Skyscript Astrology Forum

Similar to the thread on domicile rulership, do you use the same rulership system as tropical zodiac astrologers?

Hi Larxene,

According to historians, the exaltation scheme is older than the domicile scheme and dates back to the 8th century BC - a time when our Tropical zodiac was not yet in position. So the exaltations seem to be a child of a Sidereal/constellational zodiac to begin with.

Michael Sternbach wrote:

According to historians, the exaltation scheme is older than the domicile scheme and dates back to the 8th century BC ....

The idea that the bit nisriti or 'secret places' of Mesopotamian astrology are synonymous to the hellenistic exaltations is by no means axiomatic.

For a radically different outlook check out this piece by Chris Brennan:

http://horoscopicastrologyblog.com/2008 ... astrology/

Check out the interesting responses of Gavin White and Deb Houlding to Chris Brennan's post.

Mark

Mark,

Thanks for sharing this article. I find the idea intriguing that the exaltation scheme may have been taken over from Hellenistic into Mesopotamian astrology, contrary to popular believe. Do know which Hellenistic astrologer mentions it first, by any chance?

The remarks as to the Thema mundi are certainly thought provoking.

From the article by Chris Brennan linked above:

In it of itself, the degree to which the Hellenistic exaltations fit into this schematization almost seems to make the Mesopotamian origin of the exaltations implausible because if that were true then it means that either A) the entire Hellenistic construct, including concepts such as the Thema Mundi?, aspects, domiciles, places, and sect, were developed around the exaltations/secret houses once the exaltations were inherited from the Mesopotamians, or B) all of these concepts that are schematized around the exaltations in the Hellenistic tradition (the Thema Mundi, aspects, domiciles, places, sect, etc.) were present in the Mesopotamian tradition.

To my mind, Chris is overlooking some other possibilities here. Such as that Mesopotamian, Hellenistic, Egyptian, Arabic etc. influences simply blended so organically with each other into what became Occidental astrology because they each reflect the transcendental truth that is underlying astrology. (On which we all would agree, I suppose?) It 's, all in all, safe to say that the creation of the ancient astrological system as we know it was the result of influences from different cultures, mostly in the melting pot of Alexandria.