they haddecreed, according to thejudgement of the gods, could notbe altered: They were moreespecially occupied in handingthe thread of man's life; theyoungest held the distaff and diddraw the thread; the next in agewound it about the spindle orreel, and the third being old anddecrepit, cut it off; and this isfollowed by the immediate deathof the person living.The universal etymologicalEnglish dictionary, by NathanBailey, 1733



Yet, at this point, we astrologers have as resources, the required psychological knowledge and

foundations. We have Freud and Jung to provide the insights from the point of view of analysis.

But, we haven't really been looking at how the chart can show us the fate, or the portion that we

must bear in each part of our life, which may then beg the question:

"Who is fortunate?"

I once worked in an upscale gym where membership dues were a monthly $1200. It was high

class. All the paying members received an evaluation and were set up with a special trainer. It

was their questionnaire that was memorable. One of the questions was: "How would you rate

your support system? Would you say you have a strong support system?"

When taking the questionnaire I answered without hesitation, "Absolutely yes, I have a fantastic

support system." I couldn't even believe that it was a question. And then I asked the resident

expert, "Does anyone ever say no?" She responded by explaining that a majority of the clients

declared for themselves a sorry support system. So then

followed the question again:

"Who is fortunate?"

Was it I, the poor, struggling artist working there at the front

desk for eleven dollars an hour handing out towels, at these

people's disposal for eight hours, then going home to a fabulous

support system? Or, was it the wealthy, influential people who

could use their power, wealth and influence at their whim and

disposal but without a support system and nobody upon whom they could depend or consider an

ally?

I clearly felt that I was the more fortunate in that comparison. They were more fortunate than I

for their disposable wealth, but I was more fortunate in the "good will towards men" department

of life. That was an instructive moment.

It can also be instructive therefore, to partition life into regions of Fortune. Good health is

Is money the only "fortune?"



clearly another type of Fortune.

One of my best friends is a woman whose husband had cancer and battled it long and hard.

They had been wealthy and lived very comfortably in the Los Angeles hills, but moved to

Thailand (where I met her) so that their savings could stretch further. Upon his death six years

later, she was an impoverished widow, completely penniless. She had had a very fortunate,

loving, wonderful marriage and then all of a sudden, had to fend for herself. So, here we have

another example of the twists and turns of fate.

We all know from stories such as these how the wheel of Fortune can turn on us: It can turn and

bring us a stunning and fruitful harvest, or it can turn again and abandon us to deserted

barrenness. This is the crucial concept. With this technique we can pick apart some of these

story lines. With the examination of these charts from the deterministic point of view, we can

readily say, "Oh yes, here we can see that the person is going to be very famous but have no

money." As astrologers we can point to the destiny to say "This person is going to have lots of

money and influence but never be president."

So, what is good Fortune? Who is a person that is fortunate, and can astrology predict it?

The answer: Yes, it can.

THE WHOLE SIGN CHART

Recently, when I was reading a Vedic astrology book, I

realized for the first time that there were three Vedic

astrology chart types. I knew about the North and South

Indian chart types, they're very different from each other, but

I didn't know there was such a thing as an East Indian chart.

It was the chart that I had been using for the past eight or ten

years without knowing its name. (See the comparison of the

two styles of charts on page 23)

Coin of the realm: a priest bestows thecrown to the Caesar.



The East Indian chart looks like a tic-tac-toe board, with diagonals cut through the corners to

create the twelve houses. With Vedic astrology, there are certain chart types where the houses

move and certain chart types where the zodiac signs move. There's been discussions about

whether Vedic astrology originated from the Greek, and in talking to a good friend who lives in

India, I learned that there were Greeks who

lived in India during the Alexandrian time

period which of course would be right around

the time that we're talking about, the second

century, so here was a way that these

astrological traditions might have blended.

There's always anxiety around with working

with house systems: which system is better, and

why I don't use that one, etc. However, you will

never see a Western astrologer dissemble more

quickly than when you ask them to use the

whole sign system in their practice. For reasons

of habit, they resist even trying it. But we are using the whole sign house system as the primary

underpinning of this technique. This might mean that our fabulous angular planets may now

become newly positioned in places of lesser strength, in cadent houses. Or, it could mean that

planets move into greater strength, possibly into an angular house. Example: let's say by using

Placidus cusps, you are blessed with this fabulous Venus in Pisces in the 11th house. However,

using whole signs, and an Aries rising chart, that Venus would remove from the 11th, shifting

into the 12th house. Here we will meet the resistance of our Ego's favorite chart positions, and

perhaps even rebel, stop reading and never learn how to use this system. Yet, this style of

astrology does not negate the Placidus arrangement of your planets or hope to usurp it, but

instead add another view which provides a sharp lens through which to understand its scripts.

