Post for ACT Hellenistic Forum: Exaltation Topic
Sunday, 5 April, 2009

For anyone who has been considering exaltation patterns:

Has the overall image pattern below been noted during the revival and study of Hellenistic astrology? I tried to make a diagram using the names of Hellenistic deities, but without success. So the diagram below uses traditional glyphs. I apologize for the simplicity of the diagram as I seem to have lost my former ability in creating and placing graphics into a text document. Thus, the diagram below is from an older document. Note: "Kore," "Persephone" and "Apollo" are what Mr. Schmidt would call 'place holders.' I've wondered if it may not be fully possible to understand the exaltation pattern without the addition of modern planets to the scheme. (I'm not suggesting that they should be used in the same way as the traditional planets.)

The solar/lunar halves of the zodiac are the foundation of the diagram. (Tetrabiblos, Book 1, p. 32, translated by R. Schmidt...plus other Hellenistic sources). The outer circle has lunar images (Aqu-Cnc) on one side and solar images (Leo-Cap) on the other.

The traditional exaltations are all in place. Note that the benefics, Zeus, Aphrodite, and (Selene as benefic?) are exalted on the lunar side whereas the malefics—Ares and Kronos—are exalted on the solar side of the zodiac.

In the central Polarities/Domicile column the two images associated with each classical planet are kept together. The (possibly) later added domicile co-associations are all on the lunar side of the zodiac in order of discovery:

I have tentatively chosen Apollo and Persephone to represent the (possibly) "new" or additional domicile lords for the Twins and Bull, only to show the over-all pattern of exalted planets by image. (So-called "later" domicile co-lords may not show up for many more decades or much longer. And perhaps many wouldn't accept the possibility of expanding domicile lords.)

With this pattern Apollo is a suggested domicile lord for the Twins and the exalted planet for Leo/Lion. Poseidon becomes exalted in the Twins. (Myths emphasize the Apollo-Helios and Poseidon-Twins connections. In late antiquity Helios was frequently identified with Apollo.)

If the images are listed from Aries/Ram through Pisces/Fishes, the two signs associated with the traditional planets remain together:

I'm posting this mainly to suggest that if possible "new" domicile co-lords at sometime become operational (representing developing modes of consciousness??), a perfect pattern is formed without dislodging any of the traditional exalted planets. Although astrological evolution isn't part of Hellenistic astrology proper, I believe that we have to consider that astrology itself will continue to evolve or that we'll continue to discover lost knowledge. But I agree that we can't dislodge the ancient foundation.

Somehow it all has to be made to fit together. We can't, for example, replace the association of Hermes and the Virgin with Ceres and/or Vesta as has been suggested by some in the modern tropical community. It's through many years of considering the observed nature of signs that has shifted my focus to the sidereal zodiac. It's true that Hermes and the tropical Virgin make a poor match as Robert Hand has discussed in HOROSCOPE SYMBOLS. But Hermes and the sidereal Virgin (tropical Libra) make quite a good match in practice. I'm mentioning this here because in particular the astrological confines/bounds which are now being discussed depend very much on the zodiac used.

Therese Hamilton