Arhat Publications
from Robert Hand

The three books on the Judgment of Nativities: Dedicatory epistle, The preface of Philip Melanththon, doctor

1. Concerning the significators & their accidents: Certain general matters which must be considered before the judgment of a nativity; The method of investigating the true degree of the ascendant by means of the Antimodar; A second method of searching out the true ascendant by means of the Trutine of Hermes; A third & more certain method of finding the same, by the accidents to the native; Concerning the projection of the nativity's Parts; To find the dodecatemorion of any planet; To extract the novenaries of the planets; Determining the antiscias; Concerning the fortitudes or fortune, and the debility or infortune of the planets; Concerning the hyleg & alcochoden according to Ptolemy; The teaching of others on the hyleg; Likewise, the teaching of others concerning the alcochoden; Extracting the victor or lord of the geniture; Exploring the significators of the intellective power of the spirit; The taking of the almuten fo the significators of any matter; How the seven planets govern the foetus which has then been conceived from the day of conception up to the time of birth; A general method: Things that must be observed in judgments; Whether in general the native will be fortunate or not

2. Concerning the parents & their state of being: Concerning the life of the father according to the geniture of the child, and concerning the quality of his death; Concerning the life of the mother; Prognosticating other particulars of the parents; Teachings & aphorisms of others & of the Arabs

3. Concerning the native's brothers & sisters: Sentences & aphorisms of others; Concerning male & female nativities; Concerning twins; The teachings & aphorisms of others; Concerning monsters; The teachings & aphorisms of others

4. Concerning those who have not grown: The teachings & aphorisms of others; Concerning natives who are born dead; Concerning natives who do live but are not reared; Concerning those who born & reared but who do not attain to old age; Concerning those who live, are reared & who attain old age

5. Concerning the form, figure & constitution of the body: The teachings & aphorisms of others; Concerning the forms of the 12 signs; Concerning the forms of the 7 planets; Examining the tallness, smallness or shortness of the body; Distinguishing stoutness & thinness & the quantity of the body; To whom is the native made more alike, namely to the father or the mother?

6. Concerning the impediments & infirmities of the body of the native: We will know particularly the manner of injuries to the human body coming from four causes; You will recgonize infirmities inherent in the entire body from the four following rules; The teachings & aphorisms of others; Concerning serving men & women; Concerning animals & beasts

7. Concerning the qualities of the soul of the native: The teachings & aphorisms of others; The dodecatemoria of the planets; Now concerning the images of heaven: and first concerning those in the zodiac; On the northern images; On the southern images

8. Concerning the impediments of the soul: The teachings & aphorisms of others

9. Concerning the fortune & wealth of the native: Exploring by what means the native should aquire wealth; Whether riches will come to the native licitly or illicitly; Infering the time of gaining riches

10. Concerning the honor & dignity of the native: The teachings & aphorisms of others

11. Concerning the native's magistry & his work: The teachings & aphorisms of others; Concerning boldness & fear

12. Concerning sexual unions: The teachings & aphorisms of others

13. Concerning children & their relationship toward the parents: The teachings & aphorisms of others; Whether or not the native is the child of its father

14. Concerning the native's friends & enemies: In which time they will be in concord or discord; The teachings & aphorisms of others; The teachings & aphorisms of others concerning enemies; Exemplification of a native concerning hidden enemies

15. Concerning the native's foreign travels & journeys: The teachings & aphorisms of others; On the sciences

16. Concerning the qualities of the native's death: The teachings & aphorisms of others

Appendices: 1. Computing the antiscia according to the Opusculum

2. The computation of the hyleg according to Alchabitius

3. The periods of the planets

4. The four differentiae of life expectancy: The first category, the second category, the third category, the fourth category

5. Tables of special degrees from the Opusculum

6. Similitude from the Opusculum

7. The table of essential dignities as given in the Opusculum

8. Dustoria or ductoria, as described in the Opusculum.

Comment: This is medieval astrology with hair on it, the book abounds in the twiddely bits that make all the difference. Written in 1545, this is the summation of astrology, as known to the finest German astrologers of the day. Schoener was one of those who urged Copernicus to publish his famous work on heliocentric astronomy. Unique to this book, a vast list of aphorisms (eg, this planet plus that planet under these conditions produce this or that specific effect), covering all areas of life: health, wealth, parents, longevity, career, relationships, travel, children, brothers & sisters, etc. Also, the "true" ascendant, conception charts, dodecatemorion, 32 Arabic parts, hyleg & more. Robert Hand has made an excellent, readable translation in modern English, with copious footnotes & appendices.