The Pillars are scripted archetypes which actually suggest themselves in the narration of each

thread, each one's role, all necessary to understanding the second century fate and fortune [point

of view.

The East Indian Chart



Arabic Parts? or Egyptian Lots?

The "Arabic Parts" are a misnomer. The Greeks

called these places "lots," not parts. When, in the

Middle Ages the leading mathematicians of their day-

-the Arab and Persian astrologers--took over the helm

of astrology, the "lots" were renamed "parts." So

these places were conceived in terms of their

mathematical derivation, making them “parts” of the

360 degree circle. For this work, it is more correct to

call these degrees or places the Egyptian Lots.

As we enter the rigors of second century imagination,

we may also adopt their consciousness, their values

and methods of learning and perceiving, and gain a

better insight..

What is fate? Fate is the lot to which you are bound.

We commonly hear,

"It's my lot in life." or,

"You know how it is, it's just my lot in life to be

single."

or, "My lot in life is to be poor."

What is a lot?

The most common noun form of lot denotes an empty

space on which something can be built. The lot is empty, but not for long. It will hold

something soon. This makes it dynamic, not just a notch. We will look at these positions as lots,

not as parts. These places are not mere mathematical summations but spaces pregnant with

meaning and potential. The word “lottery” also comes from the word lot, and sheds more

interesting insight into how fate determines a person's fortune. Of course, you must buy the

Lot, lottery, slot or plot?O.E. hlot "object (anything fromdice to straw, but often a chip ofwood with a name inscribed onit) used to determine someone'sshare," also "what falls to aperson by lot," from P.Gmc.*khlutom (cf. O.N. hlutr "lot,share," O.H.G. hluz "share ofland," O.E. hleotan "to cast lots, to foretell"), ofunknown origin. The object was placed with othersin a receptacle, which was shaken, the winner beingthe one that fell out first. Hence, to cast lots. Insome cases the lots were drawn by hand. The wordwas adopted from Gmc. into the Romanic languages(cf. lottery, lotto). Meaning "choice resulting fromthe lasting of lots" first attested c.1205. Sense of"plot of land" is first recorded 1633 (distribution ofthe best property in new settlements oftendetermined by casting lot), that of "group,collection" is 1725, from notion of auction lots. Thegeneralized sense of "great many" is first attested in1812. To cast (one's) lot with another is to agree toshare winnings.

The On-Line Etymology Dictionaryhttp://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=lot



correct ticket, meaning that you are “fated” to buy it. On winning, you receive a previously “al-

lot-ted” amount. So, we find that the concept of “portion” underlies the meaning of the word lot

as we examine it further.

THE FIVE INSTRUMENTS of Fate: The LOTS

Astrologers have long known about the Lot of Fortune. Its usage, however, has become more

and more truncated with the passing of the centuries. Valens quotes some of the earliest

available Egyptian sources regarding the importance of the Lot of Fortune, and now, aside from

the classical astrologers, you can’t find two astrologers who can agree on a concrete idea about

what it is or for what it is used. Most modern astrologers don’t even reverse the formula for

finding the Lot of Fortune at night, which is de riguer for this method.

Lots? or Places?

The first of the Five Pillars is the Lot of Fortune. The second is the Lot of Spirit. The third lot

is not technically a lot. In this system we deal with two kinds of zodiacal positions: lots and

places.

Lots are usually found by taking the distance between two planets, or between a planet and a

cusp. Places are the whole sign, usually found by counting sequentially from one to the next.

For instance the Place of Acquisition, which is 11 whole signs away from the Lot of Fortune."

The fourth is called the Place of Exaltation. The fifth is called the Lot of Basis.

The Five Pillars of Fate

1. Lot of Fortune

2. Lot of Spirit

3. Place of Acquisition

4. Place of Exaltation



5. Lot of Basis

These are our instruments, our “Pillars,” but they are

essentially portals, markers to point the way on our

investigation as we attempt to exhume the

sarcophagus of the native’s fate and fortune.

However, to really “read the record,” so to speak, one

must take note of the rulers of these “Pillars” which

will tell the story of the native’s fate.

