#arabic parts
My series on astrological magic is now complete. There are thirteen posts total, each of them thoroughly discussing different concepts which are important to the effective practice of these arts. They don’t proceed in exactly the order you’ll need the information in, and I apologize for that, but I also don’t think it will be a problem. You should really make sure to carefully read the information in each of these posts before attempting to carry out this kind of work, in order to be sure that you’ve covered your bases and taken the appropriate precautions. Below is a list of all the posts in the series. I hope they are helpful to you. You’re welcome to ask us if you have any questions at all.
Master List of things Ruled by the Planets, Signs, and Fixed Stars
Lunar Nodes, Planetary Days and Hours, Names and Spirits of Times and Bodies
A Very Effective Method of Drawing a Circle
Consecration, Prayers, and Ritual Theory
Conclusion (Aspects, Other Loose Ends, and a Step-By-Step Walkthrough)
Thank you very much for reading. If you found this series interesting, please consider checking out Benefica’s series on the court cards in Tarot, and if you’re interested, check back soon for our upcoming series on the creation and use of talismans (which will be a collaboration between Benefica and myself).
-Admin
This will be the sixth installment in our series on astrological magic. Before I get too far in explaining other workings of astrological magic, it’s really important for you to know a little about the Arabic Parts (or Lots) that I’ve mentioned in passing a few times in earlier posts. Here, I will provide a brief explanation of the symbolism and meaning of the Parts, a little about their history, how to calculate them, and how to apply them to your astrological magic. The information in this post is mostly derived from one source (and verified as much as possible by many others). This source is The Arabic Parts in Astrology by Robert Zoller. There are not many sources of extensive information on the Parts, but Zoller’s book is particularly useful if you want a thorough source on the matter. Remember that no single post in this series will give you everything you need in order to effectively carry out astrological magic. Please be safe. If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask us.
The best known Part in astrology is the Part of Fortune. In a natal chart, it represents your future financial and career success in a much more precise manner than does the planet Jupiter. In a chart for astrological magic, however, it can have a powerful effect on the overall outcome of your magic. Most modern astrologers only use the Part of Fortune, and rarely calculate or consider the other Parts. While many people consider this sufficient in any normal astrological practice, this is far from enough knowledge to properly apply the Parts to magic. Some Arabic and Hindu astrologers have traditionally used 97 different Parts in their astrological practices, and Hermetics usually use at least 7 of them (each pertaining to one of the planets, and which are demonstrative enough of the nature of Parts in general that I will include those here). European astrologers over time have also used a fairly wide variety of unique Parts which aren’t included in the aforementioned collections. Although I’m certainly not going to explain each individual Part here, I think it’s important for you to have a basic familiarity with the concept, and to know how to decide whether or not a specific Part is appropriate to designate as the one which represents your goals in a magical work.
Basic Concept:
The first, and perhaps most important thing to understand about Parts is their root in the triangular model of existence popular in most Theosophical traditions, and many religions. Personally, I prefer to use the Theosophical model of this triangle, which puts God (as in the absolute or Tetragrammaton, rather than any other form of god or divinity) at the top of the triangle, humanity on the lower left corner, and nature on the lower right. This is representative of the fact that these three concepts are actually unified, and can’t be fully understood if they are thought of as separate. I may make an in depth post about this at some other time, but it would be tangential to explain it in full here (it would qualify more as introductory Hermetic philosophy and symbolism than as theory of astrological magic). To frame it as simply as possible, the concept is a threefold representation of the fractal nature of existence, and is one of many expressions of the Hermetic principle which states “as above, so below.” Consider this as you choose a Part to represent your work. Does its symbolism reflect your intentions? If it does, then your “above” will be much more favorable to the “below” you wish to affect. The fact that a Part consists of two tangible points and one intangible is still more indicative of this threefold property they carry, though (since God is intangible, and humans and nature are both tangible).
Symbolism:
Every Part in an astrological chart has its own symbolic meaning, and pertains to specific things in both the personal life and the world as a whole. In astrological magic, this means that each spell you are casting should be assigned to a specific Part which best exemplifies your goals. There are many, many Parts, and if you become familiar with the symbolism of the various tangible points (things like planets, houses, angles, the ascendant, descendant, midheaven, cusps, nodes, etc.) which make up an astrological chart, you’ll be able to discern the meaning of any Part you can calculate. I’ll provide a basic explanation of the seven Parts commonly used in Hermeticism to help give you an introductory understanding. The method of calculating these seven Parts will be discussed later in this post.
The Part of the Moon is also known as the Part of Fortune. It represents prosperity and material success, and therefore is always important to know about in the context of astrological magic. It affects diurnal charts more than nocturnal ones, but it is of extreme importance to both. The location of the Part of Fortune is so important that ancient sources on astrological magic usually specifically account for how it should be positioned when you are carrying out a ritual. I will discuss where it should be positioned later in this post.
The Part of the Sun is also called the Part of Future. It represents intent, and also faith. It is also linked to religion, and especially the secret practices therein. If your work involves praise or good reputations, courtesy, or things which are hidden or not present, this Part may be a good representative for your petition. It is more powerful in nocturnal charts than in those which are diurnal.
