Compiled & annotated by Deborah Houlding

The following is extracted from Al Biruni's text The Book of Instruction in the Elements of the Art of Astrology, (written at Ghaznah, 1029 AD), following the R. Ramsay Wright translation (1934).

Verse 476. Other Lots than Part of Fortune Ptolemy recognized only one Part of Fortune, but others have introduced an excessive number of methods of casting lots at nativities. We reproduce in tables those which Abu Ma'shar has mentioned. In each case there are three things to be attended to: place 1 - the beginning 'mubd'; place 2 - the end 'muntah'; and place 3 - the casting point 'malq', which are treated as in the preceeding paragraph, the position in a figure of the heavens of the fortune or lot in question being thereby determined. [note] These three points are called respectively 'manqud' [amount subtracted], 'manqud minhu' [that from which it is subtracted] and 'muzad ralaihi' [amount added]. Sometimes the same arrangement is used for both diurnal and nocturnal nativities, but frequently points 1 and 2 are interchanged for nocturnal ones. It is impossible to enumerate the lots which have been invented for the solution of horary questions, and for answering enquiries as to prosperous outcome or auspicious time for action; they increase in number every day, but the following 97 different lots, 7 of which belong to the planets, 80 to the houses and 10 to neither are those most commonly in use.

[The following tables present Al Biruni's data in modern format. S = the calculation remains the same by day and night R = the calculation is reversed by night. The reversed formula of the first 7 parts are shown, the others follow the same procedure of reversing the order of the planets in the calculation that projects the difference between them from the ascendant]

Fortunes of the Seven Planets Fortune or Lunar horoscope Daemon and religion [Spirit] Friendship and love Despair & penury & fraud

By Day Asc + Moon - Sun Asc + Sun - Moon Asc + Spirit - Fortune Asc + Fortune - Spirit

By Night R (Asc + Sun - Moon) R (Asc + Moon - Sun) R (Asc + Fortune - Spirit) R (Asc + Spirit - Fortune) R (Asc + Saturn - Fortune) R (Asc + Spirit - Jupiter) R (Asc + Mars - Fortune)

Asc + Fortune Captivity, prisons and escape therefrom Saturn Victory, triumph & aid Valour and bravery Asc + Jupiter - Spirit Asc + Fortune - Mars

Fortunes of the Twelve Houses 1st House Life Pillar of horoscope, - Nativities, permanence, constancy [1] Reasoning and eloquence 2nd House Property Debt Treasure Trove 3rd House Brothers Number of brothers Death of brothers & sisters 4th House Parents [3] Asc + Saturn - Jupiter Asc + Spirit - Fortune R R

Asc + Mars - Mercury Asc + cusp of 2nd - lord of 2nd Asc + Mercury - Saturn Asc + Venus - Mercury Asc + Jupiter - Saturn Asc + Saturn - Mercury Asc + 10 Gemini - Sun Asc + Saturn - Sun (or Jupiter)

R R R S S[2] S R R

Death of parents Grandparents Ancestors and relations Ancestors and relations Real estate a/t Hermes Real estate a/t some Persians Agriculture, tillage Issue of affairs [end of matter] 5th House Children Time and number of sexes Condition of males Condition of females Whether expected birth is male or female 6th House Disease, defects, time of onset a/t Hermes a/t some of the ancients Captivity Slaves 7th House Marriage of men a/t Hermes a/t Vettius Valens Trickery and deception of men and women Intercourse [11] Marriage of women (Hermes) Marriage of women (Valens) Misconduct by women Trickery and deceit of men by women Intercourse [12] Unchastity of women Chastity of women Marriage of men and women a/t Hermes [13] Time of marriage (Hermes) Sons in law Lawsuits 8th House Death Anairetai [anareta: destroyer]

Asc + Jupiter - Saturn Asc + Saturn - II [4] Asc + Mars - Saturn Asc + Mars - Saturn Asc + Moon - Saturn Asc + Jupiter - Mercury Asc + Saturn - Venus Asc + Lord of last syzygy - Saturn [5] Asc + Saturn - Jupiter (Venus)[6] Asc + Jupiter - Mars [7] Asc + Jupiter - Mars Asc + Venus - Moon Asc + Moon - lord of Moon [8] Asc + Mars - Saturn [9] Asc + Mars - Mercury Asc + dispositor lord of time- lord of time[10] Asc + Moon - Mercury Asc + Venus - Saturn Asc + Venus - Sun Asc + Venus - Sun Asc + Venus - Sun Asc + Saturn - Venus Asc + Mars - Moon Asc + Mars - Moon Asc + Mars - Moon Asc + Mars - Moon Asc + Mars - Moon Asc + Venus - Moon Asc + Cusp of 7th - Venus Asc + Moon - Sun Asc + Venus - Saturn Asc + Jupiter - Mars Degree of Saturn + Cusp of 8th - Moon Asc + Moon - Lord of Asc