To illustrate, take Robert Schmidt’s quote, “the planets are the instruments of fate.” It is not the

zodiacal position of the five places that reveals the full information we seek. It is the position of

the rulers of those places. These degrees, once located, are entirely dependent on the ruler of

that lot or that place’s sign. This will become more evident when we discuss the Ten Rules.

The First Lot is Fortune

To calculate the Lot of Fortune we must proceed from the

Sun’s position by day to the Moon’s position, by night. The

distance between them is then projected from the ascendant.

(see Antoine's chart, page 23)

Note: a diurnal chart (daytime) is marked by the Sun's appearance above the horizon line. A

nocturnal birth (night) is marked by the Sun's appearance below the horizon. This will be

helpful to keep in mind for all the rest of the Pillars.

Given this understanding of the chart we come to a new purpose for the Lot of Fortune: It

becomes an alternate ascendant; a new East from which to orient the chart.

From Valens,

"In another manner, if you have come to know the place allotted for Fortune, also consider the

squares to it, and the remaining figures to be…. That is that the lot itself will possess the power



of the Ascendant, that of life itself. The tenth zoidia from this (they call them zoidia, not signs)

the power of the midheaven, that of reputation, the seventh, the power of the descendant, the

fourth of the subterranean zoidia, and the remaining places will possess the power of the twelve

regions."

"For some have mystically established the universal ascendant and its squares to be the cosmic

pivot points, but the lot, and its squares to be the genethlialogical pivot points."

Genethlialogy is defined by Nicholas Devore in his Encyclopedia of Astrology as "that

department of astrology which deals with the birth of individuals whereby one forms a

judgment of the characteristics of a person from a map of the heavens cast for his given birth

moment."

The above is an important statement, because he says that the natal chart as you're looking at it

is not as specific as it might be until you view it with the Lot of Fortune as the ascendant. He is

saying our "every day ascendant" the usual cusp of the first house, which for me (see page 23)

would be Sagittarius, gives an excellent general picture of what is going to happen in the

native’s life. But if you want to get "genethlialogical," i.e., with greater specificity to the birth,

and more specific to the genesis, the beginning: you will want to see the chart using the Lot of

Fortune as an Ascendant.

Vedic astrology and the Hellenistic system are obviously related

because Vedic astrology has been using alternative ascendants and

derivative houses since time immemorial, and we now realize so has

Western astrology. The next step, if we want to really understand what's

going on with a person's fate, is to become familiar with the concept of

derivative houses.

As a medieval or renaissance-style astrologer, if you had a client who

wanted to know about their sibling, you would rotate the chart to the

third house, and its cusp would become the ascendant of the brother. You may then read the

chart as though it were your client’s brother’s natal chart. That's one aspect of derivative

houses. But here we intend to use derivative houses with our own chart.

The Armillary enables avisualization of the galaxy



Not only do we look at our own natal ascendant, but we also interpret our Lot of Fortune as an

ascendant and read the chart from that direction. Hindu

astrologers have long been practicing this technique. When

you look at a Vedic chart, you look at the natal chart three

ways: 1) taking the Ascendant as the first house, 2) taking

the house of the Sun as the First House, and 3) taking the

house of the moon as the First House. As a Vedic

astrologer, looking at the chart from these three ways

supports already noted chart indicators, reveals different

facets of interpretation and helps provide accurate

predictions.

For instance, In my Vedic (see page 23) chart I have

Sagittarius rising with the moon in the fifth. To use the

house of the Moon as the ascendant, we would use (in my case) the 5th house as the first house.

We would read the chart with Sagittarius (see page 23) rising with the moon in the 5th, and then

we would read the chart with the moon in the 5th as the first (Moon in this case is in Aries).

As Western astrologers we are invited to become flexible with the wheel, turning it like a

steering wheel, and judging it with the idea of derivative houses revealing something new, and

to the astrologer's great advantage: something accurate about the life being lived by the chart.

The Second Pillar: Lot of Spirit.

Fortune governs the forces over which we have no control.

Shakespeare refers to Lady Fortune throughout his plays,

“Lady Fortune has scratched me,” says one character. Common to all allusions regarding Lady

Fortune is the idea of being at the mercy of her whim. One can never quite declare, “I shall

bend Lady Fortune to my nefarious ends.” One must plot his course and fortune either supports

or destroys the result.

