Eddy, thanks. I did a search on "babylonian astrology" via Scholars Portal (humanities) and came up with just a few sources. A search in an archaeological data base might be more revealing, but I post these just in case anyone is interested.

Bock, Barbara, 2000, "An esoteric Babylonian commentary" revisited. Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 120, no. 4, pp. 615-20.
Descriptors: Tablets (Paleography); Akkadian language -- Texts; Babylonian astrology
Abstract
This paper aims at interpreting a previously published Babylonian
commentary. It is suggested that the tablet provides a further example
of a later corpus of texts that reveal the predominance of astrology
over other divinatory techniques.

Rochberg, Francesca 1996, Personifications and metaphors in Babylonian celestial omina. Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 116, pp. 475-85,
Descriptors: Omens; Babylonian astrology; Metaphor; Anthropomorphism in literature
Abstract:
The writer explores the nature of the tropes found in the Babylonian
celestial omen protases and its implications for understanding the
Babylonian conception of the relation of the divine to the celestial
bodies and their phenomena, the signs. She argues that metaphor and
its implications for abstract relational thought in the language of
Babylonian divination can be established on the basis of the function
of the attested metaphorical expressions, which was to represent a
physical phenomenon deemed ominous. She contends that establishing
the existence and identifying the function of metaphorical language in
Mesopotamian celestial divination introduces evidence that moderates
dichotomous schemes of culture and thought, such as
ancient/traditional and modern/scientific thought.

Greenfield, J. C; Sokoloff, M. 1989 Astrological and related omen texts in Jewish Palestinian Aramaic. Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 48, pp. 201-14.
Descriptors: Astrology -- Manuscripts; Omens; Moon in literature; Aramaic manuscripts; Jewish astrology; Babylonian astrology.

Rochberg-Halton, F. 1988. Elements of the Babylonian contribution to Hellenistic astrology. Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 108, pp. 51-62,
Descriptors: Babylonian astrology; Greek astrology; Greece -- Civilization --Babylonian influences.

Lambert, W. G. 1987. Babylonian astrological omens and their stars. Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 107, pp. 93-6. Descriptors: Reiner, Erica 1926-; Pingree, David Edwin 1933-; Enuma Anu Enlil; Babylonian astrology; Tablets (Paleography)

Reiner, Erica. 1985. The uses of astrology. Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 105, pp. 589-95.
Descriptors: Babylonian astrology; Magical medicine; Divination; Babylonian medicine

Rochberg-Halton, F. 1984. New evidence for the history of astrology. Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 43, pp. 115-40.
Descriptors: Greek astrology; Babylonian astrology; Greece -- Civilization --Babylonian influences.

Good explanation why exaltations of the planets occurs in these signs and degrees can be found in Abu Mashar's Great Introduction, book V, chapter 7(Abu Ma?sar Al-Balhi, Liber Introductorii Maioris ad Scientiam Judiciorum Astrorum, Napoli, 1996 )
Abu Mashar claims that these statements are according to Hermes and he says that he quoted Hermes verbatim.

Thanks Astroart,

It would be interesting to see exactly what Ab? Ma?shar said. So beyond attributing to Hermes does he suggest what the reason for the exaltations was? Any chance of a quote please?

Even if Ab? Ma?shar did have access to a now lost text it may not explain the origin of the exaltations. After all he was writing in the 9th century CE. Supporters of a hellenistic origin to the exaltations suggest this might have developed in the 1st -2nd century BCE. Thats over 1000 years from the time of Ab? Ma?shar. It was not uncommon for anonymous astrological texts or ideas to be attributed to the legendary/mythical Hermes Trismegistus.

The suggestion of people like Chris Brennan, Robert Schmidt and Demetra George is that the exaltations are more likely hellenistic in origin. This explanation has two basic supports. Firstly, the relationship of the exaltations to the domicile rulers. The 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.