R R R R R R S S R S S S R R S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S R R S R S R R S R R R R R S R R

Fraudulent marriage & Facilitating it Asc + Venus - Saturn

Year to be feared at birth for death, Asc + dispositor of last syzygy - Saturn[14] famine Place of murder and sickness Danger of violence 9th House Journeys By water Timidity and hiding Deep reflection Understanding and wisdom Traditions, knowledge of affairs Knowledge whether true or false 10th House Noble births Kings and Sultans Administrators, vazirs [ministers], etc. Sultan's victory, conquest Of those who rise in station Celebrated persons of rank Armies and police Sultan. Those concerned In nativities Merchants and their work Buying and selling Operations and orders in medical Asc + Mars - Mercury Asc + Saturn - Sun Asc + Fortune - Saturn Asc + Sun - Saturn Asc + Saturn - Mars Asc + Moon - Saturn Asc + Venus - Mercury Asc + Fortune - Spirit Asc + Jupiter - Sun Degree of Mercury + Mars - Saturn Asc + Mercury - Saturn Asc + Cusp of 9th - Lord of 9th Asc + 15 Cancer - Saturn Asc + Mercury - Moon Asc + Moon - Saturn Asc + Sun - Saturn Asc + Jupiter - Sun Asc + Moon - Mercury Asc + Degree of exaltation of the lord of time - lord of time [15]

R R R S R S R R R

Treatment Mothers 11th House Glory Friendship and enmity Known by men and revered, Constant in affairs Success Worldliness Hope Friends Violence Abundance in house Liberty of Person Praise and acceptation 12th House Enmity a/t some of the ancients Enmity a/t Hermes Bad luck Asc + Moon - Venus Asc + Spirit - Fortune Asc + Spirit - Fortune Asc + Sun - Fortune Asc + Jupiter - Fortune Asc + Venus - Fortune Asc + Mercury - Jupiter Asc + Mercury - Moon Asc + Mercury - Spirit Asc + Sun - Moon Asc + Sun - Mercury Asc + Venus - Jupiter Asc + Mars - Saturn Asc + Cusp of 12th - Lord of 12th Asc + Fortune - Spirit R R R R R R R S S S R R S S S

Altogether 7 Fortunes belong to the Planets and 80 to the Houses.

Ten Fortunes not related to the Planets or Houses Hailaj [Hyleg, 'life-giver'] Debilitated bodies Horsemanship, bravery Boldness, violence and murder Trickery and deceit Necessity and wish Requirements and necessities a/t Egyptians Realisation of needs and desires Retribution Rectitude Asc + Moon - degree of previous syzygy Asc + Mars - Fortune Asc + Moon - Saturn Asc + Moon - Lord of Asc Asc + Spirit - Mercury Asc + Mars - Saturn Asc + Cusp of 3rd - Mars Asc + Mercury - Fortune Asc + Sun - Mars Asc + Mars - Mercury S R R R R S S S R R

Verse 477. Differences in Practice There are people who adopt methods differing from the above under some circumstances; eg., with regard to the lot of parents when Saturn is under the rays of the Sun, [16] they take from Jupiter to the Sun by night or vice versa by day, and cast from the ascendant. Again in the case of the lot for grandparents, if the Sun is in Leo, they take from the beginning of Leo to Saturn by day, and by night in the opposite direction. And if it is in the domicile of Saturn then from the Sun to Saturn by day, and vice versa by night; in both cases cast from the ascendant even if Saturn is under the rays or otherwise afflicted. Should two lots indicate the same point, it is regarded as very fortunate. In some of these cases the instructions for day and night are the same, in others different as may be seen from the table; in the former event there is no advantage to be derived from a separate calculation.

Verse 478. Other Lots This matter of casting lots is a very long one, so that one might think there is no end to it. For instance, there are those which are cast at the turn of the year (the entry of the Sun into Aries), on worldly matters and affairs of empire, and those which are cast at conjunctions and oppositions of the Moon to elicit prognostications as to weather, as to success of ventures, and other horary questions. We append in tables the opinions of others on these matters which we have derived from books on the subject.

Verse 479. Lots cast at anniversaries of the world-year and conjunctions

The Sultan's Lot By another way Victory Battle Second way a/t Umar Third way a/t Al Furkhan Truce between Armies Conquest Triumph Of 1st conjunction Of 2nd conjunction Jupiter + MC of the return chart - MC (or Sun) Asc + Degree conj. - Deg. Asc. Conj. Asc + Lord of 7th (or degree of desc) - Sun Degree of Lot of Victory - Moon - Mars Asc + Moon - Mars Asc + Moon - Saturn Asc + Mercury - Moon Asc + Mars - Sun Asc + Jupiter - Fortune Asc + Degree conj. - Ascen. Year conj. Asc + Degree conj. - Ascen. Conj. S S S S S S S S R S S

The following lots are associated with the years, the four quarters, and the conjunctions and oppositions of the Moon.
Earth Water Air and Wind Fire Clouds Rains Cold Floods Asc + Jupiter - Saturn Asc + Venus - Moon Asc + dispositor of Mercury[17] - Mercury Asc + Mars - Sun Asc + Saturn - Mars Asc + Venus - Moon Asc + Saturn - Mercury Moon + Sun - Saturn S S S S R R R Cast chart at Moon-rise

Lots as to prognostics regarding crops, &c.

