I'm aware of the thing that I've opened several threads in the past week, so I hope that my astrological ramblings will not become boring for you. I just want to share my fascinations, delights, confusions and etc., whenever I encounter some of them in my study of this beautiful Art.

What I want to point out in this post is related to a chapter in Anthology, book II, 34 with title "Free and Slave Nativities" at Riley's translation. Since this translation is given freely on the internet, I will allow my self to post the whole chapter [which is not a lot]"

Differences in birth, i.e. servile and noble nativities, are determined from the phases of the nativity. If the sign of the phase or the ruler of that sign is unfavorably situated or is beheld by malefics, the native will be base. Even if he attains high rank and a position of trust, he will be ruined. If the phase is found at an angle, and its ruler has benefics in aspect, the native will become noble and famous. If the place <of> is in operative signs, but its ruler is unfavorably situated or beheld by malefics, then the native is free-born and begins life well, but he later falls into reversals, servitude, and want. If the ruler is found in operative signs, but the place itself is unfavorably situated, the native will fare very ill in his first years in servile roles and will be unsettled, but later he will live easily, be elevated, and gain freedom, success, and a family <name>, especially if benefics incline.
If the place <of> and its ruler are unfavorably situated and both are beheld by malefics, the native will be exposed as an infant, or will become a captive and experience servitude. If under these conditions, benefics come close or are in co-aspect, the native will be released from servitude after the chronocratorships of the malefics and will become a man of property. If the place is guarded by malefics, but its ruler by benefics, the native, although of servile birth, will be raised as a free-born man, or will rise by being adopted or taken in <to>. If the opposite is true, i.e. the place is guarded by benefics and the ruler by malefics, the native, although free-born, will be reduced to slavery or will hand himself over, in middle age, into slavery for lack of food or as a means of gaining a position and occupation.

What Valens means by "Phase" is the Syzygy, that is, the New or Full Moon prior the birth.
On another place he says that if the Sign of the Syzygy is on Ascendant or MC, or its ruler is on AC or MC, the native is of great Basis.

So, what I want to draw attention here is the relationship of the sign of the syzygy (phase) and its lord in regard of Timing hierarchy.

To sum up the above quote:
1. If the sign of the syzygy and its ruler, are BOTH badly situated [this means that it is in a non-profitable place or beheld by malefics], the native will be of low Basis, and even if somehow happens he to attain high rank, it will be an Infamy and ruin after that

2. If the sign of syzygy is on an angle, and its ruler has benefics in aspect, the native will become great and famous.

3. [and now here it is the thing on which I want to draw attention] If the sign of the syzygy is favorably situated, but its ruler not, and has malefics in aspect, native will have great start in life [because of the favorable syzygy placement], but will be later ruined.
So, we see here Timing Hierarchy: the sign gives us the beginning, and the ruler brings the outcome. I understand this like the ruler is the Support of the sign which rules, and hence, everything in that sign or house. If the ruler is of bad state, then the support is weak, and later on he will bring ruins [especially if he has Malefics in aspect]. On other place Valens says that if the triplicity ruler of the Light is cadent, it will bring the native "under the power of others", that is, he will make him subordinate (Hupostasomenos Polei).

4. But if the sign of the syzygy is unfavorably situated and the ruler in good place. Then the native will have bad start in life, that is, will be base and low, but later on [supposedly when the ruler becomes Time Lord] he will be elevated, especially if benefics incline toward its place.

5. If both are of bad state, and if they have malefics in aspect, then this brings greatest ruins, especially when Malefics become Time Lords. But if Benefics co-aspect, then they will assist, and will bring good things after the Time Lordship of the malefics.

6. But if only the Sign is regarded by malefics and the ruler by Benefics, then after the time lordship of the malefics, the native although low born, will become free and will achieve some prosperity.

7. But if the opposite, that is, if the Sign is guarded by benefic ones, and the ruler by malefics, then the native will have a good start, but later on in life [Valens says "middle age"], he will become slave and will beg for food or social position.

So, here we see again a Time Hierarchy between the Sign and its Ruler.

Now, I don't have examples of such Social Mobility in my mind but if someone has, it will be great to check those chart in regard to these principles.
I hope Tom can assist us here, since I can see that he knows many biographies of famous people, so maybe he can recommend some nativity with interesting social mobility, from lower to higher hierarchy, or from high status into infamy and low position.

Ile wrote:
Now, I don't have examples of such Social Mobility in my mind but if someone has, it will be great to check those chart in regard to these principles.

Well, noble it's too much in my opinion but an example of social ascent is Silvio Berlusconi
The time from birth certificate is 6.30 am , but himself gave 5.40 am many times to different astrologers. I'm persuaded since many years he is a Virgo Ascendant, not Libra.

This works very well with Valens words in my opinion. Berlusconi one of the richest men in the world comes in fact from a middle class family, a housewife and a bank employee.

Mercury is the ruler of the syzygy and rules the Ascendant and the MC of the nativity. The syzygy is just set in the NM chart, and it is on the radix chart Ascendant, so angular in both charts.

