Hi granny:

Can't tell you how old the exaltation degrees of the planets are, but I can say that they form part of Vedic astrology where, with one minor difference, I think, they are the same degrees used in the West.

Cyril Fagin believed they were degrees held by the planets during one particular year in antiquity, the year a library was built in Babylon, or in Mesopotamia somewhere. Most are the degrees held at the foundation of this library, or so Fagin believed. It would be New Moon chart. The position of Mercury would have to refer to some other event/phenomenon. The information is in Fagin's book Zodiacs Old and New as I recall.

De la Forge

If we agree upon associating the Via Combust with the fall of the Sun and the Moon, then in a general way the entire signs of Libra and Scorpio will reflect the stricture.

In respect of either horary or astrology of the moment, my experience tells me that if both Sun and Moon are in Libra and Scorpio, so that either both luminaries are in their fall or in mutual rejection and ABHOR in the location of the other - as with the Moon in Libra and the Sun in Scorpio, then the moment carries no light and the postulation is either false, running along an erronous path or the matter collapses completely.

In the case of women with nativities where the lights ABHORED or rejected each other, I often found these women getting them selves into a tangle finding it difficult to receive themselves, their fruitfulness, their ability for recreation and reproduction - and often taking to ABORTION. Hence, when I found this CAUTION in the chart I always paid extra attention and took the extra time to carefully sort things out and place things in their right context.

Now, if we determine that the exact fall of the Sun is at 18LI56 ( http://www.astronor.com/hours.htm ), then according to other strictures of old we also know that the last 3 degrees of a sign, or leading up to a cusp, induce a state of particular restlessness (I believe I go into detail on this in the article on the included link regarding the exaltation degrees of Venus and Mars). So something happens or changes in the 16th degree of Libra because this is 3 degrees ahead of the fall of the Sun.

Any significator in exact opposition of the Sun (+/- 2 degrees) will bring the matter signified by that planet to ruin (basic Lilly). But then the 15 degrees from the fall of the Sun to the fall of the Moon has an effect that is akin to the combustion. My experience with the first 15 degrees departing from the Sun and under the Sun's beams, is like something struggling to get out of starting blocks but that has not secured itself and come to an upright position. Like a new born baby that clings to life, although life has not yet established its firm grip and the infant is most vulnerable to crib death during the first 15 months after birth. This might prevent matters achieving the required velocity - hence the matter in question may lead no where and collapse.

The opposite side of the zodiac to the exaltation of the Sun and the exaltation of the Moon, hence the area of the luminaries' falls - this is the Via Combust. Adding the 3 degrees prior to the degree of the fall of the Sun as a situation of stress. That would suggest 16LI-4SC.

Now - the luminaries exhanging their detriments (Moon in Aquarius and Sun in Capricorn) also causes a situation of abhor. We may in time expand our understanding of technique as we get a better hold on the meaning of the planets REJECTIONS, i.e. Mercury in Capricorn and Moon in Sagittarius, or Mercury in Cancer and Saturn in Pisces.

Olivia Barclay does quite briefly mention my investigations into this field on page 103 of her book "Horary Astrology Rediscovered", (c) 1990.

Andrew

Must quote Sylvia DeLong while we're at it, who says on pg 67 of her book 'The Art of Horary Astrology in Practice': The planet in the via combust is unfortunate or debiliated; the exception being the 23rd and 24th degree of Libra, whis is Spica's current position.

Andrew

I've recently come at this from another direction.

I have found a number of references to the via combusta being used as a line in palmistry. Cardan gives it as a minor line. Also:

"The line of Fortune or Saturn begins at the wrist lines, extends through the hollow of the hand to the mount of the middle finger. If this line be cut or severed it is called the Via Combusta..."
The Path, 1895 (based on Vedic palmistry).

And http://www.johnnyfincham.com/history/rothmann.htm gives Johannes Rothmann defining it as a Saturn line, but that might be a misreading - I will check.

More oddly...

About ten to twelve thousand years ago a disaster of a major proportion occurred on Earth, which Christianity portrays as the great flood. Ancient texts speak of a Golden Age where man suffered no disease and lived for up to a thousand years. Some believe that our present solar system at one time existed of a binary pair instead of our single star, that gave illumination to our Earth twenty-four hours a day. ... This great celestial explosion is said to have taken place at 19 degrees Scorpio, hence the reason that this constellation was been named Via Combusta, or ?The Burning Way?.
http://www.angelfire.com/psy/reading/Moon.html

Can anyone shed any light on any of the above?