ARHAT, oversize, 247 pages.

Introduction: Who is the real Masha'Allah? Masha'Allah's methods. The text.

Here begins the book of Masha'Allah on Reception:
1. What is reception?
2. Concerning whether a matter about which one has hopes will be accomplished or not
3. Concerning whether one who is ill will be delivered or will die
4. A question concerning an ill person
5. Concerning substance
6. Concerning substance which has been lent
7. An interrogation concerning things left by a certain dead person
8. Concerning kingship, whether it will be acquired
9. A question concerning kingship
10. A question concerning kingship
11. Concerning the discovery of the hyleg
12. A question concerning a high office

Appendix:
The charts of On Reception
Technical details

The dating of the charts; accuracy & zodiacal issues

Comment:

This book (known in Latin as de Receptione) is one of the earliest surviving Arabic astrological texts. It is also one of the few old texts that contain fully worked out sample charts, something this book shares with William Lilly's Christian Astrology. This book, along with Lilly's, are invaluable resources in reconstructing ancient horary techniques. To assist the reader, Hand gives an outline of Masha'allah's techniques in the introduction, and again in the appendix. In between is the full text of the original. It repays close study. (Notes adapted from the introduction, page ii.)

Arhat, 89 pages.

From R.V.:
This book is not restricted to horary astrology. Masha'allah gives a clear exposition of his aspectual theory, which is underlined in several of his books, be it genethliacal, horary or mudane. FIVE STARS.

Contents:

Translator's preface

The Book of Reception in Horary Questions

Translator's preface

The Book of Reception in Horary Questions

The reception & connection of the planets
Questions of the ASC
A question about the death or life of the querent
Another question about life
Questions of the second house
A question about money
A question whether he will have the wealth of a king or not
A question about the time of having the thing
A question about inheritance
A question of the tenth house
A question about good or evil
A question about a kingdom
A question about getting a kingdom
The life of a native
The years of alcochoden
A question by a certain duke
Index of persons
Bibliography

- 66 pages -

The Book of Nativities

Translator's preface

The Book of Nativities

1. Whether the child will live to be weaned or not
2. The hyleg is the knowledge of life: When the nativity of the child indicates life
3. The alcochoden, through which is known the computation of the length of life
4. How to know what the planets add or subtract
5. To know the will of the native
6. To know the good fortunes & misfortunes of the native as shown in his own nativity

Appendix: Twelve nativities
Index of persons
Bibliography

- 40 pages -

The Book on the Revolution of Years

Translator's preface

The Book on the Revolutions of Years

1. The revolutions of the years of the world
2. The knowledge of the rulers of the year
3. When the ruler of the year commitsits disposition to another planet
4. The significator of the king & his subjects
5. The significations of aspects and of the ruler of the year and of the rest of the significators
6. The severity of the revolutions of the years of the world
7. A chapter on fear for the king
8. A question about war & which of two will win
9. A question about the impediment of mortality and in how many parts they are dying
10. The division of the world & the climes by the substance of the planets & signs
11. The signification of the ruler of the year and of each planet when it is the ruler of the year

Index of persons
Bibliography

- 35 pages -

The Book on the Significations of Planets in Nativities

Translator's preface

The signification of the planets in their own signs & in the signs of other planets
1. The signification of Saturn
2. The signification of Jupiter
3. The signification of Mars
4. The signification of the Sun
5. The signification of Venus
6. The signification of Mercury
7. The signification of the Moon