If the Lot of Fortune is used as an ascendant, and represents the body or vessel, then the Lot of



Spirit or the Daimon, represents a kind of cosmic substance. Thus, Spirit represents “that

vivifying force that arouses man towards action.” That inherent

thing within us is a spirit or soul which cannot be seen. The soul is

also called anima, root of "animate." This impulse is something

not yet considered in modern astrology. Spirit represents the

“animating substance” of the native. The stuff of which he is made

and from which he will act. For example, The Right Stuff is a

movie which highlights the character of astronaut John Glenn,

listing his motivation of excellence, as he responds to something

inherent in his nature which contributes to his role as an American

hero.

One of the things that is known about the Lots of Spirit and

Fortune is that the Lot of Fortune is the lot of the Moon, and considered the ascendant of the

Moon, while the lot of the Spirit is considered the Ascendant of the Sun, or the lot of the Sun.

To the Sun is attributed "the cause of action and motion." The Sun, according to Valens,

"...arouses the souls of men for undertaking."

We make the distinction here that the Spirit is that which animates the body and creates a sense

of personification and identification. So, we can identify the person by their Part of Spirit by

noting the nature of this person and his beingness.

We have the body, our vehicle, and know that it has its own specific inclinations. But then we

also have the spirit, which enlivens

this body and creates a sense of

personification or self-identification;

that which people looking at us from

the outside would probably call

"behavior" or "intention." This

"intention," which defines the Part of

Spirit, formulates the guiding image of

"Wherein have you played theknave with fortune, that sheshould scratch you, who ofherself is a good lady, and wouldnot have knaves thrive longunder her?" All's Well That Ends Well,Shakespeare

The Fortune is derived from the Moon. A lunar"orientation" is to cause the Moon to face the East, or place

of "rising" and thus find itsgenethlialogical pivot points, or origins.



the self.

The Part of Spirit defines the internal cosmic substance which identifies us and which propels

us towards our decisions, choices and future actions. Valens says, "Whence the Lot of Fortune

and the Spirit will have much power over the imposing and turning back of actions. For one

shows matters concerning the body and handicrafts, The Spirit and its ruler (govern) matters

concerning the soul, intellect and actions through discourse and through giving and receiving."

The Third Pillar: The Place of Acquisition

The Place of Acquisition is always found 11 houses away

from the lot of Fortune and provides another similarity

between Vedic astrology and second century Hellenistic

astrology: the 11th house in Vedic astrology is called the House of Gain. In Vedic astrology it is

also classified as an upachaya house, meaning, "improves over time." The Place of Acquisition

deals with belongings and goods and the kind of things that can be acquired.

The Place Acquisition can be found by counting eleven houses from the lot of Fortune. Count

forward in the order of the zodiac eleven houses –or count backwards by two houses. If your

Lot of Fortune is in Virgo your Acquisition will be in Cancer. Traditionally, one can glean clues

from the Medieval or Renaissance era of Western astrology regarding the 11th house’s

connection to the concept of gain.

Indeed the 11th House represents the receiving of our wishes - our goals as they come to

fruition. It is called the House of Associations, Friends, hope and wishes. I have heard it

referred too as, “Dreams Come True.”

From Vettius Valens in the Anthology,

"We have also found the 11th place from Fortune to be an acquisitive place, a bestower of

belongings and goods and especially when the benefics are upon it or testifying.”

So, the 11th from the Lot of Fortune is a house of belongings or goods – of material gain. Here



is one way we can discern the difference between a person's fate - whether they have an exalted

fate-- and a person's financial or material status. The planet on the Place of Acquisition and the

lord of the Place of Acquisition are going to give us a greater assessment, and fill out the

picture. So, when we see charts that show an exalted fortune but indicate difficult financial

situations, we will see that the ruler of the Place of Acquisition may be in decrepit condition. It

may be badly positioned, even with other markers indicating fame and renown.

The Fourth Pillar: The Place of Exaltation

The Fourth Pillar is perhaps most useful for discerning the

future status of the person and whether that status will be

particularly high. Here we are first considering the

positions of the Sun and the Moon, and how far apart they are from their respective exaltations.

The Sun is exalted in Aries and the Moon is exalted in Taurus. To calculate the Fourth Pillar,

use the Sun for a diurnal chart, and the Moon for the nocturnal charts.

There are two steps for calculation: to find the Place of Exaltation by day count forward the

number of signs separating the Sun from the sign of its exaltation, Aries.

Step One: by day, count from the Sun in Virgo to the sign of Aries. We want to count the

number of signs between Virgo and Aries. Aries is eight signs away from Virgo.

