Antoine Garth, astrologer presents:

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LIKE HOW THIS STARTS :

THREE FAT BLOWS TO THE MODERN HEAD

The study of fortune and destiny in the chart has been recovered from the works of Vettius Valens. In
this study we consult the second century astrologer to return to an astrology not known since his
time.

This will force three major traumas upon us as astrologers:

Hard Hit #1
First, we are working within a deterministic system wherein we are seeking to be privy to the
inscrutable workings of Fate. At first blush we modern thinkers may protest such a domination of
symbol over lifestyle, and may wish to reject this idea as insufficiently allowing us to properly assign
"Free Will" to our ego nature. Ironically, this system is useful for also pointing out how the Ego can
prevent a more fortunate fate from occurring. In other words, the system of these five additional,
calculated "lots" creates an astrological universe of its own. It reveals a hidden aspect of the chart,
our own role in it, and what indicators we must follow in order to fulfill our destiny. Finding this spot
can be the "Aha!" moment for clients as well. But we must first subject our modern astrological
stance to three traumas in order to fully comprehend this perspective.

The modern astrologers' problem with determinism revolves around adding man and his ability to
choose into the cosmic equation, which includes unforeseen events and their impact. All of the twists
and turns in the story of life are either predetermined or up for grabs. I say fate and free-will can
peacefully coexist, but we must also equal in the Law of Karma. Karma, the sanskrit word for action,
not only includes the grand and all encompassing but also the mundane and every day. By
understanding primarily that the planets are the instruments of fate, the astrologer can witness and
make known each native's karmic "lot" or portion.

The Lot of Fortune is the first key to revealing the native's hidden universe of apportionment, or,
more simply stated, the native's lot in life.

Hard Hit #2
The second trauma is to our charts (etched forever in our brains as "My chart!") is the trauma of
disfigurement when (for example) our 10th house stellium becomes a 9th house stellium due to the
positional adjustments that happen when using a whole sign chart.

Where once our identities were perfectly secure in the comfort of our personal mandala, we are now
forced to adjust to a new whole sign format that initially makes no sense to those of us who know
what we know about astrology. We will use no house cusps, no degrees and will usually only speak of
aspects in relation to the planets that rule the 6 places. There are many discrepancies that show up
as a result of forcing ourselves to view this most familiar of all the charts (ours) through the lens of

©2007 Antoine Garth, All Rights Reserved

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 Antoine Garth, astrologer presents:

the second century astrologer. The benefit of allowing the Deterministic View and the Whole Sign
House System to permeate our learning will be to provide us with our Bearings: the True North of any
chart. We may find hidden talents or indicators which, by following them, eventually or actually
produce the events of Destiny. We may find our previous feeling of purpose not related to our
Fortune. In the chart, a hidden point may in fact be well-configured, but because it is hidden from
view, it is not discussed: it has become Unconscious. Thus we have a duty as astrologers to live our
own Destinies, and show clients how it is done.

Hard Hit #3
Lastly, because we are losing reference to the exact degrees and working exclusively with whole
signs, we must move out of the round wheel, to become comfortable with the square East Indian
chart.

The Five Pillars of Destiny: 1. Your Place of BASIS

This approach as represented by Vettius Valens leads us, initially, to various charts in search of
money, fame, position and power. However, the attainment of these things is just the beginning. The
"one-hit-wonder" in the music industry usually has to wait at least 20 years for the retro movement to
provide him with royalty checks again; 20 years he may not live to see. Of vital importance is the
ability to "stay at the top" and sustain fortune via good mental and physical health and a solid
financial foundation. For example, compare the how or why someone like Judy Garland, who attained
the very pinnacle of fame, became financially destitute and drug-addled, dying a squalid, premature
death, while someone else, like Mae West, also attained the pinnacle of fame yet sailed unharmed by
self-destruction into her autumn and winter years as one of the richest women in America, resting on
her laurels and ending her life contentedly at age 89.

The Lot of Basis represents the native's ability to produce and/or sustain the apportionment of
fortune allotted to the native. It is also the main motivational foundation of the Lot of Spirit, and
thus is the basis on which the native chooses his/her path of action. Spirit and Basis must always be
used in conjunction. By observing the intersection of these two pillars we can get a very clear picture
of why Judy Garland's actions in relation to her career were led by self destruction and Mae West's by
self preservation.

How long can fortune hold?

Many a millionaire made by the lottery have also lost their fortunes and returned to or worsened their
previous situation. Bonatti described The Place of Basis as "the fiduciae ascendantae," meaning
roughly "the faith in or confidence of the ascendant."By naming it so, it begs the important question:
How much faith can one have in fortune? Any gambler will tell you, "None." How solid is the
(emotional, physical or financial) vehicle? Does anything threaten the well-being of the Vehicle from
within or without? On what BASIS shall the native choose a path of action to success? The Place of
Basis may be illusive, establishing whether or not the native can hold up under the full weight of his
fate.