Wheat Barley meal Rice, Millet Maize Pulse Lentils and iron Beans, onions Chick peas Sesame, grapes Sugar Honey Oil Nuts, flax Olives Apricots Water melons Salt Sweets Astringents Pungent things Raw silk, cotton Purgatives Bitter purgatives Acid purgatives Asc + Jupiter - Sun Asc + Jupiter - Moon Asc + Venus - Jupiter Asc + Saturn - Jupiter Asc + Mercury - Venus Asc + Saturn - Mars Asc + Mars - Saturn Asc + Sun - Venus Asc + Venus - Saturn Asc + Mercury - Venus Asc + Sun - Moon Asc + Moon - Mars Asc + Venus - Mars Asc + Moon - Mercury Asc + Mars - Saturn Asc + Mercury - Jupiter Asc + Mars - Moon Asc + Venus - Sun Asc + Saturn - Mercury Asc + Saturn - Mars Asc + Venus - Mercury Asc + Saturn - Mercury Asc + Mars - Saturn Asc + Jupiter - Saturn R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Lots cast in connection with horary questions

Secrets Urgent wish Time of attainment Information true or not Injury to business Freedmen and servants Lords and masters Marriage Time for action Time occupied therein Dismissal or resignation Time thereof Life or death of absent person Lost animal Lawsuit Successful issue [outcome] Decapitation Torture Asc + Cusp of 10th - Lord of Asc Asc + Lord of Asc - Lord of hour Asc + Lord of 10th - Lord of hour Asc + Moon - Mercury Asc + Fortune - Lord of Asc Mercury + Saturn - Jupiter Moon - Saturn - Jupiter Asc + Cusp 7th - Venus Asc + Jupiter - Sun Asc + Saturn - Sun Jupiter + Jupiter - Sun Cusp 10th + Fortune - Lord of the affair Asc + Mars - Moon Asc + Mars - Sun Asc + Mercury - Mars Asc + Jupiter - Sun Cusp 8th + Mars - Moon Cusp 9th + Saturn - Moon S R R R S S S S S S S S S S S S S S

Notes & References:

Note] The 'beginning' is the planet measurement is taken from; the 'end' is the planet measurement is taken to; the 'casting point' is the place from where this distance is projected - usually the ascendant. Thus, with the Part of Fortune by day, which uses the formula: Asc + (Moon - Sun), the Sun is the beginning, the Moon the end, and the ascendant the casting point. Al Biruni tabulated his data in the style: Names of the Fortunes Distance between Cast from Dirunal or Place 1 & Place 2 Place 3 Nocturnal Part of Fortune Sun Moon Asc Change

It is here presented in modern format for ease of reference, but otherwise adheres strictly to his data. Explanatory inserts or translations not found in the original text are placed within square brackets []. Back to text This is the same formula as the part of friendship and love. Many of the parts listed by Al Biruni share the same formula because the part takes definition from the nature of the query; hence the calculation for friendship and love is used as an indication of the benefits expected from constancy of character when applied to first house matters. In other instances the same calculation is listed under alternate but similar titles - as seen in the section on the 'fortunes of the 7th house' where the calculation Asc + Mars - Moon is known as the part of 'misconduct by women', 'trickery and deceit of men by women', 'intercourse (of women)' and 'unchastity of women'. Al Biruni appears to have collected his data from a variety of sources and included an entry for each variant title even though they all represent the same principle. Back to text Albiruni states that the formula remains the same by day and night. Other authors, such as Dorotheus (Carmen Astrologicum, I.19), instruct us to reverse the formula for night. Back to text Otherwise known as the part of the father. Albiruni explains in v.477 that the formula is normally Asc + Saturn - Sun, except when Saturn is under the Sun's rays - in this case use Asc + Saturn - Jupiter. Al Biruni defines Saturn as under the rays of the Sun when it is within 15 degrees of the body of the Sun, (v.481). Back to text This entry is not very clear. Robert H. Granite in The Fortunes of Astrology: A New Complete Treatment of the Arabic Parts, (San Diego, CA: ACS Publications, 1980), uses Ascendant + Saturn - cusp of 2nd house. Ramsay Wright's translation of Al Biruni's text indicates a roman