The Part of Saturn is also called the Heavy Part. It is aptly named, because it deals with any matter which carries a lot of figurative weight. This includes memories, deep thought and introspect, old age, karma, incarceration, consistent fulfillment of responsibilities, and the passage of time. It can also represent the conditions of a person’s death. It can be tied to things which are lost in bodies of water. Finally, it can represent anything which has been lost or stolen. If your petition concerns any of these things, you might designate this as the Part to represent it.
The Part of Jupiter is also called the Part of Happiness, or the Jovial Part. It is tied to honor and material success. It is especially concerned with monetary success. It can be used to help a person become zealous or faithful, and it is connected to fairness. You may consider assigning your petition to this Part if these are some of the concerns of your magic.
The Part of Mars is also called the Part of Daring. This Part is tied to all things pertaining to military or war. It also represents the overall worth of one’s soul. This is also a useful Part to represent your petition if you intend to use seduction to commit an act of incest. If you actually work to perform the latter of these purposes, you’re disgusting and you shouldn’t be practicing these arts. Finally, this Part can represent final outcomes and anything you wish to carry out in a rush.
The Part of Venus is also known as the Part of Love. As the name implies, it is associated with all things which are considered sensual or sexual “both licit and illicit” as Zoller says. You may also find this Part useful for gaining any pleasurable experiences which you deeply desire.
The Part of Mercury is also called the Part of Poverty. Again, its name is very indicative of its meaning. In addition to poverty, it can represent the sharpness of your mind. It can also represent war and conflict, especially pertaining to fear and hate. In addition to this, it can be beneficial to any commerce or mercantile activity. Finally, it represents study and knowledge of arts and sciences, and intelligence pertaining to them.
Calculation and Placement:
To calculate the Parts usually involves a formula which requires you to find the distance between two tangible points on the chart (sometimes other Parts are used as these tangible points), and then adding that distance to the ascendant or some other tangible point. To further complicate this process, you usually go in the opposite direction from the ascendant if your chart is nocturnal. It’s extremely important to be careful and make sure you’re calculating your parts in the right direction from the tangible point they relate to if you want to be accurate in your work.
For the Part of Fortune, the first thing you need to know is if you’re using a chart which is nocturnal or diurnal. That is, whether it is day or night at the time the chart represents. If the chart is diurnal, you will calculate this Part by adding the degrees and minutes of the ascendant to those of the Moon, and then subtracting the degrees and minutes of the Sun from that. If it is a nocturnal chart, you should add the ascendant to the Sun, and subtract the Moon.
There are several things you should consider when you are deciding if the Part of Fortune is in a good place for you to work. These are not specific to any purpose, but should be considered in general.
-The Part of Fortune should not be cadent from the Moon or from any aspects of the Moon.
-It’s a good thing if the Part of Fortune is conjunct to the planet ruling the ascendant.
-The Moon should not be in the 3rd, 6th, 8th, or 12th House from the Part of Fortune.
For the Part of the Sun, take whichever method of calculating the Part of Fortune is not applicable to the time of day, and this is how you will find the Part of the Sun.
For the Part of Saturn, you should calculate the distance from Saturn forward to the Part of Fortune in a diurnal chart. In a nocturnal chart, take the distance from the Part of Fortune forward to Saturn. Add this distance to the ascendant, and the sum is the location of this Part.
For the Part of Jupiter, you should take the distance from the Part of Fortune forward to Jupiter in a diurnal chart. In a nocturnal chart, take the distance from Jupiter forward to the Part of Fortune. This distance should be added to the ascendant, and the sum is the location of this Part.
For the Part of Mars, calculate the distance from Mars forward to the Part of Fortune in a diurnal chart. In a nocturnal chart, you should calculate the distance from the Part of Fortune forward to Mars. Then, you should add this distance to the ascendant to locate this Part.
For the Part of Venus, you should calculate the distance from the Part of Fortune forward to the Part of the Sun in a diurnal chart, and in a nocturnal chart you will calculate from the Part of the Sun forward to the Part of fortune. Add this distance to the ascendant and you will be able to locate this Part.
For the Part of Mercury, you will use the method of calculation which is not applicable to the Part of Venus.
Hopefully this gives you a basic understanding of how Parts work, as well as how they are calculated. The Part which represents your work (or the conditions which necessitated your work) is called the Part of the Petition in astrological magic. The house where it sits represents the beginning of your work. The planet which rules over that house represents the ending of your work, or how it will be resolved. The ruler of house where that planet sits represents the total completion of the matter the work is pertaining to. Now for the last bit of this post, I’ll talk a little about how the Part of the Petition should be placed.
-Try to give the Part of the Petition good aspects with Jupiter or Venus, with Mars and Saturn cadent from the houses they rule.
-Never let the planet ruling over the Petition be in retrograde.
-The ruler of the Petition should be in conjunction or opposition with a luminary. If you can’t account for this, the ruler of the house where that planet sits can be in that position. One or both of these planets should also be in the same house as the ascendant, or the Part of the Petition.
I hope this post has been useful and informative, and gave you a basic understanding of the Parts and how they work. I will continue this series soon. Thank you for reading.
-Admin
