Avoiding Harm and the Role Of Fortuna
Where Part 3 illuminated the celestial architecture that sustains divine presence, Part 4 explores potential vulnerabilities and avoiding harm. Divine statues, if crafted under certain conditions, may not escape the volatility of the heavens. Here, Julianus warns of configurations that threaten both the image and the safety of its steward. What is enlivened by the stars can just as swiftly be harmed by them. This section considers affliction, certain malefic aspects, and finally the role of Fortuna or Lot of Fortune.
Rule 9: Malefics and Mars’s Afflictions: Multitudes of Dangers
When Ares is opposed to them, the divine statue will burn in fire. If Hermes is added to him [Ares/Mars], it will be plundered (καλπήσεται) by soldiers or bandits. When the malefics are in their own signs (ἐν ἰδίοις ὄντες), whether harming (οἱ κακοῦντες) or being harmed (οἱ κακούμενοι) by their dispositors (ὑπὸ οἰκείων), such harm is foretold (ταῦτα τολμηθέσεσθαι μαντεύονται) not only against the images but also against their owners. (οὐ μόνον αὐτοὶ σκεπτέοι ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ δεσπόται αὐτῶν), for like produces like (τὸ γὰρ ὅμοιον ἀποτελέσουσιν).
Where the previous rules offered prescriptions for inceptions, this rule is a serious warning. The presence of Mars (Ares), particularly in opposition to a significator, signifies destruction. The phrase “the statue will burn in fire” is not metaphorical. Julianus is explicit. Under such configurations, the divine image is vulnerable to literal combustion. This affliction is astrological and elemental: Mars, a planet of excessive heat and dryness and has natural sympathy with conditions favorable to fire, especially when placed in a fire sign (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) and in a hard aspect.
The threat compounds when Mercury joins Mars in the affliction. Hermes, though typically a neutral figure and messenger of the gods, becomes a dangerous accomplice under Mars’s influence. Julianus states plainly: the addition of Hermes to Ares can result in plunder by “soldiers or bandits.” Raiding and robbing temples was very common in ancient times, but real-world violence takes many forms. Mercury’s mutability makes him easily corrupted; here, he acts as a violent thief.
The warnings continue with an example of deeper levels of influence. Malefics (Mars and Saturn), when in their own signs, i.e., dignified by domicile or exaltation, gain power in many productive ways. Yet this is not always benefic. Julianus alerts us that these planets, whether doing harm to or being harmed by their dispositors (representing the owner or shrine), can threaten not only the image but its owner as well. The reasoning is a Hermetic doctrine: As Above, So Below. If the image is harmed through the influence of astral light, so can the soul or body of the person to whom it is bound.
This is a significant difference from an opinion widely held in modern times that intent is the deciding factor. Rather than divine presence bending to a person’s will, here we see how celestial forces, even unintentionally misaligned, can act as a curse. Especially dangerous is when a malefic is also the dispositor of the significator while harming it. This creates a deeper chain of affliction and is the mechanism through which the owner can be harmed.
Even more interesting is the role that Hermes (Mercury) can play in potential misfortunes. If Mars (Ares) is afflicting the significator planet and Mercury also makes an applying aspect to him, the destructive element of Mars will influence Mercury to act as a malicious thief. This text has a recurring theme: Mercury can help or enable a great deal of harm in certain conditions, much like the Moon.
Safeguarding the Image:
Always use extreme caution with the Malefics. Avoid the significators making hard aspects.
Ensure that Mercury does not assist the Malefics with afflictions to the significator or Moon.
Examine whether Malefics (Mars or Saturn) are harming or being harmed by their dispositors; trace the chain.
Rule 10: The Lot of Fortune: Terrestrial Link
In all cases let the Lot of Fortune (ὁ τῆς τύχης κλῆρος) be examined (ὁράσθω).
In this concise statement, Julianus shifts the focus from planetary placements to a singular mathematical point: the Lot of Fortune. It cannot be seen with the naked eye, but it carries considerable weight. In the chain of astrological spheres, it acts as a final layer, and in some ways an indicator of the entire operation’s outcome.
The Lot of Fortune (or Part of Fortune) is calculated from the Sun and Moon’s relative positions and projected from the Ascendant, a triadic formula that binds the spirit and body (Sun or Moon depending on the sect of the chart), and the horizon that represents physical incarnation (Ascendant). In Hellenistic and medieval astrology, it was often treated as a secondary Ascendant. Vettius Valens was able to discern information about an individual’s entire life using only this Lot.
Julianus concludes by emphasizing that in all cases the Lot of Fortune should be considered. It signifies how and where spirit enters the world of matter in natal charts. In the context of sacred images, it is another indicator of the image’s fate ability to endure and function. At a minimum it should not be severely afflicted. The goddess Fortuna, for which this Lot is named, decides how and where help from the gods arrives.
Reading Fortuna’s Verdict:
Ensure it is not afflicted by hard aspects from malefics.
Favor placements where the Lot is angular (1st, 10th, 7th, 4th) or supported by benefics through aspect or rulership.
Consider the condition of the ruler of the Lot’s sign: its dignity, placement, and aspects, as this determines how Fortune operates.
In charts for specific deities, other relevant Lots (e.g., Lot of Eros for Venus, Lot of Courage for Mars) can be examined to gauge more potential strength.
Treat the Lot of Fortune equal in importance to planetary significators and lunar aspects.
Conclusion: Preserving and Reconstructing Ancient Knowledge
In this short treatise, we have a remnant of ancient Greece that was nearly lost to time. These are instructions for crafting the “idols” that were already feared and vilified by many in the time it was written. While the text is short and Julianus intended for his readers to have an immense amount of experience and expertise, the last three decades have seen an explosion of high-quality translations of Hellenistic and medieval astrology texts. Many are easy to obtain and there is a great deal of knowledge in them still waiting to be rediscovered. Readers are highly encouraged to explore it for themselves and take advantage of opportunities to learn what was once out of reach for most people.
To deepen your understanding, you can explore the full word-for-word translation of Julianus’s surviving text in the next section. Or return to the main Julianus Knowledge Hub to revisit the theological and astrological principles behind all four parts of this series.