The report was presented for the first time on 10.11.2019 at the First European Conference on Astrology, Varna, Bulgaria. (original title: The prototype of the Babylonian Zodiac)
Kiril Stoychev, chairman of the Bulgarian Astrological Association

Summary: Historical development of the concept of zodiac signs. Why is there a 8-9 day difference between the start of the season and the beginning of the month in today’s calendar? Which comes first – the constellations, zodiac signs, or the calendar? Where did zodiac signs come from? When did the Age of Aquarius begin, if we use the method of observing the stars with the naked eye, as the Sumerians and Babylonians did.

The emergence of the zodiac is hidden behind a veil, thrown by the millennia that have passed since its inception. Today, many confuse the concepts of zodiac constellations and zodiac signs, and are unaware of the existence of the two zodiacs – the tropical and the sidereal. But even for astrologers who can distinguish them and define their concepts, the question of their origin remains unclear.

Let’s first define the concepts:

The Zodiac constellations is a group of 12 constellations bearing the names Aries, Taurus, Gemini all the way to Pisces. They occupy the space 8 degrees below and above the ecliptic. Each constellation is different in size, ranging from 20 degrees for the smallest – Cancer, up to 44 degrees for the largest – Virgo (according to the astronomical atlases we use today).

Sidereal zodiac – is based around the stars in the zodiac constellations. It contains twelve 30 degree sectors bearing the same names as the zodiac constellations.

Tropical Zodiac – is based on the movement of the sun along the ecliptic and its turning points: the equinoxes and the solstices. They mark the beginning of the seasons in the annual cycle. It contains twelve 30-degree sectors bearing the same names. Its starting point (0 degrees in Aries) is marked by the spring equinox at which the celestial equator intersects the ecliptic.

As a result of the precession, the tropical and sidereal zodiacs diverge from each other by 1 degree every 71.5 years. The two zodiacs completely overlapped in 221 AD.

Astrologers following the classical western astrology, influenced mainly by Claudius Ptolemy, use the tropical zodiac without questioning its authenticity and validity. First Hipparchus and later Ptolemy transposed the names of the zodiac constellations to the 12 sectors of the tropical zodiac. Before that, they had already been transposed to the sidereal zodiac.

But it was not Hipparchus that created the tropical zodiac, the idea for it was born a couple of centuries earlier. What we know for sure is that the ancient Greek astronomer Euctemon (d. 432 BC) created the first tropical zodiac circle, it was based on the annual movement of the sun (in ancient greek the word tropikos means turning or turning point).

Based on the observation of a series of solstices, he published a stellar calendar. It contained information about the equinoxes and solstices, the rises and sets of the fixed stars and meteorological data.

Euctemon divided the solar year into 12 months, using the names of the 12 zodiac constellations. The summer solstice marks the first degree of the tropical sign Cancer, this is the longest day.

If we observe the sunrise every day, we will see that the Sun moves along the horizon line. On the day of the summer solstice, the Sun rises as far north-east as possible. From that day forward, the sun‘s rising point begins to shift east towards the autumnal equinox point. After that the sun’s rising point starts to move southeast until the Sun reaches the winter solstice. On that day the Sun is in the first degree of the tropical sign Capricorn. This is the shortest day of the year. Following the winter solstice sun’s rising point starts shifting east again towards the spring equinox. The day starts to grow longer and during the spring equinox the day and the night are in equilibrium.

The tropical zodiac created by Euctemon was mainly used as a calendar. A century later, the Babylonian astronomer and astrologer Kidinnu (d. 330 BC), the author of the so-called System B – a methodology for calculating the positions of the planets, uses a zodiac in which the spring equinox point was in the 8^th degree in sidereal sign Aries. Around the time of his death, the spring equinox point was exactly there.

It should be noted that around 150 years before Kidinnu, the Babylonians used a similar sidereal zodiac, in which the spring equinox point was placed in the 10th degree of Aries in the sidereal zodiac. The supposed creator of this zodiac is Nabu-rimanni, a Babylonian astronomer/astrologer from the beginning of the 5th century BC. He is the author of the so-called System A – a methodology for calculating planetary positions, the precursor of System B. Both systems were used in Hellenistic world over the next 5-6 centuries.The Aldebaran-Antares axis was used as the starting point for the creation of the Sidereal Zodiac. Aldebaran is located in the middle of the constellation Taurus. Its position marks the 15^th degree of the sidereal sign Taurus, using this as a reference point the first degree of Taurus is determined. After that the entire ecliptic is geometrically divided into 12 equal sectors of 30 degrees. In the sky there is no star that can be used to mark 0 degrees in Aries (the beginning of the zodiac). However, Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, not Taurus.

According to the assyrologist Ph.D. Francesca Rochberg, the earliest texts (lunar tables) in which the signs of the sidereal zodiac are used instead of the constellations, are from 475 BC. (In the Path of the Moon, 2010, p.364). This means that the sidereal zodiac was originally created for astronomical purposes – to be able to determine the position of planets, the Sun, the Moon, as well as the point of spring equinox in a coordinate system.

“The zodiac of twelve signs of equal 30-degree length had its origin in Babylonia sometime during the fifth century B.C, the period of development of scientific mathematical astronomy, and was invented for use in astronomical computation, not divination. It provides a standard reference system for measuring the daily (or monthly) progress of the sun and the planets with respect to the twelve equal 30-degree segments. ” [1]

Comparing the data, we see that both the sidereal and the tropical zodiacs emerged at almost the same time in the 5th century BC.

About 40-50 years after the death of Kidinnu on the island of Kos, an astrological school was established by the Babylonian Berossus (probably a disciple of Kidinnu). Thus, the zodiac created and used by Kidinnu, in which the spring equinox point is in 8^th degree of Aries entered ancient Greece and later ancient Rome and was the most used zodiac during the time before and shortly after the birth of Christ (it was also used by astrologer Vetius Valens, 120-190 AD).

