I was browsing Robert Hand?s web site ARHAT and found following translation by Robert Hand of Masha?Allah On Reception. The address of the article/translation is http://www.robhand.com/recept.htm

My Observations are as under:

-Masha?Allah appears to prefer equal house system, with cusps of all the houses starting at 28 degrees except MC and IC. He takes into consideration 5 degrees rule. Example might be that the cusp of 7th house is 28 Aquarius and Sun is at 24 Aquarius, but he considers Sun in 7th house and at an angle.

-The Ascendant at 28 degrees Leo (fixed sign) might tell us that the Querent is desperately trying to hold on to secure stable and comfortable life. All the planets in Western Hemisphere may tell that he is not free to act but is confined to wait and see and reflect or react. But change (Virgo) is due. The change might require him to be precise and calculate. Mercury L2 is in 6H and is in aspect with Saturn L6/L7. Saturn is in 8H. Maybe joint finances at the time of horary were subject to tight spending and accountability. (Saturn L7 is in 8H?Saturn in 8H may mean that combined money may not be easily available). May be he was leading lavish life style. Venus in 5H in Capricorn is quite a lusty Venus and in aspect with Mars with a Trine tells a story. Mars being L4 and L9 has separated from Jupiter L5 and L8. And Saturn being L7 is in his turned second house (Radix 8th). So, Querent at the time of horary was thinking about his/her partner (Sun being L1 smack on 7H) but his partner is thinking about her money (L7 in 8H turned 2nd).

-The ascendant is 28 degrees Leo. I was astonished to see that Masha?Allah considered necessary to include a case, which has late ascendant. Late ascendant can mean that the matter may be late or the outcome is known or the horary is just time pass. He does not even refer to it. Maybe this rule was not severely adhered to in 8th Century AD.

-It is generally understood that Querent has two significators. One is the Lord of the ascendant and second is Moon (though in some cases we assign Moon to other things like lost item, thief, fugitive etc ). Masha?Allah?s reasoning to adopt Moon and drop Sun (L1) is quite instructive and I may be following it in my future analyses.


-Moon at 28 degrees of Aries is Void of Course and Robert Hand makes special note of this fact, however, Moon is within moiety of her orb to aspect Mercury with a square. It involves change of sign. She will go from Aries to Taurus (her sign of exaltation) probably it was itself an indication that the Querent was at the end of his infirmity and his health was going to be better.

-Masha?Allah has specially employed Receptions in this horary. His selection is restricted to receptions by house or by exaltation.

-He also concentrates on transmitting of dispositions or applications. Likewise, Moon going to aspect Mercury and Mercury going to aspect Saturn. He mentions that Saturn in this case signifies health. Saturn is L6 and L7. L6 is house of disease/infirmity. Saturn is in the sign of his fall, occidental and is in 8H. Is he trying to tell us that L6 (disease) being in fall is in indication of health? (Saturn is in his sign of fall. So, maybe more malefic). One explanation might be that he is tracing the Significator of the Querent from its place to where it ends. So, Moon aspects Mercury and Mercury aspects Saturn. Saturn does not aspect/apply to any other planet. Anyway there might be some method to Masha?Allah treatment and is noted for further research.
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-In another instance Masha?Allah makes particular note of indication that if L8 (Death) receives L1 (Life) then it is not severe as compared to when L1 (Life) receives L8 (Death). Deborah Houlding has explained it further in her article on receptions. The address for that particular article is .http://www.skyscript.co.uk/reception.html

-Masha?Allah takes into account that Sun would aspect Jupiter L8 and Jupiter would receive Sun in his house. The distance is 14 degrees and 48 minutes. Quite out of orb even for Lilly or Al-Bairuni aspects analysis. He does not mention the fact that Mercury would frustrate this aspect and would join or aspect the Jupiter first. I don?t have software but it seems quite the case. One explanation might be that Masha?Allah is only taking aspect with receptions and Mercury and Jupiter have no receptions. The other reason might be that Mercury is already in aspect with Saturn with reception. So, Mercury Joins Saturn and thereafter joins Jupiter. So, Saturn L7 was worried about his money (8H) but his/her money L8 was not in aspect. Mercury L2 has to do the trick. Mercury has first of all verbal discussions with Saturn and then joins Jupiter. This un-wanted communication is explained by Moon making a Square aspect with Mercury.