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numeral II which could represent the cusp of the 2nd house, but where house cusps are integrated into the calculation elsewhere they are clearly marked 'cusp' which does not appear here. The symbol should probably be taken as the glyph for Gemini - a suggestion which gains weight from Al Biruni's comment in v. 477 that when the Sun is in Leo an alternative calculation for the part of grandparents is to take from the beginning of Leo to Saturn. He goes on to give another alternative if the Sun is in the domicile of Saturn making the calculation of this part quite complicated with logic that is difficult to understand. Back to text The last syzygy is the new or full moon preceding the chart. The original text states "Lord of conjunction or opposition". Back to text We are not told under what circumstances Venus is taken as an alternative to Jupiter. Dorotheus agrees with Asc + Saturn - Jupiter, reversed at night, as the lot of children. Like most classical astrologers Dorotheus appears to have extended the influence of the lot to the whole sign/house within which it was placed, and yet it is clear that he was also making use of the degree of the part (for example, in places where he tells us to consider the ruler of its terms). His instruction on the lot of children illustrates the detail that was derived from its employment. " wherever it happens to be, look at its lord. Then count from the lot to its lord how many signs there are, or from its lord which follows it; whatever there is of signs between these two, that is the number of children. If you find a malefic between these two, it indicates the death of the children. If the Sun or Moon is in quartile or opposition with the lot, then the Sun will increase the male children, the Moon the female. If you find that there is no [planet] in the lot or aspecting it, then the first child will not be benefited by it because he will be miscarried or will die horribly. If you find the lot in a cardine or a good place, then it is a good indication in the matter of children. If it happens to be in the 6th or 12th place, then neither a male nor a female will be born to him, and he will suffer distress and grief from this; but if he should have children, they will not stay with him, so that they be apart from him in the cities. If the lot happens to be where none of the planets is in quartile or opposition to it, then these [natives] have a need for children. But if there are planets in opposition or quartile to the lot, then it indicates he will have a multitude of children. If the lot happens to be in a sign of few children, then it indicates a small number of children. If Saturn is with it, then it indicates he will be sterile or will have few children or will be grieved with an intense grief on account of children." (Carmen Astrologicum, II.10) Back to text Dorotheus uses this as the lot of the time of having children: "When Jupiter transits that lot or its opposition or aspects it from quartile, then will be born children to this native. When Venus happens to transit this lot, it indicates children" (CA., II.11). He also agrees with the formula Asc + Venus - Moon for the lot of female children but uses Asc + Sun - Jupiter for the lot of male children. Back to text In Ramsay Wright's translation the text reads that from the Moon is subtracted from "Lord of house of Moon". Back to text Dorotheus gives detail on the use of this part in Carmen Astrologicum (IV.1.75) "There were men among the ancient scientists who calculated by day from Saturn to Mars and by night from Mars to Saturn, then they cast their number from the ascendant; wherever their counting reached or the number was used up, they saw what was the lord of that sign, then they said to what limb of the body this sign belonged, then they predicted that the chronic illness [would be] in such and such a limb of the body according to what was named for that sign. Aries is the head, Taurus the neck ." Back to text The Lord of time is the Sun is a diurnal chart and the Moon in a diurnal chart. The rendering of Albiruni's meaning in regard to this formula is unclear. Ramsay Wright's translation states that from the ascendant is projected the "Lord of house of Lord of time of Lord of VI" minus the position of the Lord of time. Robert H. Granite in The Fortunes of Astrology has decided upon a much simpler formula, ie., Asc + Lord of Saturn's House - Saturn. Back to text Presumably of men with women (see below). Back to text Presumably of women with men (see note 1). Back to text Dorotheus refers to this as the lot of happiness and wedding (although he reverses the formula at night). He says of it "See which [planet] is its lord and which is with it and which aspects it, as, if a malefic is in this lot or aspects it, say that the native will marry disgraced and one in whom there is no good. If the lord of this lot is in a bad place while Venus is under the rays of the Sun and the malefics aspect then most of those whose nativity is thus will never marry". (II.5) However, he also refers to the lot of wedding as: Asc + Venus - Saturn (reversed at night) and mentions a 'lot of wedding by day and night' which is always taken as Venus + Moon Sun (II.2 and II.6). From the context of the text, the latter appears to be taken as a lot of wedding for men, as we are advised to use Mars + Moon - Sun where the native is a female. Back to text Ramsay Wright's translation states the 'Lord of House in which conjunction or opposition' is subtracted from Saturn (and projected from the ascendant). Back to text The 'lord of time' is either the Sun (in a diurnal chart) or the Moon (in a nocturnal chart). Back to text Al Biruni defines Saturn as under the rays of the Sun when it is within 15 degrees of the body of the Sun, v.481. Back to text

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11] 12] 13]

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The term used in the text is "Lord of his domicile". Back to text