In the chart of Elizabeth II, the lot of Basis is in Gemini in the 6th place of servants and servitude.
The ruler, Mercury is in the 4th house of ancestral bearing. Her ancestral heritage being the Basis of
her position in life makes Elizabeth II a servant to the Crown and to her ancestral obligation. (see p.
10)

Mae West had a long, circuitous journey to "American Icon" status. She experienced equivocal success
as a Vaudevillian of the "low and raunchy" type and in Broadway during the 1910s. In the '20s West's

©2007 Antoine Garth, All Rights Reserved

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 Antoine Garth, astrologer presents:

fortune started changing for the better shortly after she began writing and starring in her own
material, which led to scandal, notoriety and fame on the Broadway stage. (chart on p. 8)

The Lot of Basis occupies the sign of Virgo in the 5th place of "Good Fortune" with Mercury present.
Mercury rules the tongue and Mercury is with Saturn a cold, dry planet in Virgo a cold dry sign,
indicative of her dry, understated delivery and deliberate languor in her movement, in contrast to the
other players.

Paulus Alexandrinas says of the Place of Basis, "It is like Breath. It is a contributing cause to one's ALL,
it has governance over the Entirety."

Note that Paulus Alexandrinus uses the word "governance." Using this logic it becomes clear that Basis
contributes to and governs all that motivates decision,speech and action.

The Five Places of Destiny: 2. Place of EXALTATION

The exaltation indicates the level at which the native operates in society. This place and the position
of its ruler are the primary indicators of fame and exalted status in the chart. When auspiciously
placed it indicates an important life, an historic figure or a household name.

The effectiveness of the place of Exaltation relies on the position of its ruler. The place of Exaltation
can describe the area of life that will exalt the native, but the ruler of the Exaltation must be well
placed to reap the full benefits of notability and high status. If the ruler is not well positioned, the
full potency indicated by the place of Exaltation is prevented.

Since it is used specifically to delineate status, the Exaltation will not be used as extensively as the
other 4 pillars within this system. When the ruler of the exaltation is placed in such a way to indicate
prominence, then the qualities and signs of that planet apply and can be incorporated into the
delineation of the chart, When the ruler does not indicate prominence, the place of exaltation and
any planets on it will indicate the area of life that exalts the native as per the status determined by
the ruler.

The Place of Exaltation is also an indicator of the native's inherent talents.

The Five Places of Destiny: 3. Place of ACQUISITION

This place, the 11th whole sign from the lot of Fortune, represents financial and material acquisition.
It indicates what we gain through our actions and the measure of it. Planets in this place can indicate
the nature of the substance acquired. Thus, an exalted Venus in the place of acquisition could
indicate fine jewels, a world class art collection and the most expensive haute-couture, Saturn in
Capricorn could represent vast land-holdings, Mercury in Virgo, rare and expensive documents and
books. Planets in the Acquisition can also indicate how we acquire our booty: Mars through robbery or
sports, Saturn through government, farming or the corporate culture, Jupiter through law or by
nature of one's spiritual gifts, such as indian gurus who are supported by their disciples.

In Vedic Astrology, the 11th house has been the indicator of gain for the last three millennia, showing
an important linkage of house meaning between the Vedic Tradition and the early Hellenistic
tradition. The 11th house is called Upachaya (Sanskrit -meaning "growing"). Upachaya houses grow
and improve with time.

The natal 11th has historically been considered one of the most fortunate houses of the chart. Some
in the Hellenistic era even considered it better than the tenth house, as planets inhabiting this
pinnacle represented by the midheaven can only progress in one direction via diurnal motion: Down.
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 Antoine Garth, astrologer presents:

The Vedic tradition makes a distinction between the 2nd house, representing our "moveable assets"
and belongings, or that which we own (excepting land or homes, which are immoveable assets). The
11th house represents "how we gain what we have and how much of it will be gained."

The place of Acquisition is specifically related to this concept of gain whereas the radical 11th is
called "Good Spirit", confirming the highly positive nature of this house. Valens makes a very specific
distinction between the "accumulating pile of goods" represented by the Acquisition and "the spirit of
beneficial patronage" that is represented by the "Good Spirit". Of course, the role played by a
benevolent patron or "guardian angel" can be a contributing factor to personal and material gain.

Just think of Cinderella and her Fairy GodMother.

The Five Places of Destiny: 4. LOT of FORTUNE

The Lot of Fortune is the gateway to this system of delineation. Fortune operates as an ascendant,
becoming the "new east" and providing an invisible second chart, placed upon the first, having all the
houses related to it, as if it were a new chart. All of the angular, succedent and cadent houses from
the Lot of Fortune have the same potency and meaning as their radical counterparts.