The significations of the of one house in the other houses
8. The signification of the ruler of the ASC in the twelve houses.
9. The signification of the ruler of the 2nd in the twelve houses.
10. The signification of the ruler of the 3rd in the twelve houses.
11. The signification of the ruler of the 4th in the twelve houses.
12. The signification of the ruler of the 5th in the twelve houses.
13. The signification of the ruler of the 6th in the twelve houses.
14. The signification of the ruler of the 7th in the twelve houses.
15. The signification of the ruler of the 8th in the twelve houses.
16. The signification of the ruler of the 9th in the twelve houses.
17. The signification of the ruler of the 10th in the twelve houses.
18. The signification of the ruler of the 11th in the twelve houses.
19. The signification of the ruler of the 12th in the twelve houses.

The signification of the planets in their own terms or in those of another planet
20. The significations of Saturn
21. The significations of Jupiter
22. The significations of Mars
23. The significations of Sun
24. The significations of Venus
25. The significations of Mercury
26. The significations of Moon

Index of persons
Bibliography

- 41 pages -

The Epistle on Conjunctions

Translator's preface

1. An account of the circle & the stars
2. The diversity of the imprints of the work of the stars on the regions of the world
3. The natures of the signs
4. The revolution of the years
5. The eclipses of the Moon & their signification
6. Changes of the weather caused by changes of the planets in the signs of the planets
7. The eclipses of the Sun & their signification
8. The conjunction of all the planets & their effects
9. The conjunction of the planets & its action
10. The major conjunctions
11. The middling conjunctions
12. The minor conjunctions

Index of persons
Bibliography

- 19 pages -

The Book of Thoughts & Interpretations

Translator's preface

The book of thoughts

On interpretation

- 13 pages -

Comment:

The first of the six books in this volume deals with reading an horary chart by reception of the rulers. I have long wanted to see an horary technique like that. Masha'allah works out numerous questions by this technique.

The second book, on Nativities, is based on Dorotheus of Sidon's book, in that it uses triplicity rulers in delineation. Masha'allah delineates the same twelve charts as given in Dorotheus, which are also delineated by Abu Ali in Judgments of Nativities. (It is indeed gratifying that all of these books are again in print. It was not so long ago that none of them were even in translation.)

The third book, on Revolutions, concerns the annual ingress of the Sun into Aries, which is mundane astrology. I have long wanted to see an early book on mundane. For openers, Masha'allah says if the ascendant ruler is in a bad way, the year will not go well. On the other hand, if the sun makes a favorable aspect to the ascendant, the year will be good.

The third book deals with climes, and as climes have been mysterious to me, I Wickied it. Climes are bands of longitude based on the longest day of the year (summer solstice), in half-hour intervals. Here in Bel Air, latitude 39N32, the longest day of the year is 14h46m from sunrise to sunset, which puts us in the 6th of 33 climes, but in the system of seven climes, we're in the 4th or 5th (Wiki is fuzzy). According to Masha'allah, the fourth clime is ruled by the Sun, the fifth by Venus. Since the ascendant is based on latitude, climes were a crude, early way of working it out. (The MC is determined by time, while precise definition of intermediate cusps had to wait until a system of numerical notation had been devised that would enable them to be calculated.) Once upon a time the exact latitudes for each clime were known, but modern researchers have not paid them any attention, so far as I can tell. This is a pity. Climes had rulers. Ptolemy divided climes with quadrants, the result was his system of astrological rulerships of the various regions of the world. It would be nice to reconstsruct & update that.

We get a glimpse of Masha'allah's clients in his attention to the ruler of the year & the king's fate. In the first book, on horary, there were a series of questions concerning kings. By contrast, William Lilly, who wrote the great textbook on horary, did not have a king for a client. This book is brief & to the point.