The second argument links the exaltations to the Thema Mundi. This was the mythical creation chart for the world which appears to have been used by hellenistic astrologers as a teaching aid. Robert 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/places? in the Hellenistic tradition. Hence Sun (square), Moon (sextile), Mercury (sextile), Venus (trine), Mars (opposition), Jupiter (conjunction), Saturn (square). No planetary exaltation is configured in aversion to the ascendant of the Thema Mundi. The signs in aversion to Cancer are Gemini, Leo, Aquarius, and Sagittarius. All lack an exaltation ruler.

Mark

Mark wrote:Thanks Astroart,

It would be interesting to see exactly what Ab? Ma?shar said. So beyond attributing to Hermes does he suggest what the reason for the exaltations was? Any chance of a quote please?


Mark

Bezza explains it a little in his Comment to the first book of Tetrabiblos.

Albumasar takes degrees of exaltation not in longitude, but in right sphere. For example if 15 Cancer rises, the MC should be at 19 Aries, and this degree is taken by the Sun for its exaltation, and so on.

As you see it is a method very complicated, for lovers of math, which I'm not.

margherita

margherita wrote:Bezza explains it a little in his Comment to the first book of Tetrabiblos.

Albumasar takes degrees of exaltation not in longitude, but in right sphere. For example if 15 Cancer rises, the MC should be at 19 Aries, and this degree is taken by the Sun for its exaltation, and so on.

As you see it is a method very complicated, for lovers of math, which I'm not.

I had a look at this and from a mathematical point of view I doubt whether it should traditionally be interprated like this.

The given example namely can only occur far in the south, and much further than the ancient astrologers' environment. With the Astrodienst charts I looked for a place where 15? Cancer rises and the MC is at 19? Aries at the same time. For example, Tsavo, a place in Kenia at Tsavo Park, not far from Kilimanjaro. Coordinates: Latitude 2?59' South, Longitude 38?28' East. Date 1-1-2011, local time 18:52:28, universal time 15:52:28, sidereal time 1:10:09 will give MC 19?00'Aries and Asc 15?01'Cancer. There might be the possibility that sidereal was meant but for Albumasar's days the difference wouldn't be a lot and still around the equator or perhaps even more south than with tropical.

Using a calculator would give more exact results but it is at least at around 3?South that this angles position will happen. I'm convinced that this will awaken the love for maths for all of us here. It's a lot of fun to get a grasp on this part of astrology as you can see.

Eddy wrote:I had a look at this and from a mathematical point of view I doubt whether it should traditionally be interpreted like this.

That's Hermann translation from Arabic. In every case this does not mean that Albumasar reasons were appreciated by Renaissance authors.

Bezza reviews several critical comments in fact.

don't ask me the Latin translation please

margherita

It would be interesting to see exactly what Ab? Ma?shar said. So beyond attributing to Hermes does he suggest what the reason for the exaltations was? Any chance of a quote please?

First Abu Mashar explains why certain planets exalted in certain signs..His explanation is very close to that of Ptolemy in Tetrabiblos I.19 .

Later, Abu Mashar explained for each planet separately why the planet exalted in a specific degree.For different planets the principle is different.

Finally, what most impressed me, is that Abu Mashar gives the exaltation of the lunar nodes.According to the current scientific theory the exaltation of the lunar nodes appears for the first time in Sassanid astrology (see for example: D.N.MacKenzie, Zoroastrian astrology in Bundahisn, BSOAS 27 , 1964, pp. 511-29). Here's what Abu Mashar says about the lunar nodes:

As the Moon in the middle of its laltitude is at a distance of one sign from the Head, we set the exaltation of the Head in the third degree Gemini and the Tail ?in the opposite sign, as he is in all opposite to the Head.

margherita wrote:don't ask me the Latin translation please

I managed to translate the words apart with wiktionary translating but can't understand the text as a whole. But thanks for the text anyway.

