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32 by Mark
I have taken a peak at Ivy Goldstein Jacobson's book.

She does not specifically mention 'lunar mansions'. She simply states the critical degrees are linked to the Moons average daily motion which she puts as 13 degrees. The approach is therefore a rounded off and simplified version of the tropical lunar mansions which equate to 12'51.

In terms of zodiacal degrees she highlights 0, 15, and 29 as important.

Considering her book is on horary I do think it is quite likely that the idea of 0 and 29 degrees as 'critical' originate in horary 'considerations before judgement'.

I will post up the full section from her book when I get a chance as it is not very long.

I cannot see any reference to 'anaretic degree' in Jacobson's book. The first publication I have spotted specifically using this term is is by Helen Adams Garrett, 'The Anaretic Degree? published by the ? AFA, 1982.

However, I have a feeling the term is older though. I noticed googling the term brought up the name of another American horary astrologer: Barbara Watters. I do not have her book on horary to hand but I will speculate that this might be the origin of the term. Nearly all American horary astrologers, before the traditional revival, were influenced by both Ivy Goldstein Jacobson and Marc Edmund Jones.

33 by margherita
MarkC wrote: Still, I do not see a traditional basis for the emphasis on the 0 and 29th degree as 'critical degrees'.
I don't agree here.
As I already written in a previous post, Manilius gives a list of damned degrees in Book 4 of Astronomica and 0 and 29 are listed for almost every sign.
My comment to the book says that several scholars like Gundel tried to investigate how Manilius chose this list of degrees, but without any success.
I believe it was Gundel that tried to link these fateful degrees to fixed stars (I think it's the same you are doing with Moon mansions which depend on fixed stars).
Anyway I believe not all the experts on fixed stars agree about this point if I well read my source.

34 by Mark
I don't agree here.
As I already written in a previous post, Manilius gives a list of damned degrees in Book 4 of Astronomica and 0 and 29 are listed for almost every sign.
My comment to the book says that several scholars like Gundel tried to investigate how Manilius chose this list of degrees, but without any success.

I believe it was Gundel that tried to link these fateful degrees to fixed stars (I think it's the same you are doing with Moon mansions which depend on fixed stars).
Anyway I believe not all the experts on fixed stars agree about this point if I well read my source.
I am very interested in the research by Gundel you mention. Although more because of my interest in fixed stars than in connection with this thread. Do you have a reference for this research? Is the work in German?

I knew someone would pick out that comment about 0 and 29 degrees in the tradition! I meant to change it as its directly contradicted by my later comments anyway. If you read all my post you will see I do suggest the modern concept of 'critical degrees' may be related to the traditional horary considerations before judgement. So I wasn't suggesting the idea of critical degrees could not have a basis in the tradition. Perhaps the way I expressed myself did make this somewhat confusing! However, it was fair enough to challenge me on that.

Nevertheless, I do feel we are at cross purposes here as you seem to be discussing the idea of degree points in traditional astrology while I was trying to demonstrate the historical lineage of the distinctly modern concept of 'critical degrees'.

While the Manilius references are very interesting it seems highly unlikely the modern astrologers advocating 'critical degrees' were in any way influenced by this. On the other hand there seems to be a direct verifiable connection between the tropical lunar mansions and the modern idea of 'critical degrees' as I have outlined.
Last edited by Mark on Wed Aug 27, 2008 1:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.

35 by margherita
MarkC wrote:

I do feel you have taken my words out of context. If you read all my post you will see I suggest the modern concept of 'critical degrees' may be related to the traditional horary considerations before judgement. So I wasn't suggesting the idea of critical degrees could not have a basis in the tradition. Perhaps the way I expressed myself did make this somewhat confusing!
I'm sorry, I'm not english mother tongue, so sometimes I tend to miss something.

As given in bibliography I have, Gundel research was published in Philologus n. 81, 1926
Textkritische und exegetische Bemerkungen zu Manilius.

36 by Mark
As given in bibliography I have, Gundel research was published in Philologus n. 81, 1926 Textkritische und exegetische Bemerkungen zu Manilius.
Sadly, yet another source denied to me due to my lack of language skills. A pity as this sounds extremely interesting. There so much good excellent scholarship and astrology in German, French and Italian closed to those of us without the ability to read those languages. Its a real regret. And that is not even counting my inability to read Latin.... :(
I'm sorry, I'm not english mother tongue, so sometimes I tend to miss something.
No need to apologise. Your incredible knowledge and ability to share such fascinating information puts most english speaking members on skyscript to shame. :'

37 by Mark
This is slightly away from the main theme of the thread but I thought since the sidereal lunar Mansions and the Manilius references were linked to fixed stars it might be worth pointing out that some medieval astrologers also considered certain fixed stars as 'Anaretas'.

Thus the term was not confined to just planets.

In particular the Italian astrologer Andrea Argolus suggests certain violent stars, such as Antares, Aldebaran, Pollux, Bellatrix, South Scale, Head of Algol or Medusa, and Regulus , because of greatest drying, are counted among 'Anaretas." (Andreae Argoli... De diebus criticis et aegrorum decubitu, Patavij 1652, page 44.)

I am grateful to Anton Grigoryev for pointing this source out.

http://www.worldastrology.net/articles/stardir.html

38 by margherita
There so much good excellent scholarship and astrology in German, French and Italian closed to those of us without the ability to read those languages. Its a real regret. And that is not even counting my inability to read Latin.... :(
I think that the most important works on fixed stars are in German, like Boll, Gundel and Hubner, and unfortunately I can't speak in German.
Anyway in Italy we have Simonetta Feraboli, a Professor of Greek Literature at University of Genova.
She wrote many things about Latin and Greek stellar catalogues.
I collected all her works.

39 by Mark
I just thought I would follow up my earlier post with the reference I promised from Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson

The Critical Degrees

?The so called Critical degrees are derived from the Moon?s average daily motion (13.00)
Through the signs, starting at 0-Aries and ?falling out? as follows:

0, 13 ,26 of Cardinal Signs, 9,21 Fixed, 4, 17 Common (Mutable)

The significators or co-ruler Moon in a critical degree will being matters to a critical point, a crisis, or to a head, as in an illness or quarrel. Juupiter on page 102 is on a critical degree and eesignates the death-8th House where the matter is brought to a head.


0, 15 and 29 degrees

If in 0-degrees the person has lately entered upon a new course: in 29 degrees he is about to make a definitive change: in either case , if the ruler leaves a Sign in which it had better standing it is a turn for the worse, otherwise it is a turn for the better.

In or around the middle of the Sign, he is better balanced and more likely to steer a middle course insofar as the question is concerned. Midway of a Fixed sign , he will probably stay put in the matter.

The 29th degree shows some misfortune connected with the matter: the person or matter asked about is chaging, at the end of his rope or patience, or desperate.''

(Simplified Horary Astrology, Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson, p53)
In conclusion, Goldstein-Jacobson makes a distinction between the ?critical degress? and the other degrees listed at 0, 15 and 29. Her index to this section states: ?In critical degrees or 0, 15 or 29 dg?
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