-Another gem in this horary is that L8 is death and L1 is Life. But if L1 and L8 are same then L8 might not be death. The example can be Aries as an ascendant and 8th house would be Scorpio. Libra as an ascendant and 8th house would be Taurus.

This horary chiefly concerns with question of death. I have given my conjectures about what might be the reason. It shows my obsession with trying to see something else. But this horary should be primarily read as Death or No death horary.

Masha?Allah horary could have been more interesting if he had given details of Querent, his particular disease etc. This horary at best employs creative imagination coupled with sound grounding in rules. The level is bit high which might suggest that Horary, as an Art was quite developed 1300 years ago. Which brings me to most important question. What were his sources?
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E &OE

-Masha?Allah appears to prefer equal house system, with cusps of all the houses starting at 28 degrees except MC and IC.

Therefore it can?t be an ?equal house? system, because the MC and IC, and all other cusps would start at the same degree as the ascendant. This is more likely to be a whole sign system or some kind of hybrid system which considers quadrant divisions but includes whole-sign expectations (ie., a rough and ready approach).

He takes into consideration 5 degrees rule. Example might be that the cusp of 7th house is 28 Aquarius and Sun is at 24 Aquarius, but he considers Sun in 7th house and at an angle.

Rob Hand discusses this in his commentary on the chart which appears in the book (p.70). He says that the 5 degree rule might be implied here, for the reason you suggest, but the text specifically states 7th ?sign?, so if Leo is treated as the first house, Aquarius is treated as the 7th. Another argument is that Venus is described as in the house of infirmity (the 6th), and the only approach that makes sense of that is a whole sign approach.

It is worth getting the book BTW, because it explains how Masha?allah had some specific techniques for deciding upon signification that are quite different to what we are used to. Therefore some of the techniques need to be understood in their own right, and not assumed from what we see in other authors. As for his sources, I don?t think a great deal is known about this except it is known that Masha?allah was well acquainted with the text of Dorotheus. At the moment his is one of the earliest detailed texts we have to demonstrate the use of horary against a number of charts.

Hi Deb--

Yes. You are quite right. I was trying to understand Masha'Allah techniques just out of this particular horary, which could only be better understood if the full book is read. In making my comments i had to read that particular horary three times which is better than a casual reading. I was bit surprised that even people 1200 or 1300 years ago were employing some really complicated rules. Alas! i am still trying to have a firm grip on Lilly which may take another year.

I am sorry i have to differ. When Masha'Allah says that Sun is in 7th Sign he does not say that it is in 7th house. It merely means that it is in Aquarius. The cusp of 7th house begins from Aquarius 28. But the sign on 7th Cusp is Aquarius and the sign on 6th cusp is Capricorn. You can see it in horoscope given in the book. He has not given cusps of all the houses but he has placed the Venus in the place where the 5th house is and Sun in 6th house. Now the cusp of 5th house starts at Sagittarius 28 and the Cusp of 6th house starts at Capricorn 28. So, Venus is in 5th house but in the sign of 6th which is Capricorn. I think the reason he has not given cusps of all the houses is that he assumed the the reader would be aware of the house system prefered by him i.e Masha'Allah. Which appears to be hybrid one. This means that may be he has not advocated 5 degrees rule and i made mistake in first post .

I am not sure if you would like this. But i think this horary is a fake one. He has not given details of disease etc. Plus i am still thinking why he terms Saturn as health. I might be missing something. And one more thing, un-like me, he must have been a devout Muslim. I am unable to understand why he was taking a horary query right at the time when Maghrib Prayers are being offered in Mosque (see Sun position)

Something i know about Masha'Allah that he was the one who elected time for laying foundation of city of Baghdad. Anyway, without prejudice to above, i would love to read any book written by Masha'Allah.

But i think this horary is a fake one. He has not given details of disease etc. Plus i am still thinking why he terms Saturn as health. I might be missing something. And one more thing, un-like me, he must have been a devout Muslim. I am unable to understand why he was taking a horary query right at the time when Maghrib Prayers are being offered in Mosque (see Sun position).