“The norm 8⁰ Aries as the vernal point underlies many Hellenistic astrological texts and continued in use throughout late antiquity.” Franchesca Rochberg

However the equinox does no longer occur in the 8^th degree of sidereal sign Aries (as it did during the time of Kidinnu). Every 72 years it shifts by one degree (7>6>5>4>3>2>1) towards the sidereal sign of Pisces. This event occurs due to the swinging of the Earth around its axis (the so-called precession). This caused a lot of confusion in the ancient world and continues to do so even today.

When the Julian calendar was created, the beginning of the year (January 1^st) was set at 8 degrees in tropical sign of Capricorn, not at 0 degrees Capricorn, which marks the beginning of winter. My hypothesis is that this is due to Kidinnu’s sidereal zodiac, in which the winter solstice occurred in the 8^th degree. The author of the Julian calendar probably confused the sidereal and tropical zodiac, and decided that he should put the beginning of the year in the tropical zodiac at 8 degrees Capricorn. This is why today there is an 8 or 9 days difference between each season and the beginning of its respective month. In an accurate solar calendar, the first day of each month should mark the beginning of the next tropical zodiac sign.

The earth’s axis swings like a spinning top, this motion is known as the precession. Due to it, every year the time of the spring equinox changes, it comes earlier. This was discovered and explained by Hipparchus (190 – 120 BC), we can assume that Kidinnu was also aware about the precession.

In the scientific world Hipparchus is known as an astronomer. However Pliny the Elder writes about him the following:

“No one having done more than Hipparchus to prove that man is related to the stars and that our souls are a part of Heaven”

This surely places him amidst the great astrologers. In fact, in antiquity, the terms astrologer and astronomer were one and the same.

Hipparchus placed the 1^st degree of Aries at the point of the spring equinox and divided the ecliptic into 12 zodiac signs, 30 degrees for each sign. Initially his discovery did not gain much recognition. Its publicity increased later on, thanks to Claudius Ptolemy and his work, Tetrabiblos, which became a mandatory book for astrologers in late antiquity and the early middle Ages. Ptolemy, who was well versed in both the Sidereal and Tropical Zodiac, favored the latter.

Recent studies on the mechanism of the Antikythera (which is essentially an ancient analog computer that calculates the motion of the bodies in the solar system) shows that it used the tropical zodiac of Hipparchus.

According to the researcher PhD Nicholas Kollerstrom from the University College London, the zodiac used in this mechanism is tropical.

„The front dial has a zodiac around which a solar pointer revolved yearly and the one clear inscription of a zodiac sign name is ‘chelae’, meaning ‘claws’. What we now call Libra the zodiacal Scales between the Virgin and the Scorpion were, in ancient times, the claws of the huge, powerful Scorpion that lay in wait for the Sun at the autumnal equinox.

These stars were ‘Chelae’ to the Greeks and Romans until the time of Julius Caesar’s calendar reform in 46 BC. This antique use of the term ‘chelae’ firmly anchors the mechanism in those centuries. On ‘fragment C’ one can faintly read for Chelai, and to the left two of the last letters N and N of the ‘Parthenon’ – the sign Virgo, reminding us that the goddess of the Parthenon’s Acropolis was ‘the Virgin,’ Athena. Then to the right, I was shown, using the X-ray viewing method that goes below the surface, all the letters of , the sign Scorpio (Note: this is a new discovery, not hitherto reported in the literature on this mechanism).

Thus its zodiac revolved clockwise. The letter ‘alpha’ can be read next to the zero degrees Libra (autumnal equinox) position, suggesting that this zodiac was tropical, in accord with the Hipparchian innovation of starting at zero degrees Aries for the spring equinox“ [2]

This proves that some Greek astrologers and astronomers of the 2nd and 1st century BC already used the tropical zodiac. Furthermore we can see how ancient Greek mythology began to implement the zodiac signs. The names of the zodiac signs are taken directly from the names of the zodiacal constellations (which are of Sumerian origin).

It is clear to any unbiased observer that the sidereal zodiac appeared before the tropical, and that the circle of the zodiac constellations precedes the sidereal zodiac.

The question remains why these 3 different zodiacs were created and whether there is another system from which they draw their foundations.

We also have the question whether the names of the constellations attributed to the meaning of the signs, or is there another mechanism that explains why each sign has its specific characterizations?

Another question that needs answers is whether the meaning (the characteristic) of a sign, for example Aries, is somehow related to the zodiacal constellations, to the sidereal or to the tropical zodiac.

The answers are given by the Russian sumerologist, candidate of historical sciences, a doctor of philosophy and currently a professor at the St. Petersburg University – Vladimir Emelianov.

Because he is not an astrologer, his studies remain unknown to both the Russian astrologers and the entire astrological community. This is why I will base this report on his studies of the early zodiac, which shed light on these issues. In his monograph, he starts a dispute with the famous Danish historian, mathematician and researcher B.L. Van der Waerden.

“According to B.L. Van der Waerden’s hypothesis, the first model of the zodiac circle used the 18 constellations on the Moon’s path, which are mentioned in MUL.APIN. Subsequently, in the 6th – 5th centuries BC, the sun’s ecliptic and its associated 12 zodiac signs was introduced (used for the first time in lunar tables from 476 BC). This hypothesis is not convincing for two reasons. First, the 12 constellations on ecliptic were already mentioned in the cuneiform texts LU / LU₂.MAS = lumaSu (CAD L). The word (lumaSu) has an unclear origin. It is known that it originally referred to the heliacally rising constellations that served to divide the year into 12 parts, and later on for the constellations of the solar zodiac (CAD L 1, 3)). Therefore, we can assume that the Sumerian word LU / LU₂.MAS is an abstract name, formed by the abbreviation of the first and third name of the constellations placed on the sun’s ecliptic: LU₂. (HUNGA) – MAS. (TAB.BA) «Aries – Gemini»”.

 

It goes on as follows “The fact that the Luma-shu (the constellations) are related only to the Sun is evidenced in a fragment from cuneiform tablets from the 7th century BC. It states the following: “ina sitan и silan LU^MAS-Si uszizma harranu mala[ku (?) ijsruk sunuma […]”, it can be translated as “At sunrise and sunset, he (Marduk) found Luma-shu and gave them path […]” (ABRT 1:31: 9).

