The Arabic Parts, Fixed Stars and other factors

The Arabic Parts

The Arabic Parts have an honorable history in Astrology stretching far back into antiquity, yet they have been largely lost to modern astrologers since the seventeenth century. The parts enable an examination of the "inner" meaning of the horoscope, which goes beyond the "outer" evaluations stimulated by the arrangement of the planets, signs and houses.

The doctrine of parts is based squarely on the numerical relationships between factors of the horoscope. There are a large number of these parts, the best known today perhaps being the Part of Fortune (Part of the Moon), which has survived because it is the strongest of the parts, due to its involvement of the Sun and Moon. Many other parts, however, are distinctly useful in predictive astrology and are regularly used in natal, horary and mundane figures.

(NOTE: parts are extracted according to the strength of the planets concerned, i.e., a nocturnal planet is stronger in a nocturnal figure than a diurnal and vice versa).

As with the modern employment of planetary midpoints, the usage of parts should be secondary to an understanding of the major chart factors (planets, signs and house cusps). Use the part to clarify or illustrate any features that need to emphasized. One reason for the decline of parts in modern times may have been their seemingly limitless proliferation and substitution for clear planetary relationships.

Part of Fortune (Pars Fortunae)

The Part of Fortune, the Part of the Moon, is one of the most important Arabian Parts. The point lies the same distance in longitude from the ascendant as the Moon lies from the Sun. It is found in a diurnal figure by subtracting the longitude of the Sun from that of the Moon and adding the difference to the longitude of the Ascendant. In a nocturnal figure, the place of the Moon is subtracted from that of the Sun. Its house represents an area of life where one finds happiness and natural tranquility, expressing innate abilities. It indicates an area wherein the self is easily expressed. Moreover, as the name implies, it signifies the material wellbeing of the body, as well as the potential for growth of the soul.

"This part signifies the life, the body, and also its soul, its strength, fortune, substance and profit, i.e., wealth and poverty, gold and silver, heaviness or lightness of things bought in the marketplace, praise and good reputation, and honours and recognition, good and evil, present and future, hidden and manifest; it has signification over everything..... if this part and the luminaries are well-disposed in nativities or revolutions, it will be notably good."

- Bonatti, from Zoller: The Lost Key to Prediction
Inner Traditions, NY 1980

Part of Things to Come (Pars Futurorum)

The Part of Things to Come, is next in importance after the Part of Fortune, because it is the Part of the Sun (Pars Solaris). The point lies the same distance in longitude from the ascendant as the Sun lies from the Moon. The part is extracted in the contrary manner to that of the Pars Fortunae, in other words, by day from Moon to Sun and by night from Sun to Moon. Its house signifies the soul and the body (after the Pars Fortunae), along with matters of faith and intentions. Moreover, as the name implies, it signifies the nature of things which are to come, rather than things present.

"The pars futurorum signifies the soul and the body, after the pars fortunae and the quality of these, and faith, prophecy, religion and the culture of God and secrets, cogitations, intentions, hidden things and everything which is absent, and courtesy and liberality, praise, good reputation, heat and cold... The significations of the pars fortunae appear more during the day... the pars futurorum appear more at night"

- Bonatti, from Zoller: The Lost Key to Prediction
Inner Traditions, NY 1980

The Fixed Stars

The Fixed Stars also have a long history, which had fallen into disuse until the recent revival of interest in traditional astrology. Each of the visible "fixed stars", as opposed to the "wanderers", or planets, has its own meaning, which is separate from any role as a member of a constellation. Click here for more on the Fixed Stars.