That I haven't worked out yet and I don't think it's in Dariot. Looking in Sahl, if I find anything I'll shout.

As soon as you feel the upper-cut there will be plenty of time to work out whether it came from the left or the right...

Ow ow ow - I'm sport-impaired as well as English-impaired!

Okay, a bit of indirect from Sahl, cos he's talking about besieging (as are we in another thread). I hope this isn't TOO indirect. It seems slightly clearer anyway. From Holden's translation, p 26:

...An example of which is when Mars is in the 10th degree of Cancer and Saturn in the 18th degree of Aries and the Moon is in the 13th degree of Libra...and the Moon is separated from a second square (dexter) aspect to Mars....

Dexter aspect then is from the faster planet. It can't be the applying planet, because the moon is separating from Mars, not going towards the square. And it matches up in direction with what Dariot says.

So, the right, or dexter, or stronger aspect is by a lighter planet in a later sign to a heavier planet in an earlier sign.

I think.

If someone can confirm and translate into proper English, I'd appreciate it.

Hi

The same is in Lilly:

"Observe the dexter aspect is more forcible then the sinister:this understand in other Columns, viz.that Dexter Aspects are contrary to the succession of Sign, Sinister in order as they follow one other."(W.Lilly, Chrsitian Astrology, London, 1659,p.109)


Note that first meaning of the word forcible is forced, violent.Second meaning of this word is strong, powerful.Same negative connotation of the greek word for dexter aspect we can find in Porphyry when he speak about ??????????? (striking with a ray)(D&F, p.202)

As soon as you feel the upper-cut there will be plenty of time to work out whether it came from the left or the right...

The swifter planet delivers the punches, the more sluggish of the two collects them all.

Look up two posts. Does that mean I got it right?

Well done!

w00t!

Two Right and Two Left Hands
Al-Biruni: When a planet is in the cardo of midheaven and its sextile and quartile rays fall together above the earth, it is said to have two right hands, if these fall below the earth two left hands. The indications of the former are success and victory.

To examine this proposition further, it is obviously a consideration mainly due to and relevant to locations at latitudes remoted from the equator, because at the equator the angular relationship between the Midheaven and the Asc. will always be close to 90?. But as we travel North (or South) of the equator then this distance may either narrow or widen, for the same reasons that the Sun, according to the season, may rise either further to the North or the South, according to whether it is Summer or Winter.

The maximum angular relationship between the Asc. and the MC will grow and widen as we travel northward and is greater than 90? when signs of short ascension are on the Midheaven, and less than 90? when the signs of long ascension are culminating. I.e. at 40?N - 0?Cancer (the Summer Solstice) will be on the Asc. at the same time as 7?Pisces is on the Midheaven, which represents an angular relationship of 113?. However, if we travel to 50?N then Cancer will rise at the same time as 27?Aquarius hits South and the maximum angle has increased to 123?. At Oslo, which is close to 60?N, 0?Cancer will rise as the MC is 9? Aquarius - consequently the angular relationship has grown to 141?. This is the cause and explaination of very long days but very short nights at northern latitudes during Summer. The Sun is rising and setting further towards the north.

Al-Biruni appears to sugget that a planet is stronger in the portion of the Midheaven when a sign of short ascension is culminating, because then it demonstrates or may refer to a wide field of the zodiac that it has already covered and is in command of. It has thus two 'right hands' because it bears a testimony that can be supported and proven by several souces. However, if the angle between this planet and the Ascendant is less than 60?, then the planet has no right hand. It cannot prove it's case there and then, and is thus weakened. The potential for this significator's success is thus more like a chance upon the future and proof and evidence has to be sought along paths where the earth yet has to be turned.

I found an interesting passage in Vivian Robson`s "A Student`s Textbook of Astrology", page 26:

Another distinction that is sometimes met with is in the direction from which an aspect is cast, a dexter aspect being one thrown backwards in the zodiac, and a sinister one thrown forward. The latter is said to be stronger for good or evil than the former.

I guess confusion is complete now

On the other hand it is consistent with what I cited from the German Book from Gil Brand (with the only difference that Robson calls the aspect in the order of the signs a sinister apspect). In connection with dexter and sinister Gil Brand does not mention a specific authority but throughout the book he relies very much on Ali Ben Ragel. Maybe his definition is from him.

The more I think about this topic the more I come to the conclusion that it is merley a mistake or mix-up in the usage of the definitions of dexter and sinister. But where and how did it start?

Jogi

Vivian Robson got it wrong and his delination IS confusing. My advice is to ignore it.
I am sure you will find other portions of her work far more useful.

If you can't use it - loose it!

Vivian Robson got it wrong and her delination IS confusing. My advice is to ignore it. I am sure you will find other portions of her work far more useful.

Hi Andrew,

Sorry but the pedant in me cannot resist pointing out Vivian Robson was a man!

Here is a short biography from the Rodden data bank:

British curator of Geology and Paleontology in the British Museum. He was an accomplished and precise mathematician and a pro astrologer, eclectic, studied, with an extensive library. He edited Modern Astrology with Bessie Leo for 11 years after Alan Leo died. His books include "Astrology and Human Sex Life''. Robson died of a heart attack, 12/31/1942.

His other well known books include ''The Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology'' , ''Electional Astrology'' and 'The Radix System'.

Mark