 

To my knowledge, the 18 constellations on the lunar ecliptic have never been referenced using this term. Therefore they cannot be called “a zodiac.” Secondly, Van der Waerden himself writes about his observations of the Sun’s annual motion across the four seasons as a basis for the 12 sign ecliptic. Therefore what role does the moon play here? It is more reasonable to assume that in Mesopotamia the two ecliptics were used – the Moon’s (18 signs) and the Sun’s (12 signs). Subsequently only the latter remained relevant, which is explained by the greater number of solar-oriented calendars.” [3]

The biggest contribution Emelianov has made is the unfolding of the semantic connection between the names of the months in the sacred for the Sumerians, Nippurian calendar and the names of the constellations in the Babylonian Sidereal Zodiac. According to the professor, the only reliable source for restoring the Sumerian astronomical and astrological knowledge is their calendar.

The Sumerian calendar was widely used by the people of Southern Mesopotamia. It was created in the holy city of Nippur, dedicated to the ruling God of the world order, and the Lord of Nature, Enlil. The calendar is based on the coordination between the cycle of the moon and the annual movement of the Sun through the zodiac constellations.

The calendar accounts for the equinoxes and the solstices, it consists of 360 days, 12 months and 4 seasons. In order for the solar and lunar cycles to be in sync, every few years an additional 13th month was added to the calendar.

The unification of the Nippurian calendar was completed after the demise of the 3rd Ur Dynasty (c. 2017–1985 BC), after which it became not only the main but also the only calendar of Mesopotamia. In the eighteenth century BC, the first characters (letters) used in the spelling of the names of the Nippurian months are accepted as logograms for the respective months in the Babylonian calendar (Cohen, 1993, 9). After the end of the Kassite period (XII-XI centuries BC), the first bilingual names for each month were created. They were used for explaining the names of the holy Sumerian months, to the Semitic population that had forgotten their original meaning. Later on, at the end of the Neo-Assyrian period, monthly astrological forecasts were created, whose characteristics were largely related to the names of the months and their meanings.

This is how the familiar to us Babylonian Zodiac appeared.

ARIES – In Sumer, this constellation was called Lu-hunga (lu₂-hunga), “Hired Worker” or “Volunteer,” and was associated with the shepherd-god Dumuzid.

When the Nippurian calendar was created, before sunrise during the spring equinox, the constellation Aries rose and was visible above the horizon. It was the time of the Nippurian New Year. According to tradition, a new king was chosen at this time of the year, the candidate had to be a volunteer. He must challenge the forces of the old world (the old ruler) and fight them. The candidate is a sacrificial young man who knows that because of his determination, he will face double jeopardy. Either he will be killed in the duel or after some time, already as king, will die at the hands of another contender.

 

The sacrifice of the volunteer (because most often the young contender was killed in the duel) is related to the custom of offering a sacrificial lamb at the beginning of the year. When the cuneiform inscriptions began to shrink, the name lu-hunga was reduced to “lu”. It was spelled with a sign that means man and with a sign that represents a stylized image of a ram. The sacrificial king and the sacrificial lamb merge into a single image symbolizing the spring sacrifice for the New Year.

 

The following chain of words can be put together: “the suffering god (Dumuzid) – shepherd – ram – king – hired worker”, the semantic core of which is the idea of voluntary sacrifice: the shepherd offers a ram from his herd, the ram loses its life, the hired worker offers himself at his master’s disposal, the king accepts his destiny and in the end sacrifices his life. In context, we can translate lu₂-hunga not only as “hired man”, but also as “volunteer”. Interpreters from the later centuries chose only one of these meanings and began to call the constellation Aries.

 

TAURUS – a name directly related to a ritual that was carried out during the second Nippurian month. The god Ninurta was called the bull, he was originally known as the god of agriculture and healing, later he acquired more warlike characteristics. After defeating all his rivals in his city he performs ritual of marriage with his bride. At this time of year, a ritual associated to marriage was performed. The ritual consisted of plowing the wet earth after the spring river floods (marriage between earth and water that will later produce life), herds of oxen and harnesses were taken out on the fields as well. The events of the month are characterized with war, love and plowing. The images of the fierce, fertile and hard-working bull are combined into one.

 

GEMINI – a name associated with the worship of the twin brothers Sin and Nergal, born in the underworld from the marriage of Enlil and Ninlil. Later on in his life, Sin becomes the god of the moon and ascends to the skies, Nergal on the other hand remains in the underworld to rule the world of the dead.

 

CANCER – this name is a complex net of associations. The heliacal rise of this constellation coincides with the summer solstice, after which the Sun begins to move backwards in the direction of the autumnal equinox point (back to the underworld). It is also related to the early sowing of the grain in Mesopotamia. The grain falls into the ground, the same way the Sun descends to the underworld (after the summer solstice, the Sun rises more and more to the south-east, following a lower path in the sky, thus the days become shorter). Rituals are associated with the sending of the spring god Dumuzid into the underworld and his subsequent mourning. Dumuzid is а epitome of the grain sinking into the earth and the days becoming shorter.

 

LEO – a name associated with competitions held in honor of the hero-king Gilgamesh by adolescents in urban areas. Gilgamesh and Sargon, striving to leave an immortal legacy with their military campaigns, were often compared to lions. This animal embodies the royal figure (the same way the lion is the king of all animals). The sun also symbolizes the mane of the lion. The relationship between the fifth constellation and the fifth Nippurian month is furthermore indicated by the Assyrian image of Gilgamesh with a small lion next to him.

 

VIRGO – a name associated with the purification of the goddess Inana after she returned from the underworld, where she searched for Dumuzid to no avail.