I think it's better for me to stick to the mathematical part .

astroart wrote:Here's what Abu Mashar says about the lunar nodes:

As the Moon in the middle of its laltitude is at a distance of one sign from the Head, we set the exaltation of the Head in the third degree Gemini and the Tail ?in the opposite sign, as he is in all opposite to the Head.

Here is a possible explanation for the exaltation of the lunar nodes based upon the Thema Mundi (which has interesting implications for evolutionary astrology):

http://www.astrology-x-files.com/x-file ... astro.html

Explanations for the degrees of the exaltations based upon the Right Sphere would only work for certain locations based upon latitude. The mathematics would not be uniform for every location around the globe so if this was the rationale, the exaltation degrees would change depending upon location. There were certain important locations in the ancient world which might have been used (such as the heliacal rising of Sirius to mark the flooding of the Nile in Egypt which gave the lords of the Year, Month, Day and Hour).

There was also a concept known as "the winds and the steps" found in Valens where each step was 15 degrees. Valens used the winds in determining whether time lord changes from one period to another indicated a "malefic shift" which supports Schmidt's theory of the nautical metaphor (because if the wind changed to the opposite, the boat was liable to tip over / aka the life was taken surprise by shifting currents).

For example the north wind of the Moon would be 3 degrees Taurus. The north wind of Mars at 28 Capricorn. This links the winds to the exaltations in some way.

First Abu Mashar explains why certain planets exalted in certain signs..His explanation is very close to that of Ptolemy in Tetrabiblos I.19 .

So a seasonal explanation like Ptolemy?

Later, Abu Mashar explained for each planet separately why the planet exalted in a specific degree. For different planets the principle is different.

Sorry if I seem insistent but could you elaborate further please? Otherwise its not really helping any of us without access to the text and its translation.

Finally, what most impressed me, is that Abu Mashar gives the exaltation of the lunar nodes.According to the current scientific theory the exaltation of the lunar nodes appears for the first time in Sassanid astrology (see for example: D.N.MacKenzie, Zoroastrian astrology in Bundahisn, BSOAS 27 , 1964, pp. 511-29). Here's what Abu Mashar says about the lunar nodes.

Thanks for the reference. I wasn't aware the nodes exaltation degrees were a Persian development. Personally, though I am not sure I go along with the idea of the nodes having an exaltation by sign at all. We dont clearly understand the the basis of exaltations for planets so to bring in the nodes seems like piling on more confusion to me. Surely, we need to judge every chart on its merits. In particular we need to examine the aspects the nodes are making and what the condition of their dispositor is.

Moreover, there is a rival tradition of nodal exaltations from Indian astrology. In the Prasara Hora Shastra it is suggested that the North Node (Rahu) exalts in Taurus and the South Node (Ketu) exalts in Scorpio. There also seems to be astrological support in India for assigning the North node (Rahu) joint rulership of Aquarius and Virgo.

Incidentally, I have the North Node in Gemini.

I managed to translate the words apart with wiktionary translating but can't understand the text as a whole.

Here is a translation of the Latin text posted by Margherita:

"We know, moreover, that when in right ascension the first point of Aries is on the meridian, then rises first point of Cancer.Whence remembering antiquity hand dawn that when the world was born Cancer is rising. Wherefrom there is nothing more appropriate for intial geniture, because it is the same degree in which the virtue of Jupiter in the most complete and perfectly way blooms. Wherefrom whenever this degree in right ascension, 15 Cancer, rises on the horizon, 18 degrees Aries passes through the meridian into 19 degrees Aries, which is the degree of sovereignty of the Sun, which is in the middle of the day with full force in the middle of the sky."

Thanks for the translation. Things would be different if the sidereal signs were used for the birth of the world. Was for these authors the year the same as used by Indian astrologers? (3102BC). I'll have a look in calculations for that year then.

Edit: At the moment I wrote the text above, I hadn't realized that the Indians believed in the theory of trepidation rather than in precession and that sidereal 0?Aries in 3102BC would be at the same place as sidereal 0?Aries in around 570AD. Therefore not much of a difference with tropical anyway.