Hello again,

More related to the thread - Mars combusting another. I don't think that this is the concept any of the traditional/ancient astrologers would adhere to. Sun combusting another, maybe yes but not a planet combusting another. Even the concept of sun "combusting" another is not without its problems! The Hellenistic astrologers did not seem to diferentiate combustion and under the beams like the medieval would and they probably had different ideas about the astrological significance of the astronomical configuration of "under the beams" compared to the medieval astrologers.

A planet may influence another through his nature like Mars being a malefic would certainly influence another planet that is in close proximity to him but not through combustion. He may afflict that planet in proximity to him by cutting some of the things represented by that planet but "burning" - don't think so.

I am wondering if Mars is able to "combust" other planets, because he is a fire planet?

A conjecture of Mars being a fire planet:
The idea that Mars is a fire planet must have come later in the tradition because elements were associated with the planets later in the tradition. The four elements as roots of all were established probably during Empedocles time (though each element being roots of all were already in vogue well before him). Aristotle took this idea but made the 4 primordial qualities as being more "primordial" than the elements and related the 4 primordial qualities to the elements. However, Aristotle did not associate the planets with the elements because he believes that the elements make up only the things that exist below the sphere of the Moon. The bodies above the sphere of the Moon were made of the fifth element, the quintessence or the aether. Ptolemy who advocated Aristotle principles then associate the nature of the planet to the 4 primordial qualities (again not the 4 elements). Hence, the asscoiation of Mars = hot and dry (excessive dry) was made by Ptolemy but the association of Mars as Fire planet must have been made by later astrologers who then say that Mars is a fire planet because Aristotle says that Hot and Dry = Fire. Hot + Dry do make up fire element but this occurs only in the sub-lunary sphere. When Ptolemy associated Mars with hot + dry, I don't think he meant to say that Mars = Fire as Mars (and other objects above the sphere of the Moon) is made from the 5th element.
It is interesting that Ptolemy implies that the things that happen in the sub-lunary sphere are "caused" by the planets through the primodial qualities that the planets "transfer" to the sub-lunary things via their motions. This seems to mean that the primordial qualities are the common factors that connect sub-lunary and super-lunary realms. [Even the terms generation and corruption/destruction are associated with the 4 primordial qualities viz. hot and moist = generative and cold and dry = destructive].

Astrojin, thanks for those posts. You are a very good writer.

Hello,
You are welcome Julie!