The fourth book in this volume, The Signfication of the Planets in the Nativity, starts off with delineations of planets in the signs of other planets. Instead of delineations of Saturn in Aries, Saturn in Taurus, Saturn in Gemini, Masha'allah gives us Saturn in the domicile (signs) of Saturn, Saturn in the domiciles of Jupiter, Saturn in the domiciles of Mars, etc. The next section gives the rulers of the various houses, in the other houses. These are both short & to the point.

The third section, on the planets in the various terms of the planets, has to do with planetary periods. Regrettably, neither the author, nor the translator, state just what sort of periods these may be. I presume they're Firdaria. Which always struck me as crude, as day births all start with the Sun, night births all start with the Moon, and then proceed through the other planets in strict order & time periods. Which means to customize Firdaria, you must consider the sign, house & dispositor of the planet whose period it is. Which requires skills I do not have, alas.

The fifth book is on the Conjunctions of Planets. Which includes Superior (Jupiter/Saturn), middling (Saturn/Mars) and minor (Jupiter/Mars) conjunctions, as well as eclipses. The treatment is brief.

The final book is The Book of Thoughts as well as On Interpretation. The first is how the horary chart may reveal the intentions of the Querent, not merely give the outcome of his question. Interpretation is but two paragraphs, cautioning the astrologer to ensure his sundial or astrolabe is correct, that he not fail for silly reasons.

AFA, 220 pages.

1. Traditional planetary dignity & disposition: Dignity & disposition, Domicile rulers, Planetary sect influence on domicile rulers, Planetary exaltation & fall, Triplicities & planetary rulers, Using triplicities for disposition, Using triplicity rulers for a planet's dignity, Terms or bounds & faces, Peregrine planets, Determining the main dispositor, Chart example: Thomas Merton

2. Angles & Houses: Ancient & modern uses of houses, Whole sign houses, Houses as indicators of planetary strength, Pivots, post-ascensions & declines, Aspects to the ascending sign, More on whole sign houses, Shall we try whole sign houses?, House definitions: ancient to modern, Postscript: Phil Gramm & his planetary periods

3. Aspects in Helenistic & Medieval astrology: Aspects & modern astrology, Traditional use of aspects, whole signs, entire degrees, The "Ptolemaic" aspects, The geometry of the circle, Meanings of aspects, None of the above - the Aversions, Exceptions to signs in Aversions, "Looking ahead" & "hurling rays", Other ways of aspecting, From the Hellenistic to the Medieval era, Orbs of planets, orbs of aspect, Joining & separating, Reception: combining joining & disposition

4. Planets as significators in ancient astrology: Planets: Meaning & use, Planets, intrinsically, A sample astrology lesson, Significators in the natal chart, Planets as natural significators: Love & marriage, Derived significators, Planetary lord of "soul" - Character or personality style, The planetary lord of action or career

5. Planetary sect: A brief history of sect, What is planetary sect?, Planets by sect: diurnal & nocturnal, Four qualities (dry, hot, wet, cold), Masculine & feminine, Determining chart & planetary sect, Planets & signs

6. The phases of the planets: Diurnal & zodiacal motion together, Heliacally rising & setting in east, Heliacally rising & setting in the west, Helical rising & setting as indicators of planetary strength, Oriental & occidental - the medieval tradition, Minor accidental dignities & debilities, Young & old, early & late, Temperament & complexion, Oriental & occidental quadrants: the Greek tradition, Ascendant & solar quadrants, Complete phases of planets with the sun, Qualities & phases, Oriental, occidental, retrograde, under the beams, Phases with the sun & significations for the soul.

Comment: This book began as a series of articles published in The Mountain Astrologer in 1995-6. The author writes, In this book I explain to the modern astrologer some of the best ideas & techniques from the natal astrology of the past. You can apply this information to your natal chart & the charts of others to gain new insights & methods. I also hope thast you will use it to learn more about the origin of astrology, its history & potential (pg. i)

Of this book, Robert Hand writes, Our first secondary source work, A Practical Guide to Traditional Astrology is a first must read for all astrologers. Crane is empowered with an understanding of both ancient & modern technique that is difficult to master, and for this he deserves much respect.