 

LIBRA – a symbol of the autumnal equinox, when the day is equalized with the night. In the Sumerian tradition, during this time the Sun God judges the living and the dead. Also honors were given to the gods that judge the souls of the dead in the underworld. [4]

Thus, Prof. Emelianov explains the correspondences between the seasonal and ritual activities for each month in the Nippurian calendar, and the name of the zodiac constellation that rises heliacally during that month. Thanks to Prof. Emelianov work we can surely say that, the characteristics of the rituals and activities that took place in ancient Sumer 2000 years B.C., played a significant role in naming the zodiac constellations (Aries, Taurus, etc.).

The events that took place on earth were dictated by the position of the Sun and its characteristics during each season. These events then shaped the features and qualities that were given to the zodiac constellations, and not vice versa, as many people think.

In the calendar we also find the same concept of opposite signs we use in astrology today. The months of the first and second half of the Nippurian calendar have opposite and complementary meanings.

I – VII – (Aries – Libra): the beginning of the world and the judgment of the world

II – VIII – (Taurus – Scorpio): the fight (dispute) of the two beginnings

III – IX – (Gemini – Sagittarius): the coexistence of the two beginnings

IV – X – (Cancer – Capricorn): descend and escape from the underworld

V – XI – (Leo – Aquarius): in search for immortality (the individual path and the path of universal salvation)

VI – XII – (Virgo – Pisces): reaping the fruits from the cycle, end of the cycle. [3]

There is no doubt, says V. Emelianov, astrology as a system was created in Babylon and Assyria, after the fall of the Sumerian civilization. But, undoubtedly, the roots of astrology are based on the Sumerian views of the world and the correspondence between the Sumerian monthly rituals and the name of the constellation rising heliacally that month. For Sumerians, the understanding of life as a series of correspondences is organic and inner related to their religion and ideology. But for the descendants of the Sumerians, the Babylonians, the understanding of life and the world acquires the characteristics of a teaching, a rational postulate.

In conclusion, here is a quote from V. Emelianov’s monograph:

“We see that there is a semantic connection between the names of the Nippurian months and the zodiacal constellations. This probably happened because some characteristics of the ritual performed during a given month were carried over to the corresponding constellation. Subsequently, individual features of the months and constellations were once again transferred to segments of the solar ecliptic, the so-called “zodiac signs”. This has defined the main apparatus for the Middle-Eastern and European astrology.

 

In general, the nature of the predictions based on the zodiac constellations is similar to that of the predictions of the months. The basis is the ritual corresponding to the given time, characterized by its constant scenario. The main functions of the characters in the given scenario (e.g. the young contender challenging the king and sacrificing himself) are given as properties to the celestial bodies. In the first stage of the development of astrology, the “carriers” of these properties were the Moon, Venus and the Sun, occupying a certain place in the sky, during a given month. In the second stage – the same characteristics were acquired by the constellations on the Sun’s ecliptic.” [3]

Thanks to the research of Prof. Dr. Emelianov, we can trace the origin of the Babylonian zodiac – the holy Nippurian calendar, consisting of 12 months and 4 seasons. The calendar’s cycle is related to the seasons and the social and economic activity in the northern hemisphere, and it is closely intertwined with the sacred rituals and the gods of the Sumerian pantheon, as well as with the heliacal rise of the constellations relevant for that time of the year. This is in full interconnection and fulfillment of the second Hermetic principle – As above, so below; as below, so above.

 

When does the Age of Aquarius begin?

If we use mathematics we can calculate that on the 20.03.2377 AD, the spring equinox point will reach the sign of Aquarius (sidereal zodiac, ayanamsha Fagan)
If we use the constellations boundaries calculated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1928, this event will happen around the year 2600 AD. This is because the constellation of Pisces occupies more than 30 degrees (the size of zodiac sign Pisces).
However, the ancient Sumerians did not calculate, but instead observed the rising constellations and gave them proper names and meanings. If you look at the Sun at sunrise on the day of the equinox, you will not see stars around it, because its light makes the stars invisible.
Only if you look east 40-60 minutes before sunrise, you will see which constellation is rising heliacally. Let’s see what people of different ages saw in the sky at the moment. The astronomical software Stellarium was used to illustrate this.

2000 BC
On the day of the spring equinox, in the morning just before sunrise, the ancient Sumerians observed the rising of the constellation Aries.

 

 

During the time of Christ, 33 AD.
On the day of the spring equinox, in the morning just before sunrise, the ancient Jews observed the rising of the constellation Pisces.

 

 

1900 AD
On the day of the spring equinox, in the morning just before sunrise, over Jerusalem, the star Simmah (gamma Pisces) rose for the last time, and the stars of the Aquarius constellation were visible above it. According to the spiritual teacher Beinsa Douno (Peter Deunov), the Age of Aquarius began on March 22, 1914 AD.

It should be noted that on the 43^rd parallel, this happened about 2 centuries earlier – in the period between the years 1700-1800. This is when the Industrial Revolution began in Europe, as did the French Revolution (1789).
But why do I use the coordinates of Jerusalem? If we use the birth of Christ as a starting point for counting time, we must also account for the place of his birth, in order to make an accurate assessment.

 

 

2019 AD

Today, if we go out 1 hour before sunrise on the day of the spring equinox, we will be able to see the stars of the constellation Aquarius rising above the horizon. We are already in the Age of Aquarius.

 

References:

1. Rochberg, Franchesca. In the Path of the Moon: Babylonian Celestial Divination and Its Legacy. Brill. 2010. ISBN 978-90-04-18389-6.

2. Kollerstrom, Nicholas. Decoding the Antikythera mechanism
https://www.academia.edu/1901641/Decoding_the_Antikythera_Mechanism

3. Emelianov, Vladimir. Nippur calendar and the early history of zodiac. St. Petersburg Oriental Studies. 1999. ISBN 5-85803-112-9

4. Emelyanov, Vladimir. Ancient Sumer. – SPb .: “Petersburg Oriental Studies”, 2001.

5. Sarton, George. Hellenistic Science and Culture in the Last Three Centuries B.C. Courier Corporation, 1993, 978-04-86-27740-0

Compared to rulership, the exaltation of planets is a very unclear and speculative topic in modern astrology. The concept we are using today has no clear logic or origin and it seems as if it was just given to us. The conception of exaltation arises for the first time in Babylon. The astrologers in the VII-VI century BC. have noted that every planet has its own “hidden place” –“bit nisirti“, each “hidden place” corresponds to a specific constellation. The following omen (prophecy) after a planet was in its “hidden place” was relative to state affairs.