From Valens: "In another manner, when you have come to know the place allotted for Fortune, also
consider the squares to it and the remaining figures to be, as it were, upon the genethlialogical pivot
points. That is, the Lot itself will possess the power of the Horoskopos (Ascendant), that of life; the
tenth zoidion(zodiac sign) from this, the power of the Midheaven, that of reputation; the 7th, the
power of the Descendant; the 4th, of the subterraneous zoidion, and the remaining places will
possess the power of the 12 regions. For some have mystically established the universal Horoskopos
and its squares to be the cosmic pivot points, but the Lot and its squares to be the genethlialogical
pivot points."

Genethlialogy is defined by Nicholas Devore in his Encyclopedia of Astrology as "that department of

Astrology which deals with the birth of individuals whereby one forms a judgment of the
characteristics of a person from a map of the heavens cast for his given birth moment."

Valens clearly believed that delineation derived from the Lot of Fortune (as the ascendant) more
relevant than the radical ascendant to judge the characteristics of a person. Fortune, like the
Horoskopos (ascendant), represents our physical body, health and inclination. It also points to the
kind of work we do.

The Five Places of Destiny: 5. LOT of SPIRIT

Spirit is the animating and directive force behind existence. If the Lot of Fortune, by virtue of its
correspondence with the ascendant, can be used to represent the body, then the Lot of Spirit would
represent the directive and animating force inhabiting that body. Since Fortune also connotes
unforeseen accidents (events) that affect our well-being, whether for ill or good, then Spirit can be
seen as the actor of the cosmic drama who must adjust to the circumstances thrown at him by the
fates.

The Lot of Spirit and its ruler represents the vitality and passion (or lack thereof) with which the
native acts upon the world.

Join the discussion and classes. Antoine offers the first hour free.
Enrolllment is $10.00 per class. Four classes, $35.
Antoine Garth, instructor and scholar (with a hilarious Sagittarius Ascendant)
email: agarth@ancientsky.com
©2007 Antoine Garth, All Rights Reserved

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 Antoine Garth, astrologer presents:

PRAXIS, Action which

TH ,
FA OD
KI ER
brings reputation
GO

NG
OD
SP
IR
IT

BAD SPIRIT IDLE PLACE

CORPUS VITAE MARRIAGE, SEX, DEATH

ascendant

HELM

LIVELIHOOD BAD FORTUNE, Illness,

servitude, tribulation
GO
OD
ER

HOME(S), ANCESTRAL
QU S, M ESS
N TH

FO

BEARING, CITIES, LAND,

EE O
D
NG D

RT

BUILDINGS, SECRETS, END

LI GO

UN

OF LIFE, HOW WE ARE

E
B

REMEMBERED AFTER DEATH

SI

©2007 Antoine Garth, All Rights Reserved

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1 2
Consider the "situation" of the Lights:
If the Sun is above the horizon, it is a
diurnal chart, if below it is a nocturnal
chart.
Horoskopos = Ascendant
Marking the Hour = on the Ascendant
or Fortune
Culmination = 10 places or signs from a
lot or place
LOTS & PLACES
Lot of Fortune
M Lot of Spirit
& Place of
Basis
) Place of
Acquisition
, Place of
Exaltation
› new
Place of previous
or full moon
4)
Find the "Acquisition" of the fortune by
counting 11 signs from its location. (or,
count backward from the fortune by two
signs)
Antoine Garth, astrologer presents:
M 3 &
Locate the lots of Fortune and Spirit. Find the "Basis" by determining the
number of degrees in the shortest arc
Fortune is found by determining the arc of between the lots of Fortune and of Spirit,
difference between the Sun and Moon, regardless of the direction of the signs.
and adding or subtracting that number of Add that number to the ascendant.
degrees from the ascendant, using their
degrees of arc in the order of the signs.
For day, add the degrees. For night,
subtract.
SIGN RULER
5, 6k
To find exaltation: Discern whether the Find the previous new or full moon
chart diurnal or nocturnal.
Take the shortest arc in both cases:
If diurnal, count the numbers of houses
separating the Sun from his sign of
exaltation, Aries, in the same direction.
If nocturnal, count the numbers of houses
separating the Moon from her sign of
exaltation, Taurus.
©2007 Antoine Garth, All Rights Reserved
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 Antoine Garth, astrologer presents:

LOTS & PLACES SIGN RULER

Lot of Fortune

M Lot of Spirit

& Place of
Basis

) Place of
Acquisition

, Place of
Exaltation

› Place of previous
new or full moon

©2007 Antoine Garth, All Rights Reserved

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 Antoine Garth, astrologer presents:

©2007 Antoine Garth, All Rights Reserved

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 Antoine Garth, astrologer presents:

©2007 Antoine Garth, All Rights Reserved

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 Antoine Garth, astrologer presents:

In the chart of Elizabeth II, the lot of Basis is in Gemini in the 6th place of servants and
servitude. The ruler, Mercury is in the 4th house of ancestral bearing. Her ancestral heritage
being the Basis of her position in life makes Elizabeth II a servant to the Crown and to her
ancestral obligation. (page 2)

©2007 Antoine Garth, All Rights Reserved

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