An excellent book. See his equally impressive second book, Astrological Roots The Hellenistic Legacy.

Arhat, 110 pages, paper.

Foreword, by Robert Hand
Introduction, by Meira Epstein

The Beginning of Wisdom:
1. The form of the wheel, its parts, signs & images, seven planets, elevation, strength, motion, rulership
2. Influence of the signs, their ascension, their effect, the co-mixture of the fixed stars & images
3. Aspects of the degrees, quadrants of the wheel, the twelve houses
4. Nature of the seven planets, their influence
5. Planets, their house position & aspects
6. Strength of planets based on orbital motion & position, also according to their position before or after the Sun
7. Aspects of planets among themselves, general rules regarding the mixture of their powers with one another
8. Judgements of planets in inquiries, nativities & revolutions
9. Lots of planets, lots of houses, other lots
10. Orb of light of the seven planets, the way they are directed, translation over the degrees fo the wheel, and what these indicate

Comment: From the front cover: The beginning of Wisdom is fear of the Lord. The author lived from 1089-1164, in Spain. This book dates from 1148 & was intended as a basic text-book of astrology. Like all surviving books of the period, it is extraordinary in many ways. Among the highlights in the book (as summarized in Robert Hand's introduction): Chapter 2, description of the faces of the zodiac. This is the original source for many of the degree symbol sets (eg, Charabel's) & was last published by Raphael over a century ago. There is also an exhaustive description of the 12 signs. Chapter 3, the uses of triplicity rulers with house cusps. Chapter 5, a detailed account of accidental dignities of the planets as they relate to the sun & other planets. Chapter 6 gives practical applications of this data, in particular, phases of the planets. Chapter 7 covers aspects, including application, conjunction, co-mixture, separation, solitary (eg, void), feral, transfer/collection/return of light, etc. Chapter 8, a collection of 120 aphorisms. Chapter 10, rules for directing, also Persian mundane & historical astrology (Persian astrology is largely lost). Arhat intends to publish more of Ibn-Ezra's work. Lavish notes, more notes, in fact, than original text.

Arhat, 158 pages.

Contents:

Introduction: About the Hebrew title: Sefer Ha'Moladot Ve'ha'Tequfot; The text & the manuscripts; Editing the manuscript; The translation; The contents; Where astrology meets religion & philosophy

Editorial notes by Robert Hand

The Book of Nativities and Revolutions:

Introductory matters: overall considerations before judgment

The equation of the nativity: Rectification - the Nimodar

The equations of Enoch: Rectification - the Trutine of Hermes; The months of pregnancy

The first house: Temperament; The ruler of the nativity; Physical appearance

The testimonies: The years of rearing; Characters & personality; The measure of life - by the years of the planets; The measure of life - by directions; The place of Abscission - cutting off of life

The second house: Sources & timing of material benefit & wealth; Ptolemy's Ages of Life; Additional considerations for wealth

The third house: Siblings; Faith

The fourth house: The father & his measure of life; Land & property; The end of the matter

The fifth house: Children; The number of children; Pleasure

The sixth house: Health; Slaves

The seventh house: Marriage of men; Marriage of women; Quarrels; Partnership

The eighth house: Death; Inheritance

The ninth house: Faith; Dreams - prophetic; Travel; Science & learning

The tenth house: The mother; Rank & honor; Profession & skills

The eleventh house

The twelfth house: Imprisonment & captivity; Enemies; Domestic animals

The Annual Revolution:

Computing the annual revolution using the day & time of birth

Step 1: Compute the incremental equatorial degrees for the ascendant

Step 2: Convert equatorial ascension degrees to ecliptic/zodiacal degrees

Step 3: Compute the day of the revolution in the lunar month

Step 4: Compute the day of the revolution in weeks

Step 5 Compute the temporal hour of the revolution; Example

Evaluation of the annual revolution - important considerations

Profection

The months: Sub-divisions into months in the profected year

The days: Planetary days & hours

The good signs: A brief discussion on elections

The directions: The geographical direction to consider in elections

The countries: Relocation considerations

The colors

Appendix A: Ibn Ezra's astrological works
Appendix B: Glossary: Astrological & astronomical terms found in Moladot; His astrological work

Bibliography & references

Comment: In the Introduction we learn that Ibn Ezra wrote his books on astrology while in Italy or France (1140-1160). This is the third of Ibn Ezra's books to be translated & published to date. The first was The Book of Wisdom (above), the second, The Book of Reasons. This was originally published by Project Hindsight, but I hope (September 2008) to have copies soon.

