Sitting on its throne in the heavens, the Sun’s movement designates day and night, light and dark, winter and summer, truth and lies, carving the ecliptic, the basis of the zodiac and the art of astrology, across the sky.
Author: Alexandre Dias
The Moon: The Nocturnal Luminary
As the luminary that rules the night, the Moon represents change, travel, the emotional or irrational soul and feminine energy, but its significations depend on its condition in the sky and its proximity to the earthly sphere.
Firmicus Maternus: A skeptic among the stars
A lawyer turned astrologer turned devout Christian, Firmicus Maternus penned the eight-book Mathesis, one of the lengthiest extant works on Hellenistic astrology in Latin, giving sixteen centuries of readers insight into astrological practices during the Roman Empire.
Venus: The Lesser Benefic
Beauty, pleasure, and love: the incarnation of the Greco-Roman goddess of love, Venus, the Lesser Benefic brings joy to the life of the native if well-placed, and over-indulgence if ill-aligned.
Mercury: The Messenger
Speedy and unpredictable, the twinkling planet Mercury has long represented reason, commerce, and the pursuit of knowledge, and is distinct in its openness to the influence of other heavenly bodies.
Mars: The Lesser Malefic
Mars, the blood-red warrior, blazes across the night sky, the harbinger of death, destruction, and strife. But the lesser malefic is not all bad: if dignified, the martial planet becomes the protector of the weak, the signifier of a courageous struggle, a victory against all odds that brings many rewards.
Astrology, Power and the Roman World
In the Roman Empire, knowledge of the stars could get you killed—or help you kill others. Discover how the science of reading the heavens became a powerful political tool in the Roman world.
Saturn: The Greater Malefic
The cold, dry ruler of Aquarius and Capricorn, the furthest of the visible planets represents limits and strife, the march of time, and the inevitability of death. But, when faced with dignity, even the darkest saturnine theme has the potential to teach profound lessons.
Jupiter: The Greater Benefic
Magnanimous, expansive, kingly: the Greater Benefic takes many of its qualities from its namesake Jupiter, the Greco-Roman king of the gods. Abundance is key to this sanguine planet, as is power, representing the native’s fortune and success but signifying despotic attitudes or wastefulness when poorly placed.