Step Two: count the same number of whole signs from the Ascendant. Let's say our Ascendant

is Leo. We have already established that Aries is eight signs away from Virgo. We now count

the same number, eight signs from Leo, which results in sign Pisces acting as the Place of

Exaltation.

By night, count the number of signs the moon is away from Taurus. My chart is nocturnal, and

my Moon is in Aries, so I would have to go forward one sign to get to Taurus. My ascendant is

Sagittarius (see page 23) and we count as many from the ascendant by night as we did the

Moon to her exaltation. The Moon is one sign away from her exaltation. Counting one sign

away from Sagittarius provides Capricorn is my Place of Exaltation.



The Exaltation is probably the most telling of all of the

tools or "Pillars" that we'll use. It determines how

"exalted" the status of the person will be. Example: If

you find the ruler of the Place of Exaltation ten whole

signs, culminating from the Lot of Fortune, it can

denote fame. If the ruler of the Place of Exaltation is

in its own house, it usually denotes an important life, a

life that makes an significant contribution. These are

the first two out of ten rules to be developed in the

second chapter of this work. In the next chapter we

will explore a set of ten firm rules which determine

fame and Fortune, based on the Five Hidden Pillars.

The Fifth Pillar: The Place of Basis

This lot is found by taking the shortest arc between the Lot of

Fortune and the Lot of Spirit. That means that if a Lot of

Spirit is at 5 Virgo and the Lot of Fortune is at 5 Aries,

choose the smallest arc between them (in this case 150 degrees, Aries to Virgo), and then count

150 degrees from the Ascendant. Using the smallest arc means that the Lot of Basis, the hidden

root of motivations and actions, will always be below the horizon.

The Lot of Basis represents the native's ability to produce or sustain the apportionment of

Fortune allotted to the native. It is also the main motivational foundation of the Lot of Spirit,

and thus is the basis upon which the native chooses his/her path of action. Spirit and Basis must

always be used in conjunction, to best understand the workings of motivation and action.

Taken together, they can weave a story that rests somewhere between self-destruction and self-

preservation, as the Spirit may motivate, but the Lot of Basis must support that motivation. The

Lot of Spirit may describe someone bent on destructive behaviors but the Lot of Basis can

emphasize it or hide it by either allowing benefits to go to waste or providing damage control.

The author's "place of exaltation," is in the sign of the Goat.



By comparing the two, a better test of motivations can be brought forward, informing the

astrologer of a someone who benefits others from a nature founded on good

will, or one who takes advantage of others for his own benefit.

How long can fortune hold? Many a millionaire made by the lottery have lost

their fortune and returned to or worsened their previous situation. Bonatti

described The Place of Basis as the fiduciae ascendantae, meaning roughly

"the faith in or confidence of the ascendant." By naming it so, it begs the

important question: How much faith can one have in fortune? Any gambler will tell you,

“None.” How solid is the (emotional, physical or financial) vehicle? Does anything threaten the

well-being of the vehicle from within or without? Upon what basis shall the chart succeed?

For instance, astrologers must also face the "one-hit-wonder" in the music industry who must

usually wait at least 20 years for the nostalgia movement to once again provide him royalty

checks; but this may be a 20-year span he may not live to see. Of vital importance is the ability

to stay at the helm: to sustain fortune via good mental and physical health and a solid financial

foundation. For example, compare Judy Garland, who attained the very pinnacle of fame, yet

became financially destitute and drug-addled, and at age 47 died a squalid, premature death.

Contrast that with Mae West, who also attained the pinnacle of fame, yet sailed unharmed by

self-destruction into her autumn and winter years as one of the richest women in America,

resting on her laurels and contentedly concluding her life at age 89.

By observing how the Lot of Basis interacts as a foundation for all of the

other indicators, we can get a very clear picture of why Judy Garland's

actions in relation to her career were led by self-destruction, as contrasted by

the self-preservation evidenced in Mae West's chart. Garland did not have

the self-sustaining powers written in her chart that West had. How much we

wish that astrology could provide exactly that sort of imagination for a client,

the wisdom to counsel against their own self-destructive patterns.

The Place of Basis may be illusive, establishing whether or not the native can hold up under the

full weight of his fate. In the chart of Elizabeth II, the lot of Basis is in Gemini in the 6th place

of servants and servitude. The ruler, Mercury is in the 4th house of ancestral bearing. Her

Mae West

Judy Garland



ancestral heritage being the Basis of her position in life makes Elizabeth II a servant to the

Crown and to her ancestral obligation.