Babylonian horoscopes, Francesca Rochberg, page 108

In some of the preserved Babylonian horoscopes from the IV – II century BC, the term “hidden place” is used the following way: “A person was born in the hidden place of Venus”, however in that person‘s chart Venus is not in the constellation of Pisces (Venus is exalted in Pisces) nor is the Sun. This applies to all Babylonian horoscopes in which the “hidden place” was mentioned, this means it is unclear to us why and how the Babylonians used the term “bit nisirti“. One of the translators of these ancient Babylonian horoscopes, David Pingree shares hypothesis that suggests ancient astrologers used this method to describe the position of the moon‘s syzygy at the time of conceiving the child.

From that we can conclude, that the term “exaltation” in the horoscopes of the ancients was used in a completely different way compared to the way we use it today, as a planet’s dignity.

A planet is at its “hidden place“ when  it reaches its farthest point from the ecliptic. At the time of the Babylonians Venus reached its maximum ecliptic latitude in the constellation of Pisces . This concept is presented for the first time by the Russian astrologer Vladimir Kovrigin. The Greeks translate the term “bin nisitri“ as “hypsoma“, which means elevation and in Latin in is translated as “exaltatio“ – greatness.
When does a planet reach its maximum ecliptic latitude? This occurs when during its motion a planet makes a retrograde knot. Look at the figure below.

But there is a problem, the planets distance from the ecliptic during their retrograde motion is very small, from 1-1.5 degrees for Jupiter to 8 degrees for Venus. This deviation is very hard to observe and calculate, furthermore the planets don’t reach their greatest ecliptic latitude every year. That is why the astrologers from the II-I century BC  didn’t use their own observations for the exaltations but instead used the knowledge given to them by the Babylonians.

The periods of time in which the planets reach their “hidden place“ (greatest ecliptic latitude) are as follows:

Mercury – once every 20 years
Venus – once every 8 years
Mars – once every 15 years
Jupiter – once every 12 years
Saturn – once every 30 years

For example, on the 03.03.656 BC Venus has moved 8 degrees north of the ecliptic and is at the 27th degree longitude of the sidereal sign Pisces. Venus will reach again the same position in latitude after 8 years (with a difference of 8-15 degrees in the longitude!).

The interesting thing is that on this date Venus is at the 27th degree of Pisces, which today is considered to be its exaltation degree in the tropical zodiac. The same can be said about the following dates, in which Saturn and Mars were at their “hidden places“ (exaltations).

7 March 549 BC – On this date Saturn is at the 21st degree of Libra in the sidereal zodiac. This is the exact same degree of exaltation we use today in the tropical zodiac.

27 July 617 BC – On this date Mars is at the 30th degree of Capricorn in the sidereal zodiac. Today in the tropical zodiac, we use the 28th degree of Capricorn for the exaltation of Mars.

Here is how an ancient Omen sounds like:

“If Venus reaches her hidden place: good fortune will come to pass – she reaches the constellation of the Lion. On the other hand, if she does not reach her hidden place before disappearing the land will suffer”

It is interesting to note that in the ancient Babylonian texts Venus has another “hidden place” in the sign of Leo.

The second “hidden place“ can be explained by the astronomical fact, that planets can deviate both north and south of the ecliptic, they have two greatest ecliptic latitudes. Around the 7-6 century BC, Venus reached its greatest south ecliptic latitude in the constellation of Leo. That is why in the Omen above, Leo is pointed as the “hidden place“ of Venus, not Pisces. This fact has slipped by the astrologers who created the modern exaltation system or it was just ignored.

The Omen tells us that the Babylonians observed the moment when a planet reaches its maximum ecliptic latitude, using the term “hidden place“ to describe it. As already mentioned, a planet reaches its maximum ecliptic latitude when it moves retrograde. The retrograde movement of Venus begins when the planet is occidental of the Sun and is located approximately 30 degrees from the Sun. When Venus is about 8 degrees away from the Sun, it becomes invisible for us, disappearing in the Sun’s rays. We have been told the exact same thing by the ancient astrologers tell us in their Omen, that if Venus disappears (become invisible) before reaching its “hidden place” (maximum ecliptic latitude), the land will suffer.

Let’s put ourselves in the place of the Babylonians, who observed with naked eye the night sky in the year 656 BC. The date is January 1st 656 BC. Venus can be observed in the evening in its ultimate brilliance. It has reached its maximum elongation (distance) of 46 degrees from the Sun, and is located exactly on the ecliptic (0 degrees latitude). Its velocity is equal to that of the Sun, and starts to decrease. Venus  is at the 3rd degree of the sidereal sign Pisces.

February 1 – Venus is now 40 degrees of longitude away from the Sun. In the time between January 1st and February 1st, Venus has moved 4 degrees of latitude above the ecliptic. Its ecliptic longitude for this date is 28 degrees in the sidereal sign Pisces.

February 15 – Venus is now stationary. Located about 30 degrees of longitude from the Sun, and has risen 6.5 degrees of latitude above the ecliptic. It begins to move retrograde and starts getting closer to the Sun.

On March 3 – Venus reaches its hidden place – 8 degrees ecliptic latitude and is positioned in the 27th degree of longitude in the sidereal sign Pisces. On the next day Venus disappears in the Sun‘s rays.

 

This ascent of Venus 8 degrees above the ecliptic, which Babylonian astrologers have observed, continues for two months in the sign of Pisces – “hidden place” of Venus, exaltation of Venus.

However the planets reach their greatest ecliptic latitude in a given period (8 years for Venus), also there is a shift along the ecliptic longitude, in which this event can be observed.

