Post by glaucus on Mar 14, 2019 8:43:19 GMT
This about the concept of elements of the zodiac signs by Therese Hamilton who practices Indian Astrology.
Aristotle’s Four Qualities
Although it’s become common, it’s confusing to give the sidereal trigons the same labels as the tropical triplicities—fire, earth, air and water. Robert Hand and Robert Schmidt have noted that according to Ptolemy even in the tropical zodiac these labels are mistakingly applied to the trigons. A note by Robert Hand in Robert Schmidt’s translation of Tetrabiblos, Book 1 reminds us that in relation to the planets Ptolemy doesn’t refer to the four elements but instead emphasizes the four qualities: hot, cold, wet and dry. Robert Hand writes:
"Unfortunately, later astrologers consistently converted Ptolemy's “wet” to “water”, “cold” to “earth”, “hot” to “fire” and “dry” to “air”. The problem is that according to Aristotelian philosophy Water = Cold and Wet, Earth = Cold and Dry, Fire = Hot and Dry and Air = Hot and Wet. Or if one uses the Stoic system of elements, one gets Water = Wet, Earth = Dry, Fire = Hot and Air=Cold. What astrologers did was correct according to neither system of elements." (Tetrabiblos, Book 1, Golden Hind Press, p. 16)
Perhaps we can make a more accurate complement in the sidereal zodiac by aligning the trigons with the four qualities—hot, cold, wet and dry. In another note in Schmidt’s Tetrabiblos translation Robert Hand writes:
"The text does appear to be saying that Hot = Masculine, Wet = Feminine, Dry = Masculine, Cold = Feminine. If Ptolemy is completely in accord with standard Aristotelianism in which Hot and Cold are both active whereas Wet and Dry are both passive, then Ptolemy here classifies Hot = Active & Masculine, Cold = Active & Feminine, Wet = Passive & Feminine and Dry = Passive and Masculine. If this analysis is correct it has all manner of interesting symbolic consequences for astrology." (Ibid, p. 17)
Note: If it isn’t obvious from the foregoing quote, in Aristotle’s element scheme, fire and water are opposites as are air and earth. But astrology has placed fire opposite air and earth opposite water, so there is no agreement with Aristotle.
users.snowcrest.net/sunrise/aatrigonsaddendum.htm?fbclid=IwAR1Y3YCnuq4LqeuJqC0x_qonjvTeTMwio6RYMkoZP4k58PxQpgwinVkUhuc
Aristotle’s Four Qualities
Although it’s become common, it’s confusing to give the sidereal trigons the same labels as the tropical triplicities—fire, earth, air and water. Robert Hand and Robert Schmidt have noted that according to Ptolemy even in the tropical zodiac these labels are mistakingly applied to the trigons. A note by Robert Hand in Robert Schmidt’s translation of Tetrabiblos, Book 1 reminds us that in relation to the planets Ptolemy doesn’t refer to the four elements but instead emphasizes the four qualities: hot, cold, wet and dry. Robert Hand writes:
"Unfortunately, later astrologers consistently converted Ptolemy's “wet” to “water”, “cold” to “earth”, “hot” to “fire” and “dry” to “air”. The problem is that according to Aristotelian philosophy Water = Cold and Wet, Earth = Cold and Dry, Fire = Hot and Dry and Air = Hot and Wet. Or if one uses the Stoic system of elements, one gets Water = Wet, Earth = Dry, Fire = Hot and Air=Cold. What astrologers did was correct according to neither system of elements." (Tetrabiblos, Book 1, Golden Hind Press, p. 16)
Perhaps we can make a more accurate complement in the sidereal zodiac by aligning the trigons with the four qualities—hot, cold, wet and dry. In another note in Schmidt’s Tetrabiblos translation Robert Hand writes:
"The text does appear to be saying that Hot = Masculine, Wet = Feminine, Dry = Masculine, Cold = Feminine. If Ptolemy is completely in accord with standard Aristotelianism in which Hot and Cold are both active whereas Wet and Dry are both passive, then Ptolemy here classifies Hot = Active & Masculine, Cold = Active & Feminine, Wet = Passive & Feminine and Dry = Passive and Masculine. If this analysis is correct it has all manner of interesting symbolic consequences for astrology." (Ibid, p. 17)
Note: If it isn’t obvious from the foregoing quote, in Aristotle’s element scheme, fire and water are opposites as are air and earth. But astrology has placed fire opposite air and earth opposite water, so there is no agreement with Aristotle.
users.snowcrest.net/sunrise/aatrigonsaddendum.htm?fbclid=IwAR1Y3YCnuq4LqeuJqC0x_qonjvTeTMwio6RYMkoZP4k58PxQpgwinVkUhuc