Mae West had a long, circuitous journey to icon status." She experienced equivocal success as a

Vaudevillian of the "low and raunchy" type and in Broadway during the 1910s. In the '20s

Mae's fortune started changing for the better shortly after she began writing and starring in her

own material, which led to scandal, notoriety and fame on the Broadway stage. The Lot of

Basis occupies the sign of Virgo in the 5th place of "Good Fortune" with Mercury present.

Mercury rules the tongue and Mercury is with Saturn a cold, dry planet in Virgo a cold dry sign,

indicative of her dry, understated delivery and her deliberate usage of languor in her movement,

in contrast to the other players.

Paulus Alexandrinas says of the Place of Basis, "It is like

Breath. It is a contributing cause to one's ALL, it has

governance over the Entirety."

On what do you stand? The foundation of your life is found

with the Place of Basis.

The Gold Standard is the foundation ofa sound economy, representing the best

Lot of Basis.



Upcoming in future chapters:

The Ancients had a different view of the houses. The ten rules which determine fame, or

fortune or both. Comparing the charts of "historic twins" persons living in the same era, but

having opposite fates. How to use the Pillars to detect your Fortune, find your Destiny. Also:

A discussion of the time cycles which bring forth an auspicious planetary period.

Request to read the second chapter free by reccomending friends to the site.The authors look forward to your comments and questions which may be posted at the forums

http://AncientSky.com. Please register as a member on the site to post to the forum.

email:Antoine Garth: [email protected] Perez: [email protected]

The Concise Oxford Dictionary ofEnglish Etymology | Date: 1996

lot object used in deciding a matterby appeal to chance; what falls to aperson thus OE.; prize in a lotteryXVI; plot of land XVII; set ofarticles XVIII; party or set XVI;large number XIX. OE. hlot portion,choice, decision, corr. to MLG. lot,(M)Du. lot, ON. hlutr, hluti; f. Gmc.*?lut- (also in OE. hl?t lot), rel. to*?leut-, in OE. hle-otan, OS. hliotan,OHG. liozan, ON. hljóta cast lots,obtain by lot, and to *?laut-, in OE.hlíet (:- *?lautiz). OS. hlo-t, OHG.(h)lo-z (G. loos, los), Goth. hlautslot. The Gmc. word appears in F. lot,It. lotto.



Pillar Glyph LOTS & PLACES page SIGN RULER

1 Lot of Fortune 13

2 M Lot of Spirit 15

3 ) Place ofAcquisition

17

4 , Place ofExaltation

18

5 & Place ofBasis

20

Place of previousnew or full moon

1 2 M 3 )Consider the "situation" of the Lights:If the Sun is above the horizon, it is adiurnal chart, if below it is a nocturnalchart.Horoskopos = AscendantMarking the Hour = on the Ascendantor FortuneCulmination = 10 places or signs from alot or place

Locate the lots of Fortune and Spirit.

Fortune is found by determining the arcof difference between the Sun and Moon,and adding or subtracting that number ofdegrees from the ascendant, using theirdegrees of arc in the order of the signs.

For day, add the degrees. For night,subtract.

Find the "Acquisition" of the fortune bycounting 11 signs from its location. (or,count backward from the fortune by twosigns)

4 , 5 & 6kTo find exaltation: Discern whether thechart diurnal or nocturnal.

Take the shortest arc in both cases:

If diurnal, count the numbers of housesseparating the Sun from his sign ofexaltation, Aries, in the same direction.

If nocturnal, count the numbers of housesseparating the Moon from her sign ofexaltation, Taurus.

Find the "Basis" by determining thenumber of degrees in the shortest arcbetween the lots of Fortune and ofSpirit, regardless of the direction of thesigns. Add that number to the ascendant.

Find the previous new or full moon

Use this form for your own chart, and complete the rules for finding each lot.



Author, Antoine Garthborn January 1, 1966,Washington DC, USA6:32am

The (round chart) Placidus House Cusps are notdivided equally like the East Indian cusps.

When the chart is transposed to the (square)East Indian chart, the actual degrees are notterribly important.

This renders the chart a much different look, butwhen used for the technique, works to tell amissing story.

"Whole sign" means the entire sign is containedwithin the house. All 30 degrees of the sign arein the corresponding house, no matter the cusp.26 degrees may be my Sagittarius rising, but allof Sagittarius is contained in the first house.

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Five Pillars of Fate: Ancient Greek Astrology

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