Here’s the problem itself – planets change signs (and degrees of longitude), in which they reach greatest ecliptic latitude (exaltation)! Their “hidden places“ are no longer located in the same signs given to us by the Babylonians. But in astrology today, we continue to use a system of exaltations, based on old observations, which are no longer accurate.

In a slightly different way stands the question for the exaltation of the Sun and Moon. Their places of exaltation are not mentioned in the ancient texts. The Sun don’t deviate from the ecliptic. The Moon on the other hand constantly changes the sign in which it reaches its greatest ecliptic latitude. Their exaltations in Aries and Taurus can’t be explained using the same method.
The interpretation of sidereal astrologer Cyril Fagan is that the Sun is exalted in Aries, because after the vernal equinox in Aries, the day becomes longer than the night, in other words the Sun begins to grow in strength.

The first crescent moon after the vernal equinox (which marked the start of the New Year in ancient Babylon), was often located in the sign Taurus. That is how the exaltations of the Sun and Moon were determined. However this is a concept that is related to the tropical zodiac!

We see that the concept of the exaltations mixes ideas from both the tropical and the sidereal zodiac. Is this approach for determining the exaltations justifiable?

Should we stick to the same signs that were observed more than 2000 years ago by Babylonian astrologers as places where planets are in theirs greatest northern or southern ecliptic latitude?

If we follow the same method, which the ancient Babylonian astrologers used, we need to calculate where the current greatest ecliptic latitude for all the planets is. But no one does this…

For example, Venus reached its maximum southern ecliptic latitude in the 21st century on 21.08.2015 at 19 degrees in tropical sign Leo (24th degree of sidereal Cancer).
On 23.08.2007 Venus was in its exaltation at the 21st degree of Leo (26th degree of sidereal Cancer).

On 23.03.2009 Venus reached its maximum northern ecliptic latitude at the 10th degree of Aries (15th degree of sidereal Pisces). These are the dates and degrees in which Venus was at its “hidden place“ in the early 21st century.

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One of the first astronomical observations made by Babylonians in ancient times were related to the exaltations of the planets. Several centuries later, around the III-II century BC the astrological concept of rulership was formed, probably in Alexandria, Egypt, and was represented in the so-called “Horoscope of the world” or “Thema Mundi” (a symbolic astrological chart for the birth of the Earth)

After it was determined which planet rules over which sign, the Hellenistic astrologers looked for other signs in which the planets had dignities. They adopted the Babylonian concept of the exaltations, created in the VII-VI century BC. Today we continue to use the same exaltations: Sun in Aries, Moon in Taurus, Mercury in Virgo, Venus in Pisces, Mars in Capricorn, Jupiter in Cancer, Saturn in Libra. Let’s call it the traditional concept of the exaltations.

 

But as I said before, the planets no longer reach their greatest ecliptic latitude in the signs we use for their exaltations. A medieval Arab astrologer named Abraham ibn Ezra faced this problem and on top of the already existing concept of exaltation, created a new exaltation concept determined by the greatest ecliptic latitude of planets at his time. Despite this conflict between theory and reality today, compared to the ancient times, everyone who uses astrology for example knows that Mars is well placed in the sign of Capricorn, the same can be said for Saturn in Libra.

Rulership

When astrology was first formed, the known planets were: the two luminaries – the Sun and the Moon, and five other planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn.

Every sign was given a ruler. According to Ptolemy, who in his work Tetrabiblos refers to the knowledge of the ancient astrologers, states that the signs Cancer and Leo which are the closest signs to the Zenith are related to the Sun and Moon. This may be only true for the tropical zodiac, because it uses the turning points (tropikos) of the Sun. Therefore, the concept of rulership comes from the tropical zodiac.

And because the sign of Cancer is feminine in nature, it became the Moon’s domicile, and Leo being a masculine sign became the Sun’s domicile.

We all know that the Sun rules Leo and the Moon rules Cancer

If you look at the chart below, between the signs Cancer and Leo we can build an axis that divides the zodiac into two parts. Lets call it the “axis of reflection”. The half from the side of the Sun, Ptolemy calls the Solar semicircle and the other the Lunar semicircle.

The so-called “horoscope of the world” (Thema Mundi) – a symbolic astrological chart for the birth of Earth

Mercury rules over Virgo, Venus over Libra, Mars over Scorpio, Jupiter over Sagittarius, Saturn over Capricorn. The planets are ordered according to their speed, starting form the fastest all the way to the slowest.

Here is what astrologer Firmikus Maternus says about Thema Mundi in the IV century AD.
“The divine wise men of old invented the birth chart of the universe so that it would be an example for astrologers to follow in the charts of men.”

This chart does not describe the actual point in time when the Earth was created, it presents an idea, a concept that astrologers should use as an example, a model, when interpreting natal charts!

Now let see what will happen if we use the same method for the other half of the Zodiac, again using the axis of reflection:

Mercury is reflected from Virgo into Gemini
Venus is reflected from Libra into Taurus
Mars is reflected from Scorpio into Aries
Jupiter is reflected from Sagittarius into Pisces
Saturn is reflected from Capricorn into Aquarius

The Sun and Moon rule over Leo and Cancer, all other planets rule over two signs – one masculine and one feminine sign.

Table of rulership

Ruling Planet	Masculine sign	Feminine sign
Mercury	Gemini	Virgo
Venus	Libra	Taurus
Mars	Aries	Scorpio
Jupiter	Sagittarius	Pisces
Saturn	Aquarius	Capricorn

When a planet rules over a masculine sign it manifests more of its Yang nature. We say that this planet is the diurnal ruler of the sign.

When a planet rules over a feminine sign it manifests more of its Yin nature. We say that this planet is the nocturnal ruler of the sign.

This was the system of rulership that was used in ancient and medieval times. If this concept of rulership is correct, we can use it for the newly discovered planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto as well, let’s see if this is true.