That?s an interesting point to raise. In his introduction Rob Hand raises doubts about whether the author of this book is the same as the author of ?Masha?allah?s Book of Nativities?:

Why is the account of the finding of the Hyleg and Alcochoden in these two books so different? Here we have two quite different accounts of the same things by the same author, it is alleged, in two different books... The only solution is to find more works of Masha?allah and to determine which of these two different styles of astrology is the predominant, and, therefore, which is more likely to be Masha?allah if these books are not in fact by one person. (iii-iv)

For some time I have had some doubts about whether the name can be pinned to one individual astrologer, because it means something like ?Blessed by God?, so I wonder whether it could be a generic title, attributed as a compliment.

In relation to his reported religion though, Masha?allah is known as a Jew. Hand also says:

According to medieval sources Masha?allah who was Jewish was actually named Menasseh in Hebrew. (ii)

Ben Dykes also describes him as a Persian Jew who cast the election chart for the founding of Baghdad, and Wikopedia describes him as a Jew from Khorasan, Iran who was hired to help in the design of the city. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashallah
If you are interested in the book, On Reception is listed Rob Hand;s website, $10.75 http://www.robhand.com/availpub.htm

Hi Deb--

I am not sure if you would like this. But i think this horary is a fake one. He has not given details of disease etc. Plus i am still thinking why he terms Saturn as health.

Health could be viewed as absence of disease:)

I might be missing something. And one more thing, un-like me, he must have been a devout Muslim. I am unable to understand why he was taking a horary query right at the time when Maghrib Prayers are being offered in Mosque (see Sun position)

If people know that one person has interest or they are proficient in astrology- then you seek them- immediately after prayers or if he is a priest soon after you have visited the temple/mosque and he is finished with his job- i.e prayers. In India, amongst hindus it is very common to visit a temple and then sit down with the priest to ask for a "muhurtha", that is "election" time.

I think it may have nothing to do with devoutness or lack of it and doesn't give you an excuse not to pray at appropriate times.

Something i know about Masha'Allah that he was the one who elected time for laying foundation of city of Baghdad. Anyway, without prejudice to above, i would love to read any book written by Masha'Allah.

He definitely misjudged two people: Rob Hand for Translating his weakest link and George Bush for spoiling his election !!

Pankaj

Hi PD--

I was gathering material to answer Deb, but any how...

Health could be viewed as absence of disease:)

How about L6 in the sign of his fall and in 8H. And Sun applying out of sign and out of orb an aspect with Jupiter being L8. The arguments offered by Masha'Allah appeared bit stretched, however the method is quite insightful. But, any how i would again study this particular horary.

If people know that one person has interest or they are proficient in astrology- then you seek them- immediately after prayers or if he is a priest soon after you have visited the temple/mosque and he is finished with his job- i.e prayers. In India, amongst hindus it is very common to visit a temple and then sit down with the priest to ask for a "muhurtha", that is "election" time.

Your argument is quite valid. Thats the only way when Masha'Allah, if he is confined to his study, could be approached by the people who want to ask him questions. Actually the Maghrib prayer is over in lets say.

The time the Sun is set---Prayer call----1 1/2 minute.

3 fardhs with the Imam-------------------3 to 6 minutes (depends upon the selection of verses)

2 Sunnahs --on your own-----------------2 to 3 minutes.

2 Nafals-----on your own and optional-----2 minutes.

Dua---------One minute and may extend if the person like me is pleading God.

So minimum----7 1/2 minutes and --Maximum 15 minutes.

Now Sun is still visible for 8 minutes even if he is set and there is 4 degrees difference in horary. So......me partially in doubt.

Note: Masha'Allah was definitely Muslim at an early age and at the time of horary...more about this lateron for Deb...

He definitely misjudged two people: Rob Hand for Translating his weakest link and George Bush for spoiling his election !!

His basis of election was depended on greater years of Saturn which are round about 450 to 500 years. So, this new city had (if we consider that the foundation was laid in 762 A.D or more or less. Then it enjoyed peaceful status for so, many years untill devastated by Halaku KHan in 13th Century A.D. Interestingly Prime Minister of then Mongol conquer was, leading astrologer of that time, Naseer-ud-Din Tusi.

Now, some say that Nou Bukht had made some adjustments in original Election Chart , some say that Masha'Allah him self had taken care of. Anyway, ELection chart was so, designed to insure that no ruling Caliph of the Central Muslim world would die, if he remains in this city.

About George Bush, it poses a question who elected time for George Bush to declare war on Iraq?