This book is an extensive look at houses. Such as, ever want to know about the sixth house & slaves? From pg. 52:

Know that this house signifies slaves, so if the ruler of the sixth house is in a conjunction or aspect with the ruler of the nativity, he will have slaves, and according to the aspect of the ruler [of the house] to the rising [degree] so you will judge whether they (the slaves) will be useful or cause damage.

If the ruler of the sixth house is in the tenth house, it indicates that the native will [be] controlled by his slave in his mind and in his money, if the ruler of the sixth house is in one of the signs of human form, his slaves will be obedient; if the sign is male, it indicates that the male [slaves] are better for him than the female ones, and the opposite if it is in a female sign.

Al Kindi said: Always observe the sixth house and the place of its ruler and the place of Mercury, which signifies slaves, and the Lot of the Slaves, and see which is the [strongest] ruler of these places, and according to strength you will judge.

Al Andruzagar said: The first ruler of the triplicity of the sixth house indicates the deformities, the second ruler of the triplicity [indicates] the ailments, and the third ruler of the triplicity [indicates] the slaves.

Arhat, 116 pages.

Contents:

Introduction, by Meira Epstein

The Book of Reasons

Comment: In the Introduction, the translator writes:

The Book of Reasons, which I have chosen to translate, is a commentary and additional material for the Book of Wisdom. The topics covered here follow more or less the order of the chapters in B.O.W., providing more in-depth discussion for those who already know the basics. From a dedication at the end of the book, we know he wrote it for one Yohanan Ben David who may have been his patron and friend. He was also a student of astrology, as can be seen in some phrases in the text where the author addresses him in the second person in a didactic way.

Ibn Ezra was well-versed in the different astrological theories and sources. He knew his predecessors and compared their ideas, quite frequently coming up with his own conclusions. He quotes Aristotle and Hindu, Persian, and Arab astrologers, but most frequently he follows Ptolemy and his book the Tetrabiblos. In some cases he takes issue with him, too, giving his own reasons. This scholarly analytical approach is most evident in the Book of Reasons and is at times similar to the didactic style of the Talmudic literature. (pg. ii)

This is the first time all three of her Ibn Ezra translations have been available for sale at one place. This is because Meira Epstein, uniquely so far as I know, kept copyright to her Hindsight translation. If I am mistaken, if there are other Hindsight translators from long ago who have copyright to their work, I am happy to give detailed instructions how you can publish them, or I would be happy to publish them myself. (You would keep your copyright.)

Published by the translator. 48 pages, which are single-sided leaves. Comb-bound, oversize format.

The several circles of position of the Sun, Moon & Pars Fortuna
This nativity proved by accidents to be this prince's true nativity
A speculum of directions belonging to this nativity
A short general judgment upon this nativity
Of the qualities of the mind
A short collection of aphorisms which take place in this nativity
Some few remarkable revolutions belonging to this nativity
An Appendix
Postscript
Errata

Comment:

Originally published in 1680, this is a digitally edited & enhanced facsimile, similar in appearance to the Regulus Christian Astrology. Gadbury did many short monographs on famous contemporaries. Each is a fascinating study of chart delineation as practiced 300 years ago. He first erects Louis XIV's chart, then proves its validity with directions, gives the natal reading & judgments for each house. He follows with delineation of notable revolutions (eg, years) in Louis XIV's life & concludes with a brief astrological description of Louis XV, who at that time was 19 years old.

Arhat, 36 pages, small stapled paper.