If we follow the same astrological logic we should position Uranus, Neptune and Pluto after Saturn, according to their speed of movement (distance from the Sun). Uranus becomes the ruler of Aquarius, Neptune of Pisces (widely accepted in modern astrology), Pluto should rule Aries (many modern astrologers think so too). Today it is generally accepted that Pluto rules the sign Scorpio, which is located on the other half of the axis, reflecting Aries. It is clear that this system of rulership is correct, it fits in well with the old and new astronomical discoveries.

New exaltation concept

Author: Kiril Stoychev

We saw that the concept of exaltation we use today comes from the ancient Babylonian astrologers. It is unreasonable to use the same concept today, because the planets change the sign in which they reach their greatest ecliptic latitude. Furthermore these observations were made using the sidereal zodiac, not the tropical one currently used in Western astrology.

Now I will bring to your attention a new concept for the exaltations of the planets. When I first came to this idea in 2001, I reasoned as follows – the Sun is exalted in Aries and the Moon in Taurus.  If we use the same logic as the ancient astrologers did in Thema Mundi, we can put the planets in order, according to their velocity in a similar way as when determining the rulership.

The new positions of the planets we get are the following: Mercury in Gemini, Venus in Cancer, Mars in Leo, Jupiter in Virgo, Saturn in Libra.

Using the exaltation of the Sun in Aries and the exaltation of the Moon in Taurus as starting points we can build a new axis of reflection which is perpendicular to the axis we used for the rulership.

By reflecting the planets in the other half of the chart the same way we did for the first axis, we can see that each planet has a second sign of exaltation. Now we can create a new concept for the exaltations which will be applicable for the tropical zodiac.

If we reflect the planets in the other half of the chart the same way we did for the first axis, we will see that there is a second sign of exaltation for the planets.

Exaltations in the Lunar semicircle	Exaltations in the Lunar Solar semicircle
Mercury in Gemini (the same as its rulership, meaning the planet is very strong in this sign) Venus in Cancer Mars in Leo Jupiter in Virgo Saturn in Libra	Mercury in Pisces Venus in Aquarius Mars in Capricorn Jupiter in Sagittarius (the same as its rulership, meaning the planet is very strong in this sign) Saturn in Scorpio

We see that the Sun, Moon, Mars and Saturn are exalted is the same signs as the ones we use today in the traditional concept of exaltation. This explains why the traditional scheme has survived through the years and we continue to use it today.

There are two problems in this new concept. The first one is the position of Mercury and Venus, today it is assumed that Venus is exalted in Pisces, also some modern astrological schools claim that Mercury is exalted in Aquarius. Furthermore if Mercury is exalted in Pisces, it enters in a contradiction with its detriment, because the opposite sign of Pisces is Virgo, which is ruled by Mercury. So let us apply the principle of Yin-Yang.

The masculine planets are the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The feminine are Venus and the Moon. Mercury is considered to be a half masculine, half feminine planet. However if we take into consideration the seventh principle of Hermes and the Yin-Yang symbolism we can safely say that every masculine planet has a feminine side and vice versa.

When a feminine planet is exalted in a masculine sign, it is easier for its masculine nature to manifest and when a masculine planet is exalted in a feminine sign, it is easier for its feminine nature to manifest.

Let’s see what side of Mercury is exalted in Pisces. The feminine side of Mercury or the feminine side of the mind is a person’s intuition. Let us see if Mercury in Pisces gives a strong intuition.

Here are some famous people which have this position in their natal charts: Rudolf Steiner, Paco Rabanne, Edgar Cayce, Dane Rudhyar, James Redfield, Nicolaus Copernicus, Eckhart Tolle, Charles Darwin, Galileo Galilei, Rupert Murdoch, Arthur Schopenhauer, Herbert von Karajan, Georg Ohm, Evangeline Adams, Roberto Asadzhioli.

It is undeniable that all these people have a very strong intuition. On the other hand Mercury in Pisces is in its detriment because Mercury rules Virgo, and Virgo is in opposition with Pisces, this means that Mercury will have a weakness here, this weakness will be directed towards the person‘s practicality and dexterity, the basic characteristics of Mercury in Virgo.

Another interesting thing we see, is that Venus is exalted in Aquarius. Venus has a feminine nature while Aquarius is a masculine sign. Therefore, there will be a conflict between the two principles. It will be easier for the masculine side of Venus to manifest, which will lead to its exaltation in the aspect of friendship (we can say that friendship is the masculine side of Venus!).

On the other hand, the traditional feminine characteristics that Venus symbolizes will be weakened  in the sign of Aquarius. Things like marriage, love and  relationships can be very difficult, especially for women. This position (Venus in Aquarius) makes women very strong and independent, making it harder for them to find a man that meets their expectations. It can also increase a person’s attraction to the same sex.

Mars in Capricorn – exaltation of Mars (same as the traditional concept). A masculine planet is exalted in a feminine sign. This will lead to a stronger manifestation of the feminine nature of Mars, which is a person‘s willpower.

Jupiter in Sagittarius – a very strong position for Jupiter, rulership and exaltation (double strength).

Saturn in Scorpio – exaltation of Saturn. Increases the feminine nature of Saturn – patience and concentration.

Saturn in Libra – exaltation of Saturn. Same for both the classical concept and the new one.

Jupiter in Virgo. This is the second problem we encounter, the planet is exalted in the sign of its detriment, because Jupiter is the ruler of Pisces, the opposite sign of Virgo. This phenomenon can be explained the following way – in Sagittarius Jupiter is the sovereign master of knowledge. But in the signs of Pisces and Virgo, its nature and characteristics are divided in two. In Pisces Jupiter manifests its spiritual aspects of knowledge – religion, philosophy, psychology and even art, that is why Jupiter is the nocturnal ruler of Pisces. In Virgo on the other hand, Jupiter is strong in the field of science – physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, applied arts. Virgo being a feminine sign, will enhance the feminine nature of Jupiter, giving the people born with this position, luck and fortitude.

Mars – exaltation in Leo – Increases the masculine nature of the planet: activity, publicity, domination and sport

Venus – exaltation in Cancer – Increases the feminine nature of the planet: love and care for family and home

Mercury – exaltation in Gemini – a very strong position for Mercury, rulership and exaltation (double strength)

The Moon – exaltation in Taurus. Same for both the traditional concept and the new one.