Mercury is free of malefics in the radix chart, in a sign ruled by a benefic, Venus, and with Venus in her domicile the NM chart.

Mercury is invisible with the Sun so it fits with the obscure origin of Berlusconi money.

Hi Margherita, thank you a lot for providing the example

In fact, Berlusconi is often on the fore of my tongue these days, since my favorite football team, Barcelona, are playing important match in Ligue of Champions with his FC Milan somewhere in the middle of January

What is the name of the software you use? Looks very nice.

If you don't mind, I will post his chart in Delphic Oracle since it is easier for me to follow the ascensions of the signs.
It is interesting how the malefics are turned away from the ruler but not from the sign of syzygy itself. Jupiter dignified, assist to the ruler Mercury, but this one is not without problems, it is combust and retrograde. So, I suppose that it will bring reversals of fortune to him, especially to career matters and honors, because it rules the 10th, as it was indeed if we look at life of Silvio, especially after that 39th year when Mercury becomes activated. Am I right Margherita?

If the place is guarded by malefics, but its ruler by benefics, the native, although of servile birth, will be raised as a free-born man, or will rise by being adopted or taken in <to>.

I think we should weight the thinks here.
He is not born into the family of slaves nor he was slave, nor he was very base born. He was of mediocre family, as Margherita pointed out. What I am seeing here is that he has angular syzygy which is good. He has angular/succedent [by sign] ruler of the syzygy, so his base would not allow him to be on the lowest levels of the society. But, the malefics guarding the syzygy and the ruler afflicted, will bring forth other problems, reversals of fortune and ups and downs in life, especially when those malefics would happen to rule the times.

I want to point something interesting here, and is not particularly related to the syzygy principles of which we speak, at least not per se.

In his 58th year he loss social status. In December 1994 resigned from office of P.M. and in may 1995 (still in his 58 year of life) he was charged for corruption and bribery.

Ascensional times of Libra are 39 + Sun's lesser years 19 = 58
Valens uses these kind of combinations in his VI book if I recall right.

Why would Sun bring this?
I would propose explanation, though I don't feel at ease with it.
Because it is in its fall, casting opposition to the Fortune in its own exaltation from the place of its enmity.
Sun [in a bound of a malefic] is acting like a Malefic toward Mercury who happens to rule the syzygy and 10th of dignities and honors, but also the ascendant.

It is interesting to note the Solar Return for that year: We can see that the Sun [but also natal Mercury] and its placement is brought in front for the upcoming year. To note, the profected MC sign comes in Aries, which puts it in opposition to its exalted lord [Sun].

In this Revolution Sun is overcomed by very nasty Mars in Cancer in 10th, by whole signs.

Is this related [and how?] with the principles explained in the initial post?
Further investigation is needed to be done.

The question is, is and how much Sun acts like a malefic toward Mercury? And if it is so, then how much Jupiter's aspects helps in this?
We can see that his life is constantly filled with controversies, but still, he is somehow having the luck to go beyond these circumstances.

Ile wrote: What is the name of the software you use? Looks very nice.

It's Solar Fire, I managed to tweak its VERY awful fonts.

The question is, is and how much Sun acts like a malefic toward Mercury?

I believe here the Sun is a malefic because it's out of sect. I became mad and asked for help about this. Because at 5.40 there are still visible stars in the sky, it's a night chart.

margherita

Nice that you put this in your site Margherita

From your article:

Mercury is invisible with the Sun so it fits with the obscure origin of Berlusconi money.

I agree totally!

Ile wrote:Nice that you put this in your site Margherita From your article:

Mercury is invisible with the Sun so it fits with the obscure origin of Berlusconi money.

I agree totally!

Do you realise tht about 80% of us have Mercury combust or under the beams?

damon wrote:

Ile wrote:Nice that you put this in your site Margherita From your article:

Mercury is invisible with the Sun so it fits with the obscure origin of Berlusconi money.

I agree totally!

Do you realise tht about 80% of us have Mercury combust or under the beams?

Not all in 2nd sign.
And yes, the world is as it is, secrets and lies are part of it.
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Edit:
Just to note, that this time relationship between the Sign and planets therein and its Lord/s is preserved in the Persian times also.
Abu 'Ali Al-Khayyat in Judgments of Nativities in chapter 16 describing the chart factors for the state of the parents, says:

Which is the Sun were in a fit place in a nativity of the day, and the Lords of his triplicities in bad place, they signify the prosperous status of the father at the time of the nativity, but an unlucky one in the future. If that same luminary were in a bad place, and the Lords of his triplicities in good ones, it signifies the bad condition of the parents at the time of the offspring born, but it indicates a good one in the future [translated by Benjamin Dykes PhD, emphasis mine]

Also:

You should even know that the Sun in the day (and Saturn in the night) signifies the condition of fathers at the time of the nativity, and the Lords of the house of each significator signify the future fortune of fathers.