The Sun – exaltation in Aries. Same for both the traditional concept and the new one.

This new concept of exaltations which I propose to you gives a better understanding of the planets and their strengths and weaknesses in different signs. It also helps us explain some astrological paradoxes that have bothered astrologers.

Exaltation of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto

In modern astrology there is a debate regarding the exaltations of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. There is somewhat of a consensus for Uranus, which is determined to be exalted in Scorpio. If this new concept of the exaltations is correct, that means the newly discovered planets should fit very easily in it, just like they did in the rulership concept. Let us see if this is true.

Let us follow the same logical path and put the three newly discovered planets in order, according to their velocity. We see that the exaltation of Uranus is in Scorpio, for Neptune in Sagittarius and for Pluto in Capricorn.

Uranus is exalted in the sign, which today is widely accepted for its exaltation (Scorpio).

Neptune is in harmony with the energies and characteristics of the sign Sagittarius, and fits its exaltation perfectly.

Right at this moment we can very clearly see the power of Pluto‘s exaltation. From the moment the planet entered Capricorn in 2008 a lot of large scale events took place – the economic crisis began alongside with a vast consolidation of power and capital.

We also see that the second sign in which Pluto is exalted is Leo. Some modern astrological schools use the sign Leo for Pluto‘s exaltation. For example, when in 1939 Pluto entered Leo, World War II began.

Now let us have a look at the chart Thema Mundi (horoscope of the world):

This chart combines both the concept of rulership and the concept of exaltation which I present to you. Here is how, the Ascendant of the chart is Cancer. If we use the following correlation between houses and signs: 1st House = Aries, 2nd House = Taurus, 3rd House = Gemini, 4th House = Cancer, 5th House = Leo, 6th House = Virgo, 7th House = Libra, we will see that the planets are in their signs of exaltation, we only need to switch the places of the Sun and Moon because it is more suited for the Sun to be exalted in the first masculine sign of the zodiac.

Conclusion: The concept of exaltation is encoded (hidden) in the Thema Mundi!

Furthermore, if we use a different sign for the Ascendant, for example Capricorn which is ruled by Saturn. We see that the Midheaven (MC) is taken by the sign Libra, the sign in which Saturn is exalted.

If we take Aries as the Ascendant, we see that the Midheaven (MC) is taken by the sign Capricorn, the sign in which Mars is exalted. With the new concept of exaltation this rule can be applied to all the planets. Because the places of the Sun and Moon are switched (reflected) when we put Leo on the Ascendant, at Midheaven (MC) we have Taurus, the sign in which the Moon is exalted. Putting Cancer on the Ascendant, means that MC will be taken by the sign in which the Sun is exalted – Aries.

In the opposite sign of its exaltation, the planet is in its FALL. However, if the sign of the planet‘s fall is masculine, only the feminine nature of the planet will be weakened, the same goes if the sign is feminine, then the planet‘s masculine characteristics will be weakened. In its final form the concept of rulership and exaltation looks like this:

For another example lets taka the sign Aries and its ruler Mars.

The sign on the Ascendant is Aries (Mars rules over Aries), the Midheaven (MC) of the chart is the sign Capricorn (Mars is exalted in Capricorn), at the Descendent we have the sign Libra (Mars is in detriment in Libra) and at IC we have the sign Cancer (Mars is in its fall in Cancer)

If we put on the Ascendant the other sign ruled by Mars – Scorpio, at MC we have Leo (exaltation of Mars), at the Descendant we have Taurus (detriment of Mars) and at IC we have Aquarius (fall of Mars).

If we put the sign Libra on the Ascendant, the ruler of Libra is Venus, at MC we have the sign Cancer (exaltation of Venus), at the Descendant we have Aries (detriment of Venus) and at IC we have Capricorn (fall of Venus).

We can do this for every planet, we take the sign ruled by a specific planet and place it on the Ascendant of the chart. By looking at the sign on MC, DSC and IC we can see the exaltation, detriment and fall of the planet. It is important to note that exaltation should not be considered always as a strong position and the fall should not be considered a weak position when interpreting a natal chart.

Thanks to this new concept we can now discover the following relation between a planet’s sign of rulership and it’s sign of exaltation. When the sign a planet rules rises on the Ascendant, at the same time the sign of the planet’s exaltation culminates on the Midheaven!

If we take the Houses for example, we all know a planet is very strong when placed in one of the angular Houses, this applies for the essential dignities as well. The planet manifests different characteristics of its nature in every sign, masculine or feminine, spiritual or material. This should be taken in consideration while interpreting natal charts

Exaltation of planets according to the new concept I presented to you. From a sign‘s point of view

Sign	Exaltation
Aries	The Sun
Taurus	The Moon
Gemini	Mercury
Cancer	Venus
Leo	Mars
Virgo	Jupiter
Libra	Saturn
Scorpio	Saturn, Uranus
Sagittarius	Jupiter, Neptune
Capricorn	Mars, Pluto
Aquarius	Venus
Pisces	Mercury

Exaltation of planets according to the new concept I presented to you. From a planet‘s point of view

Planet	Exaltation
Venus	Cancer, Aquarius
Mercury	Gemini, Pisces
The Moon	Taurus
The Sun	Aries
Mars	Leo, Capricorn
Jupiter	Virgo, Sagittarius
Saturn	Libra, Scorpio
Uranus	Scorpio
Neptune	Sagittarius
Pluto	Capricorn, Leo

Kiril Stoychev – Astrologer
Chairman of the Bulgarian Astrological Association

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References

Claudius Ptolemy. Tetrabiblos or treatise on astrology in four books. ZOGRAF Publishing, 2000.

Francesca Rochberg. Babylonian Horoscopes. American Philosophical Society, 1998.

Julius Firmicus Maternus. Ancient Astrology Theory And Practice. Astrology Center of America, 2005.

В. Ковригин. Экзальтации: тайна “тайных обителей”